Roger Ebert, A to Z, RIP
From A, Awake in the Dark, his wonderful collection of film essays, to Z, Z-Man, the unforgettable character in Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, which screenplay Roger co-wrote with the equally unforgettable Russ Meyer–Roger Ebert lived an exemplary life. Much of that is thanks to C for Chaz, his other half. Yesterday Chaz described his passing as a Transition. Roger, I so hope it suits you. Farewell!
One with Clay, Image and Text 
Yes, that’s pretty well him. He was so proud of his New Yorker caption contest win ;-).
I’m glad you and I “met” via his blog, Michel!
Hi Gary,
I read your heart-felt and well-stated comment on Roger’s site and decided to stop by here. I noticed that through the years, even though there were at times acrimonious exchanges on Roger’s site, you always made the blog a classier place: even tempered and gracious in all weathers. Thank you for that.
Thanks so much for saying so, Donald. That fact is, he was going to read what we wrote, so it behooved us to make it worth his while to do so. I often found your comments startling, a skewed perspective underpinned with exceptional intelligence.
“I often found your comments startling, a skewed perspective underpinned with exceptional intelligence.”
I’d say that is a fair (and accurate) enough depiction. I blush and cringe at some of the ways in which I expressed myself, although I can say that to the best of my awkward abilities I never veered from what I fundamentally believe in. For all of his long-winded and often mean-spirited invectives, I can honestly say that I never did figure out what Randy Masters truly, genuinely, individually, believed in, if anything.
I admire guys like Christopher Hitchens, Noam Chomsky, David Irving, Sam Harris, and Richard Dawkins. My hero is Christopher Hitchens. He’s been gone for well over a year, and I haven’t gotten over his death; it’s the only one that I’ve never been able to come to terms with—and probably never will. A very unique and irreplaceable man died with his passing. I’m sure many people feel the same about Roger.
Christopher Hitchens said that for every person who passed him on the street in New York City and told him they were a huge fan of his, there were, he realized, six others who were thinking, “There he goes—that scumbag, that asshole.” was a tough guy, something I’m not—I get wounded to easily. Christopher was also much more sophisticated than I am in knowing how to deal with people.
I rubbed Roger the wrong way early on and even though I tried to redeem myself in his eyes, I was never able to do it. I’ll always regret that, because I really very much wanted to.
Well, on the other hand, you really are a good example. Honestly, you are on the list of people I admire. You have such a good, healthy, life-affirming attitude. As you once said to me about one of my limericks in that contest, “I tip my hat to you.”
Wow–thanks, man. Hope you continue affirming life via your blog and continued comments to Roger’s Journal. You may not replace Christopher Hitchens, but some day decades hence YOU may be regarded as Irreplaceable…all you need is an Ebertian work ethic and a little more confidence!
😀