Dept. of Unexpected Goodbye

[kaffy_r]

Arthur Hlavaty is Gone

I don't know how many people in my Dreamwidth circles are from OG science fiction fandom; those who are there may know this. Other people, especially those who aren't familiar with OG science fiction/fantasy fandom, will undoubtedly not be aware that the world lost an amazing man last night/the early hours of this morning.

Arthur Hlavaty, one of the most brilliant people it was my honor to know and communicate with, died unexpectedly, leaving his spouse Bernadette Bosky and co-husband Kevin Marony bereft. Even though Arthur was 83 and had been in poor health following a broken hip many months ago, no one expected him to leave this circle of the world so soon. He was Supergee on LJ and on Dreamwidth, where he should still be, dammit. 

I am fairly certain that I have known, or at least known of, Arthur since the mid-1990s Usenet days of rec.arts.sf.fandom. When he responded to anything I posted, I was proud of having said something worthy of his notice. I once wrote a defense of good politicians/government officials that he acknowledged might have moved the needle slightly from his mostly cynical view of both. I was quietly over the moon at that immense praise. He was kind, wry, gentle about much of life and merciless about fools. He was very deaf, and thought that popular music ceased being good after about 1966. I occasionally twigged him about that, and he was able to reply in kind. Bob and I were lucky enough to have a meal with Arthur around 2002 during a Minicon. He was as impressive in person as he was on the printed page or pixel. 

He was a ... well, the best description of Arthur comes from Arthur himself, although this is also useful. His personal zines Nice Distinctions and Derogatory Reference were two I always was happy to receive in the mail and I treasure his occasional letters to me. Oddly, or sadly, enough, I dug up a Nice Distinctions from my files about three days ago so that I could find Arthur's Bernadette's and Kevin's physical address. I mailed my holiday card to the three of them last night. Less than 12 hours later, he died. 

I cried out this afternoon when I read Bernadette's announcement. The world is darker today. 

Comments

[beccadg]

*Hugs.*

[kaffy_r]

Thank you.

[sovay]

I cried out this afternoon when I read Bernadette's announcement. The world is darker today.

His memory for a blessing.

*hugs*

[kaffy_r]

Thank you. He was sui generis.

[gerisullivan]

This is a beautiful remembrance. It does him and your friendship with him justice. Thank you for writing and it.

[kaffy_r]

Thanks; I know you understand when I say I wish I hadn't felt the need to write it.

[cmcmck]

I'd known Arthur from back in the LJ days.

Such a loss.

[kaffy_r]

Indeed.

[dewline]

I remember getting acquainted with him back on LJ, and we never chatted directly much, if at all, either there or here on Dreamwidth.

That said...it's still a loss to us all.

[kaffy_r]

His death represents a loss of a particular generation of OG fandom, and also the loss of older fen who nonetheless were eager, or at least willing, to adjust to new methods of communication.

[pameladean]

I exclaimed aloud too when I read Kevin's posting Bluesky. He was supposed to be coming home.

I was over the moon when he liked one of my books. I really respected his judgement. And he was so funny.

P.

[kaffy_r]

I don't know if he knew how highly he was regarded. I suspect that even if he did, he'd think those of us who thought well of him were perhaps a little silly.

[dreamshark]

Arthur was wonderful. Somehow I discovered his fanzine back when it was Diagonal Relationships (he kept changing the name, but it was always DR). I rarely read fanzines, but I read his, front to back. His writing was always thoughtful, erudite, and mordantly funny. He was GoH at Minicon 22 (yes, in 2002), which was the first and only time I met him in person, and he was just as interesting and charming as I thought he would be. I'm very sad to hear of his passing, but thank you for letting us know.

[kaffy_r]

I second everything you say here, and mordant wit was his forte. I think the one time I met him in person was at Minicon 22 as well.

[chez_jae]

Sorry to hear of the loss of your friend.

[kaffy_r]

Thank you. Over the past couple of days I've found myself surprised at how much his absence has hit me, given that we only met once and have communicated via LG/DW or Facebook for a couple of decades. But it doesn't matter in the end. One misses who one misses, and in the way one misses them.

[elisi]

I'm so sorry for your loss, and wish I had known him.

[kaffy_r]

Oh, you would have liked him. Thank you for your thought.