As if losing David Gemmell this past week weren’t terrible enough….I’d like to take a moment and acknowledge two more notable losses in recent days….

1. Cheryl Morgan announced this week that her much-loved webzine EMERALD CITY will soon be ceasing publication. It’s a real loss for our industry and I’m very sad to see this happen. Her work has been one of the few bookmarks that I visit daily and her blog is a joy. She’s amongst a select few in the genre literary industry that really keep everyone in touch with the latest news, opinions, and happenings (LOCUS and LOCUS ONLINE being another obvious, venerable example). I’ll miss EMERALD CITY very much, and wherever Cheryl goes next, that place will be better for her presence.

2. If you’ve ever heard of the poem “Why Am I So Brown?,” then you probably know who Trinidad Sanchez, Jr. was. He died Sunday, July 30th, at age 63 here in San Antonio, of post-stroke complications. Besides being a distinguished poet and author, he was a teacher, mentor, and social activist who did a lot of good for a lot of people. His death was especially shocking to me because I had just re-connected with him five weeks before, when he came to a book signing for my art book. We had met back in the mid-90s when I was doing the WORDS & PICTURES comic book, and at that time, I was just finding my way and he was an already-legendary poet. He took time to offer encouragement and kind words, and we never saw each other again, until he came on his own to see me at my signing in June. His memory was sharp, and he had the kind of sparkle that you see very rarely. The guy was just luminous. He looked to be at the top of his game, and he was as warm a human being as you can ever imagine. I was really floored that he took the time to come see me, and I never would’ve imagined that’s the last time I would see him. Thanks, Trinidad. I hope I can pass on some of the generosity you gave to me.

Click here to read more about this great man.