Ray Bradbury's Leap of Faith

Ray and friend by Rachel Wright-Yamauchi
www.editorsdream.com


Eighty-four-year-old Ray Bradbury
demonstrated just what a master storyteller he is on 27 May at the Torrance Cultural Centre, when he held an audience of readers and writers of all ages spell-bound for an hour. This was his 56th consecutive annual appearance, co-hosted by Southwest Manuscripters and the City of Torrance.

Relating anecdotes such as the time he shinned over the walls of Paramount Studios as a thirteen-year old, desperate to rub shoulders with the stars, or how he chased Marlene Dietrich up a staircase on Sunset for a photograph (she reluctantly agreed), Bradbury had a wealth of Hollywood vignettes to draw on as he entertained his audience.

Speaking resonantly and often with extraordinary emotion, he talked about his own arduous pilgrimage as a writer, from a no-hoper high school wannabe, to a journeyman who ground out a short story a week for two years and then finally a recognized talent, who was invited to meet the directors and artistic collaborators he had revered for so long, from afar.

Entranced by the movies since the age of three, when he saw his first dinosaur in The Lost World, Bradbury's big break came when John Huston invited him to write the script for his film Moby Dick. Suddenly Bradbury's salary ballooned from $100 a week to $600 a week and he was on his way to Europe for the first time in his life (filming took place in Ireland). He recalled being frustrated by the difficulty of turning the novel into a script, a process which took eight long months. It all came together on the last day of writing (which translated into the last half hour of the film) when 'finally, Melville was in my blood … When I looked in the mirror I said, "I am Herman Melville."'

But the main topic of the evening was love. Bradbury is promiscuous - he has several ongoing love affairs - with libraries, motion pictures, radio, comic books. When he falls in love, it's love all the way and no turning back. As a young man, he fell in love with the Chicago World Fair, dubbed A Century of Progress, and was devastated when it was dismantled. But he didn't give up hope. 'You have to keep caring, when nobody cares.' Years later, he was invited to help design a revamped fair's Architecture Pavilion, and populate Disney's Epcot Center with his futuristic metaphors.

Ray, Sam and the Gang Bradbury's official biographer, former Publisher's Weekly correspondent and Columbia College Chicago professor Sam Weller, joined the platform, repeating questions from the audience for Bradbury, who is hard of hearing. A spruce and youthful 38, it's obvious that Weller greatly admires Bradbury and that they share an affectionate, mutual respect. Weller spoke warmly in praise of 'what a philosophical individual he is - his beliefs and approach to life - his brassiness.'

Bradbury's drive, discipline and creativity have produced an exceptionally rich and fruitful literary career, difficult to emulate. But he had this steely advice for young writers. 'Write a 1000 words a day. You've got to be madly in love. Don't listen to your friends - they can't help you. Write whatever you love--Science fiction, romance, soap opera--it doesn't matter.' Or, as Weller quotes him in his biography, 'Jump off the cliff and build your wings on the way down.'

The Bradbury Chronicles: The Life of Ray Bradbury by Sam Weller is available in bookshops.


Ray and Edith

Everybody Loves Raymond
A Tribute to Ray Bradbury
by Stephen Pizzica

     There's a Sci-Fi Author named Ray
     Who beams down to Torrance each May
          He regales the Southwest
          Manuscripters with zest
     Ray, we love every word that you say