Tales of Sheckley
On the anniversary of Bob's death, a group of his best friends in Portland held a Kadish in his honor. The site was Rimski Korsakoffee. Goody Cable, a friend of Bob's donated her wonderful restaurant for an afternoon of reading, storytelling and celebrating our late best friend. Martin Olson, who Bob unequivocably considered his best friend--and best man at his final wedding---flew in fron Los Angeles. Ira Friedwald, Bob's protegee, flew in from North Portland. Paige Powell, former Andy Warhol protegee, flew in from New York. Larry Colton, who hired bob to work through the community schools program, flew in from pulling together his latest novel and Portland's Wordstock, a literary event he founded and his Portland Public Schools education empire. Maggi White, Carla Perry, Roger Kolaks, Jon and Monique Carder, Jan Baross, Jon Bunce, Jeff and Laura Johnson, Roy Silberstein, Laura Bach, Steve Perry and Goody brought a thousand memories of sitting back, talking to Bob and simply being amazed. John Henley, longtime Sheckley buddy, officiated. We laughed until sparkling applejuice squirted out our collective nose, cried at our loss, ate Bob's favorite foods; played Goody's piano and sang the songs of infinite regret. Some of us read stories we'd written in Bob's honor. A few of those pieces, and some wonderful pieces sent by those who couldn't make it---citing issues like having to cross an ocean to participate---are published here, with permission from the authors.
