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Remembrance: Selected Correspondence of Ray Bradbury
Iconic author of Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, and Something Wicked This Way Comes, Ray Bradbury believed that, someday, a collection of his letters could illuminate the story of his life in new ways. That story emerges across time and memory from the pages of Remembrance.
Ray Bradbury was one of the best-known writers and creative dreamers of our time. The many honors he received, which included an Emmy and an Academy Award nomination for adaptations of his work, culminated in the 2000 National Book Foundation’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, a 2004 National Medal of Arts, and a 2007 Pulitzer Prize Special Citation. For many years NASA and the Disney Studio felt the impact of Ray Bradbury’s creativity, and his fiction has found its way into hundreds of anthologies, textbooks, and the National Endowment for the Arts’ Big Read program. His enduring legacy as a storyteller, novelist, and space-age visionary radiated out into popular adaptations for stage, film, and television, and now the fascinating narratives and insights of his personal and professional correspondence are revealed for the first time.
Remembrance offers the first sustained look at his life in letters from his late teens to his ninth decade. Bradbury’s correspondence was far-reaching—he interacted with a rich cross section of 20th-century cultural figures, writers, film directors, editors, and others who simply wanted insights or encouragement from a writer who had enriched their lives through his stories and novels.
Bradbury scholar and biographer, Jonathan R. Eller, organized this volume into categories of correspondents, showing Bradbury’s progression through life as he knew it, and not necessarily as the public perceived him. Letters to and from mentors and other writers are followed by correspondence with such film directors as John Huston, François Truffaut, and Federico Fellini. Letters with publishers and agents are followed by letters that capture moments of national and international recognition, the shadows of war and intolerance that motivated some of his best writing, and the friends and family members who shared the memories of his life. Among the writers whose letters illuminate Remembrance are Theodore Sturgeon, Sir Arthur C. Clarke, Twilight Zone writers Charles Beaumont and Richard Matheson, Dan Chaon, Bernard Berenson, Nobel Laureate Bertrand Russell, Graham Greene, Anaîs Nin, Gore Vidal, Carl Sandburg, and Jessamyn West.
Remembrance illuminates the most elusive aspect of Ray Bradbury’s wide-ranging writing passions—the correspondence he sent and received throughout his long life, each letter originally intended for an audience of one.
Ray Bradbury was one of the best-known writers and creative dreamers of our time. The many honors he received, which included an Emmy and an Academy Award nomination for adaptations of his work, culminated in the 2000 National Book Foundation’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, a 2004 National Medal of Arts, and a 2007 Pulitzer Prize Special Citation. For many years NASA and the Disney Studio felt the impact of Ray Bradbury’s creativity, and his fiction has found its way into hundreds of anthologies, textbooks, and the National Endowment for the Arts’ Big Read program. His enduring legacy as a storyteller, novelist, and space-age visionary radiated out into popular adaptations for stage, film, and television, and now the fascinating narratives and insights of his personal and professional correspondence are revealed for the first time.
Remembrance offers the first sustained look at his life in letters from his late teens to his ninth decade. Bradbury’s correspondence was far-reaching—he interacted with a rich cross section of 20th-century cultural figures, writers, film directors, editors, and others who simply wanted insights or encouragement from a writer who had enriched their lives through his stories and novels.
Bradbury scholar and biographer, Jonathan R. Eller, organized this volume into categories of correspondents, showing Bradbury’s progression through life as he knew it, and not necessarily as the public perceived him. Letters to and from mentors and other writers are followed by correspondence with such film directors as John Huston, François Truffaut, and Federico Fellini. Letters with publishers and agents are followed by letters that capture moments of national and international recognition, the shadows of war and intolerance that motivated some of his best writing, and the friends and family members who shared the memories of his life. Among the writers whose letters illuminate Remembrance are Theodore Sturgeon, Sir Arthur C. Clarke, Twilight Zone writers Charles Beaumont and Richard Matheson, Dan Chaon, Bernard Berenson, Nobel Laureate Bertrand Russell, Graham Greene, Anaîs Nin, Gore Vidal, Carl Sandburg, and Jessamyn West.
Remembrance illuminates the most elusive aspect of Ray Bradbury’s wide-ranging writing passions—the correspondence he sent and received throughout his long life, each letter originally intended for an audience of one.
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Published November 7, 2023
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About the author
Jonathan R. Eller
20 books4 followersJonathan R. Eller is the author of the definitive, three-volume Ray Bradbury biography, which includes Becoming Ray Bradbury, Ray Bradbury Unbound, and Bradbury Beyond Apollo—and served as general editor of the Collected Stories of Ray Bradbury and The New Bradbury Review. He is emeritus Chancellor’s Professor of English at Indiana University and cofounder of the Center for Ray Bradbury Studies, which he directed for a decade until his retirement in 2021.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 6, 2023
"Remembrance: Selected Correspondence of Ray Bradbury," offers a captivating glimpse into the life and mind of the legendary author, Ray Bradbury. This collection of letters is a treasure trove for any admirer of Bradbury's work, providing a profound and intimate perspective on the man behind the literary genius.
What makes this compilation truly exceptional is Eller's skillful curation and the insightful context he provides before each letter. His concise yet illuminating introductions to the correspondences enrich the reader's understanding of the background, making the letters themselves all the more poignant.
Bradbury's evolution as a writer is well-documented through his dozens of novels, but through this collection of letters, readers witness his personal growth from mentee to mentor, and from a budding writer asking for favors to a celebrated author who became the recipient of such requests. The progression in Bradbury's relationships is evident in the changing sign-offs, from the formal "Best, Ray" to the affectionate "Yours, Ray," and finally, "Love, Ray." This evolution mirrors the transformation in his professional and personal life, making the letters all the more compelling.
One of the most enlightening correspondences in the book is Bradbury's decades-long exchange with his agent, Don Congdon. Their letters offer a candid and illuminating look into the highs and lows of Bradbury's career. The closeness of their relationship is palpable, as they transition from business associates to dear friends. The most heartwarming letters in the collection are those to Bradbury's friends and family. They reveal the facets of Bradbury that were a loving son, father, uncle, and nephew. His reflections on personal matters make him appear more relatable, like any other person. I was especially moved by his reflection on his mother's death: “I will send a ten year old boy to the graveyard to put flowers on her grave. I wll return a 46 year old man, bewildered at the fact of buried love dug up and for a moment exhibited in the cold December light.”
I was suprised by Bradbury's willingness to express his political opinions in the era of McCarthyism. His impassioned words, such as "And let us all settle down to the job of moving ahead together…each lonely individual in our country firmly held in mind," elevate him from being merely a writing hero to a personal hero for living a fulfilling life.
As a delightful aside, as a Columbia student, the inclusion of a letter from the President of Columbia University (PrezBo!) awarding Bradbury the Pulitzer Prize Special Citation, technically makes me only two degrees of separation from Bradbary. What a slay!
"Remembrance: Selected Correspondence of Ray Bradbury" is an exquisite gem that should find a cherished place in the collection of any devoted Bradbury fan. Jonathan R. Eller's meticulous compilation and insightful context provide a comprehensive view of Bradbury's life, from his professional triumphs and struggles to his personal joys and sorrows. This book offers a poignant journey through the life and times of a literary legend, making it a truly perfect read for the hardcore Bradbury fan.
A very huge thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC. All thoughts were my own.
What makes this compilation truly exceptional is Eller's skillful curation and the insightful context he provides before each letter. His concise yet illuminating introductions to the correspondences enrich the reader's understanding of the background, making the letters themselves all the more poignant.
Bradbury's evolution as a writer is well-documented through his dozens of novels, but through this collection of letters, readers witness his personal growth from mentee to mentor, and from a budding writer asking for favors to a celebrated author who became the recipient of such requests. The progression in Bradbury's relationships is evident in the changing sign-offs, from the formal "Best, Ray" to the affectionate "Yours, Ray," and finally, "Love, Ray." This evolution mirrors the transformation in his professional and personal life, making the letters all the more compelling.
One of the most enlightening correspondences in the book is Bradbury's decades-long exchange with his agent, Don Congdon. Their letters offer a candid and illuminating look into the highs and lows of Bradbury's career. The closeness of their relationship is palpable, as they transition from business associates to dear friends. The most heartwarming letters in the collection are those to Bradbury's friends and family. They reveal the facets of Bradbury that were a loving son, father, uncle, and nephew. His reflections on personal matters make him appear more relatable, like any other person. I was especially moved by his reflection on his mother's death: “I will send a ten year old boy to the graveyard to put flowers on her grave. I wll return a 46 year old man, bewildered at the fact of buried love dug up and for a moment exhibited in the cold December light.”
I was suprised by Bradbury's willingness to express his political opinions in the era of McCarthyism. His impassioned words, such as "And let us all settle down to the job of moving ahead together…each lonely individual in our country firmly held in mind," elevate him from being merely a writing hero to a personal hero for living a fulfilling life.
As a delightful aside, as a Columbia student, the inclusion of a letter from the President of Columbia University (PrezBo!) awarding Bradbury the Pulitzer Prize Special Citation, technically makes me only two degrees of separation from Bradbary. What a slay!
"Remembrance: Selected Correspondence of Ray Bradbury" is an exquisite gem that should find a cherished place in the collection of any devoted Bradbury fan. Jonathan R. Eller's meticulous compilation and insightful context provide a comprehensive view of Bradbury's life, from his professional triumphs and struggles to his personal joys and sorrows. This book offers a poignant journey through the life and times of a literary legend, making it a truly perfect read for the hardcore Bradbury fan.
A very huge thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC. All thoughts were my own.
January 8, 2024
Oddly enough, despite being a collection of letters, it is probably the single best book about writing and a writer's life that I have come across. So much to take from this that I will have to read it again.
March 27, 2025
More of a textbook than some light reading, I enjoyed many of the great writer's bon mots, as well as seeing him as a struggling, anxious "Why am I getting all these rejections??" newbie.
That said, I didn't like the organization of the book, and found the introductions to the letters to be largely redundant. They make sense if you're familiar with the material and trying to find a particular letter to quote from, but as a reader I would rather have had the letters in strict chronological order, to see the various threads of the life they detail unwind.
Also, MORE LEIGH BRACKETT. oMG. She only has two brief notes in here and she is a HOOT. I need a time machine and period-appropriate money to take this lady to the bar.
That said, I didn't like the organization of the book, and found the introductions to the letters to be largely redundant. They make sense if you're familiar with the material and trying to find a particular letter to quote from, but as a reader I would rather have had the letters in strict chronological order, to see the various threads of the life they detail unwind.
Also, MORE LEIGH BRACKETT. oMG. She only has two brief notes in here and she is a HOOT. I need a time machine and period-appropriate money to take this lady to the bar.
April 9, 2025
" I came upon an oak when I was twelve
I had climbed up and screamed for Skip to get me down.
It was a thousand miles to earth. I shut my eyes and yelled.
My brother, richly compelled to mirth, gave shouts of laughter
And scaled up to rescue me.
"What were you doing there?" he said.
I did not tell. Rather drop me dead.
But I was there to place a note within a squirrel nest
On which I’d written some old secret thing now long forgot.
Now in the green ravine of middle years I stood
Beneath that tree. Why, why, I thought, my God,
It’s not so high. Why did I shriek?
It can’t be more than fifteen feet above. I’ll climb it handily.
And did.
And squatted like an aging ape alone and thanking God
That no one saw this ancient man at antics
Clutched grotesquely to the bole.
But then, ah God, what awe.
The squirrel’s hole and long-lost nest were there.
I lay upon the limb a long while, thinking.
I drank in all the leaves and clouds and weathers
Going by as mindless
As the days.
I put my hand into the nest. I dug my fingers deep.
The note.
Like mothwings neatly powdered on themselves, and folded close
It had survived. No rains had touched, no sunlight bleached
Its stuff. It lay upon my palm.
What, what, oh, what had I put there in words
So many years ago?
I opened it. For now I had to know.
I opened it, and wept. I clung then to the tree
And let the tears flow out and down my chin.
Dear boy, strange child, who must have known the years
And reckoned time and smelled sweet death from flowers
In the far churchyard.
It was a message to the future, to myself.
Knowing one day I must arrive, come, seek, return.
From the young one to the old. From the me that was small
And fresh to the me that was large and no longer new.
What did it say that made me weep?
I remember you.
I remember you..."
I always admired Bradbury´s writings: themes, approach, philosophy, poetry, sensibility... and specially his very personal "romantic" views about childhood´s end, coming of age, nostalgia, loneliness and isolation.
Having a deeper view on his private correspondence has been a satiafactory experience for me. Not only for the sake of knowing the man behind the pen, but also because i discovered that there was NO DIFFERENCE between "Ray the creator" and "Ray the person". (not a surpriese, BTW)
Ray was truly a man of principles and coherence, a poet, a humanist, a romantic hero "out of time", and above all, a man who tried to live his life at fullest through literature, love, art on all his forms, nature, and deep human connections. A man larger than life who gifted us with his talent and wisedom.
To dig deeper: If you analyse his early letters with editors, agents and other writers, you can taste the SAME sense of respect and humbleness that it is also present in his late letters. Fame and fortune didn´t make any difference. He behaved the same way as a struggling aspirant writer and as a sci-fi star. That´s the path.
Ray was a coherent man who put all his heart and soul on his tales and novels. And I am grateful for it.
I had climbed up and screamed for Skip to get me down.
It was a thousand miles to earth. I shut my eyes and yelled.
My brother, richly compelled to mirth, gave shouts of laughter
And scaled up to rescue me.
"What were you doing there?" he said.
I did not tell. Rather drop me dead.
But I was there to place a note within a squirrel nest
On which I’d written some old secret thing now long forgot.
Now in the green ravine of middle years I stood
Beneath that tree. Why, why, I thought, my God,
It’s not so high. Why did I shriek?
It can’t be more than fifteen feet above. I’ll climb it handily.
And did.
And squatted like an aging ape alone and thanking God
That no one saw this ancient man at antics
Clutched grotesquely to the bole.
But then, ah God, what awe.
The squirrel’s hole and long-lost nest were there.
I lay upon the limb a long while, thinking.
I drank in all the leaves and clouds and weathers
Going by as mindless
As the days.
I put my hand into the nest. I dug my fingers deep.
The note.
Like mothwings neatly powdered on themselves, and folded close
It had survived. No rains had touched, no sunlight bleached
Its stuff. It lay upon my palm.
What, what, oh, what had I put there in words
So many years ago?
I opened it. For now I had to know.
I opened it, and wept. I clung then to the tree
And let the tears flow out and down my chin.
Dear boy, strange child, who must have known the years
And reckoned time and smelled sweet death from flowers
In the far churchyard.
It was a message to the future, to myself.
Knowing one day I must arrive, come, seek, return.
From the young one to the old. From the me that was small
And fresh to the me that was large and no longer new.
What did it say that made me weep?
I remember you.
I remember you..."
I always admired Bradbury´s writings: themes, approach, philosophy, poetry, sensibility... and specially his very personal "romantic" views about childhood´s end, coming of age, nostalgia, loneliness and isolation.
Having a deeper view on his private correspondence has been a satiafactory experience for me. Not only for the sake of knowing the man behind the pen, but also because i discovered that there was NO DIFFERENCE between "Ray the creator" and "Ray the person". (not a surpriese, BTW)
Ray was truly a man of principles and coherence, a poet, a humanist, a romantic hero "out of time", and above all, a man who tried to live his life at fullest through literature, love, art on all his forms, nature, and deep human connections. A man larger than life who gifted us with his talent and wisedom.
To dig deeper: If you analyse his early letters with editors, agents and other writers, you can taste the SAME sense of respect and humbleness that it is also present in his late letters. Fame and fortune didn´t make any difference. He behaved the same way as a struggling aspirant writer and as a sci-fi star. That´s the path.
Ray was a coherent man who put all his heart and soul on his tales and novels. And I am grateful for it.
April 25, 2024
Warm hug of a book but maybe only for me and other big Ray Bradbury heads?
The art of correspondence is so well seen in this book. Loved seeing the back and forth between some of the letters. Very cool that some of them were located.
He was so funny, smart, and his little insights and philosophies were fun to read. Kind’ve feel galvanized to write more after reading all of this.
I think the editor of this collection did such a good job. At first, I wasn’t sure about splitting the letters by subject matter + in a timeline by person he was writing to (mentors, writers, filmmakers, war and intolerance, etc) but it reads well… and now that I think about it arranging it on a timeline only would’ve been worse/more difficult.
The art of correspondence is so well seen in this book. Loved seeing the back and forth between some of the letters. Very cool that some of them were located.
He was so funny, smart, and his little insights and philosophies were fun to read. Kind’ve feel galvanized to write more after reading all of this.
I think the editor of this collection did such a good job. At first, I wasn’t sure about splitting the letters by subject matter + in a timeline by person he was writing to (mentors, writers, filmmakers, war and intolerance, etc) but it reads well… and now that I think about it arranging it on a timeline only would’ve been worse/more difficult.
October 17, 2025
I loved the book and I love Bradbury (I was fortunate enough to see him speak three times…once at SDCC, once at the LA Times Festival of Books and once for his 90th birthday screening of Fahrenheit 451)…the only thing I feel is missing here is a volume 2…
There were no letters here to or from Ray Harryhausen (were those covered in another book somewhere?)…..and none from Bradbury’s 30 year correspondence with Hal Foster…in fact…other than illustrator Joseph Mugnaini, there sure seemed to be an empty spot in regard to Bradbury’s love of the visual arts. There aren’t any cartoonists or illustrators (excepting Mugnaini)….which is kind of weird.
There were no letters here to or from Ray Harryhausen (were those covered in another book somewhere?)…..and none from Bradbury’s 30 year correspondence with Hal Foster…in fact…other than illustrator Joseph Mugnaini, there sure seemed to be an empty spot in regard to Bradbury’s love of the visual arts. There aren’t any cartoonists or illustrators (excepting Mugnaini)….which is kind of weird.
January 15, 2024
What a treat - to be able to look into the mind of the genius Ray Bradbury. I've always been a fan of his stories and it's fascinating to see his thought processes.
January 26, 2024
I love stories behind the stories. This was such a great insight into one of my favorite authors. I love him even more now after getting to read his letters.
February 8, 2024
This is an amazing collection of letters to and from Mr. Bradbury.
Want to read
September 20, 2024They missed a trick not titling it RAYmembrance
edit: RAYmemberances of Things Blasting Off (because, you understand, he wrote stories where rocketships go zoooom!)
edit: RAYmemberances of Things Blasting Off (because, you understand, he wrote stories where rocketships go zoooom!)
December 21, 2024
A beautiful illustration of how to maintain loving connection with others over vast distance without instantaneous communication.
July 2, 2024
I don't write science fiction. I've only done one science fiction book and that's Fahrenheit 451, based on reality. Science fiction is a depiction of the real. Fantasy is a depiction of the unreal. So Martian Chronicles is not science fiction, it's fantasy. It couldn't happen, you see? That's the reason it's going to be around a long time—because it's a Greek myth, and myths have staying power.[
Interesting collection of letters between Bradbury and various writers and famous people, along with people in the Publishing world, and TV/Movies. Most of the letters are rather short, and as litterary letters go they are informative rather than remarkable. Many of them deal with adaptations of his works by Television or Hollywood.
Bradbury lived in the world of the Telephone and Jet Travel. And he spent a lot of time working in Hollywood. So, there was no reason for him to write long, detailed letters. And he had little desire to involve himself in partisan politics or engage in Literary feuds. Further, it seems writing was hard work for him and took a lot out of him. Accordingly, he put most of energy into his work, and not his letters.
But there are interesting things, such as his letters to French Director Truffaut. Or that he turned down a chance to write a script for Hitchcock because he wanted to finish a novel.
Interesting collection of letters between Bradbury and various writers and famous people, along with people in the Publishing world, and TV/Movies. Most of the letters are rather short, and as litterary letters go they are informative rather than remarkable. Many of them deal with adaptations of his works by Television or Hollywood.
Bradbury lived in the world of the Telephone and Jet Travel. And he spent a lot of time working in Hollywood. So, there was no reason for him to write long, detailed letters. And he had little desire to involve himself in partisan politics or engage in Literary feuds. Further, it seems writing was hard work for him and took a lot out of him. Accordingly, he put most of energy into his work, and not his letters.
But there are interesting things, such as his letters to French Director Truffaut. Or that he turned down a chance to write a script for Hitchcock because he wanted to finish a novel.
May 18, 2024
An overall look at the life of Ray Bradbury, his career, his method of writing through use of his correspondence. What a mind this man had! A full life, many friends and he documented much in the 1000s of letters he wrote. Good book about a great author.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews