Comments on: In Which Harlan Ellison Apologizes

By: Katie

Katie — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 22:20:38 +0000

Just wishing you the comfort of friends around you who can laugh and cry with you about the incredibly fucking ridiculous offense and more ridiculous apology.

Deep admiration of all you do.

By: Rick

Rick — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:28:59 +0000

this is one of the most intelligent comments i’ve read regarding fandom in quite some time. “…when fandom fails…”

btw Harlan Ellison once wrote an essay germane to this conversation titled “Xenophobia,” it presents horrific vignettes.

only good things,
Rick
longtime Harlan fan, brand new Tempest fan

p.s. glad this misunderstanding was resolved in such a mature fashion.

By: Rick

Rick — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:26:45 +0000

this is one of the most intelligent comments i’ve read regarding fandom in quite some time. “…when fandom fails…”

btw Harlan Ellison once wrote an essay germaine to thsi conversation titled “Xenophobia,” it presents horrific vignettes.

only good things,
Rick
longtime Harlan fan, brand new Tempest fan

p.s. glad this misunderstanding was resolved in such a mature fashion.

By: Jonny Canuck

Jonny Canuck — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:28:41 +0000

A couple of online sources that establish a bit of Ellisonian history for this sort of thing:

1) From his board’s archives. Search the page for ‘tupac’ and you’ll hit Harlan’s comments from 2006 on meeting Tupac Shakur. The comments are from March 7 and March 10 2006:

http://harlanellison.com/heboard/archive/unca20060316.htm

2) From an online interview from 2007, right around the time of the Don Imus affair. Just scroll down — when you start hitting Don Imus and Michael Richards, you’re there:

http://www.comicmix.com/news/2007/04/16/interview-harlan-ellison-part-1/

Cheers, Jon

By: rich

rich — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 10:39:57 +0000

Thanks Nisa. I appreciate the kind words.

By: Nisa

Nisa — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 23:51:41 +0000

Rich,

I left a thank you message for Jim Davis and now I would like to say thanks to you also for the comments you made on Ellison’s board about this matter. I am a long-time lurker on Ellison’s board and have been a fan of his since about 1978, I am appalled at his use of the racial slur and his handling of the entire matter.

By: Panghule

Panghule — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 23:34:58 +0000

Thank you. I really appreciate that.

By: Nisa

Nisa — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 20:56:08 +0000

Thank you so much for your willingess and the strength you exhibited in addressing this issue on Ellison’s board. I am long-time lurker there. And, before this situation, a long-time Ellison fan. I was just amazed at his handling of the entire matter.

By: Panghule

Panghule — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 20:38:16 +0000

BTW:

I’ve noticed in several places that folks wanted to leave a comment on Ellison’s board (http://harlanellison.com/heboard/unca.htm), but couldn’t. Just click on “Squeeze in and pipe up,” fill out your name, fill out “Susan” for “This is a site for Harlan Ellison and his wife,” write your post, then click “Send.” That’s it.

And please don’t post just to hurl insults; that’s exactly what they expect.

By: Panghule

Panghule — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 20:01:18 +0000

I’m a fellow refugee of the Ellison board, and I can attest to the truth of everything Rich has written. (I posted as “Jim Davis” there, btw.) They enable every one of Ellison’s worst habits, and they deny to their last breath that they do it.

I mean, someone actually dropped a dime on you, Tempest. Never mind they got virtually every fact wrong, some losers thought it was important to tell HE that, oh noes, someone was writing bad stuff about him on the intrawebs. (Can you imagine the kind of craven mentality that took?)

In any case, his reputation is fucked, and he has no one but himself to blame. So if you enjoyed his works in the past, do what I do–pretend the vibrant, witty guy who wrote them died from that heart attack 15 years ago, and there’s just some looney imposter who took his place. Works for me!