Madeleine L'Engle has passed away

[Palomar]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070907/ap_on_re_us/obit_l_engle

'A Wrinkle in Time' author L'Engle dies

HARTFORD, Conn. - Author Madeleine L'Engle, whose novel "A Wrinkle in Time" has captivated generations of schoolchildren and adults since the 1960s, has died, her publicist said Friday. She was 88. L'Engle died Thursday at a nursing home in Litchfield, said Jennifer Doerr, publicity manager for publisher Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Although L'Engle was often labeled a children's author, she disliked that classification. In a 1993 Associated Press interview, she said she did not write down to children.

"In my dreams, I never have an age," she said. "I never write for any age group in mind. ... When you underestimate your audience, you're cutting yourself off from your best work."

"A Wrinkle in Time" — which L'Engle said was rejected repeatedly before it found a publisher in 1962 — won the American Library Association's 1963 Newbery Medal for best American children's book.

In 2004, President Bush awarded her a National Humanities Medal.


In July I picked up a copy of A Wrinkle in Time, is the first time I've read the story. It's fabulous. My only regret is I didn't read it sooner.

[Van Rijn]

*sigh*

I read A Wrinkle in Time originally back in grade school. There are sequels, but I always liked that best. Ironically, it's gotten on "banned book" lists, though the story hints at some christian themes.

[Gillianren]

Heck, Many Waters, which is her retelling of Noah's Ark, gets banned a lot.

I met her once, a long time ago, at a book signing in Pasadena, California. She was really sweet to me and my sister--and we were in about the middle of a fairly long line. She still took the time out to admire my sister's best friend's name. (She was getting a signed copy of A Swiftly Tilting Planet for Christmas from my sister.)

I've just started acquiring some of the non-Time Trilogy books. I, too, rather regret waiting this long.

[Doodler]

88 years is one heck of a run. She will be remembered fondly. I've still got A Wrinkle in Time somewhere around here. Fun book.

[Lord Jubjub]

AWIT is a great book that still awaits a decent video adaptation.

Just what possesses some of these screenwriters to totally ignore the central theme of a story and try to tack on all sorts of 'cute' ideas that wind up detracting from the great climax of the book?

Unfortunately, that seems to apply to just about every fantasy book that has been written. . .and that is with the slack I'll give Peter Jackson. . .

[CodeSlinger]

Fare thee well, Madeleine L'Engle...

Now that I think about it, AWIT and its sequels are probably the very first scifi/fantasy books I ever read!

[Palomar]

Some of her books have gotten "banned"?? :confused:

I do read lots of banned books, wasn't aware this was one of them!

Will next read A Wind in the Door; I picked up a copy of it when I purchased AWIT. Not sure if I'll read the entire Time Quintet, though.

I met her once, a long time ago, at a book signing in Pasadena, California. She was really sweet to me and my sister--and we were in about the middle of a fairly long line. She still took the time out to admire my sister's best friend's name. (She was getting a signed copy of A Swiftly Tilting Planet for Christmas from my sister.)

How nice. :) Thanks for sharing that memory, Gillianren.

[Gillianren]

Some of her books have gotten "banned"?? :confused:

I do read lots of banned books, wasn't aware this was one of them!

Oh, yes. "New Age religion," yet, a concept that didn't really exist yet when she wrote it. If you like, I can dig out my copy and tell you exactly which passage I think does it. It's a bit of a religious discussion, but one I think well within the bounds of this board.

[danscope]

At your urging, I will read this book. Always looking for a good read.
:) Dan

[Tobin Dax]

That's sad news. Thanks, Palomar, for posting this. A friend of mine told me a year ago she was rereading Wrinkle. Maybe I should consider that now. I read the trilogy when I was a kid, and enjoyed it immensely. My 12-year-old mind didn't note anything bannable at the time, either.

[Doodler]

That's sad news. Thanks, Palomar, for posting this. A friend of mine told me a year ago she was rereading Wrinkle. Maybe I should consider that now. I read the trilogy when I was a kid, and enjoyed it immensely. My 12-year-old mind didn't note anything bannable at the time, either.

Neither did my 15 year old mind. As near as I can tell, the philosophical issues that got it banned could only be offensive to a very closed mind.

[KaiYeves]

I liked A Wrinkle in Time and my 10 year old brain had no complaints, either, except maybe that IT scared me pretty bad. If that could be banned for 'new age', I'm kind of scared about what the censors will say for The Last Mimzy.

[Gillianren]

This is supposition on my part, but it's reasoned supposition based on a lengthy study of banned books. In my opinion, this is the quote that did it.

"Who have our fighters been?" Calvin asked.

"Oh, you must know them, dear," Mrs. Whatsit said.

Mrs. Who's spectacles shone out at them triumphantly, "And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not."

"Jesus!" Charles Wallace said. "Why of course, Jesus."

"Of course!" Mrs. Whatsit said. "Go on, Charles, love. There were others. All your great artists. They've been lights for us to see by."

"Leonardo da Vinci?" Calvin suggested tentatively. "And Michelangelo?"

"And Shakespeare," Charles Wallace called out, "And Bach! And Pasteur and Madame Curie and Einstein!"

Now Calivn's voice rang with confidence. "And Schweitzer and Gandhi and Buddha and Beethoven and Rembrandt and St. Francis!"

"Now you, Meg," Mrs. Whatsit ordered.

"Oh, Euclid, I suppose." Meg was in such an agony of impatience that her voice grated irritably. "And Copernicus."

Now, you'll note that Jesus is listed as a warrior for the Light. First, too. However, in the next paragraph, it's "all your great artists," and there's no distinction made between Jesus and, say, Gandhi, who was a heathen.

For the record, Many Waters gets banned because her version of the story might confuse children and keep them from understanding the Biblical version.

[mike alexander]

BTW, Banned Book Week is coming up soon. I love looking at banned book lists. Aside from the obligatory "Meg's Ovum has Six Uncles Who Live Together", seeing those old favorites hanging around always gives me a smile.

[Palomar]

Oh, yes. "New Age religion," yet, a concept that didn't really exist yet when she wrote it. If you like, I can dig out my copy and tell you exactly which passage I think does it. It's a bit of a religious discussion, but one I think well within the bounds of this board.

Hi. :) Just got back to this thread after 3 days away. Saw your later post/quote (thanks; read that portion of the story early last week). Some of Ms. L'Engle's "theology" doesn't mesh with mine (will not go into that of course), but ... bannable??

I'm opposed to censorship and don't believe in banning books, CDs, whatever. If something's offensive to me (I'm actually rather laid back and/or have good "shrug-it-offability") I simply ignore it. I definitely don't feel I or anyone else has the right to tell others "No you cannot read/listen to this or that."

But this is going off topic...

I'm trying to interest my husband in reading A Wrinkle in Time and A Wind in the Door. Have gotten razzed a bit by others ("you're 42 years old and reading THAT?")...but no apologies, it (AWIT) is one of the best reads I've had in years. :)