Comments on: Fletcher Pratt, Part 4: The Friends of Fletcher http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/2011/02/fletcher-pratt-part-4/ Frederik Pohl Fri, 17 May 2013 22:24:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Bill Higgins-- Beam Jockey http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/2011/02/fletcher-pratt-part-4/#comment-45692 Bill Higgins-- Beam Jockey Tue, 08 Feb 2011 19:14:59 +0000 http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/?p=3448#comment-45692 In 1930 (while Fred was still in grade school), Laurence Manning and Fletcher Pratt were among those who started the American Interplanetary Society in New York, at a speakeasy called Nino & Nella's. This group eventually merged with another group to become the <a href="http://www.aiaa.org/" rel="nofollow">American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics</a>. Rocket engineers can thank some SF writers for founding their professional society. In 1930 (while Fred was still in grade school), Laurence Manning and Fletcher Pratt were among those who started the American Interplanetary Society in New York, at a speakeasy called Nino & Nella’s. This group eventually merged with another group to become the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics. Rocket engineers can thank some SF writers for founding their professional society.

]]> By: Michael Walsh http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/2011/02/fletcher-pratt-part-4/#comment-45440 Michael Walsh Sat, 05 Feb 2011 21:59:04 +0000 http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/?p=3448#comment-45440 Your mention of Ciardi brought to mind his other SF connection: he apparently conceived of the Twayne Triplet books: three authors writing in a common setting. See: http://books.google.com/books?id=_HWNsvwhRWUC&pg=PA169&lpg=PA169&dq=%22john+ciardi%22+%22twayne+triplets%22&source=bl&ots=2opJ6ASd5B&sig=2vLMjvHPIZd2LrScwjMKj2QK16c&hl=en&ei=c8dNTfm-O4KC8gaQ5cTbDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22john%20ciardi%22%20%22twayne%20triplets%22&f=false Your mention of Ciardi brought to mind his other SF connection: he apparently conceived of the Twayne Triplet books: three authors writing in a common setting.

See: http://books.google.com/books?id=_HWNsvwhRWUC&pg=PA169&lpg=PA169&dq=%22john+ciardi%22+%22twayne+triplets%22&source=bl&ots=2opJ6ASd5B&sig=2vLMjvHPIZd2LrScwjMKj2QK16c&hl=en&ei=c8dNTfm-O4KC8gaQ5cTbDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22john%20ciardi%22%20%22twayne%20triplets%22&f=false

]]> By: Bill Higgins-- Beam Jockey http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/2011/02/fletcher-pratt-part-4/#comment-45341 Bill Higgins-- Beam Jockey Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:55:28 +0000 http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/?p=3448#comment-45341 <i>John, of course, was much better known in much wider circles than that for his superlative translation (into American English) of Dante’s The Divine Comedy, and for his own magisterial books on poetry.</i> I never met John Ciardi, but I have a story about him nevertheless. My brother, John M. Higgins, and I attended the same high school and studied the <i>Divine Comedy</i> under the same teacher, Nancy Husted, who favored Mr. Ciardi's translation. Years later, in 1986, my brother and I were watching TV together when the sad news came that the famed poet John Ciardi had died. John turned to me and said, "Now the big question is-- Paradiso,Purgatorio, or Inferno?" John, of course, was much better known in much wider circles than that for his superlative translation (into American English) of Dante’s The Divine Comedy, and for his own magisterial books on poetry.

I never met John Ciardi, but I have a story about him nevertheless.

My brother, John M. Higgins, and I attended the same high school and studied the Divine Comedy under the same teacher, Nancy Husted, who favored Mr. Ciardi’s translation.

Years later, in 1986, my brother and I were watching TV together when the sad news came that the famed poet John Ciardi had died.

John turned to me and said, “Now the big question is– Paradiso,Purgatorio, or Inferno?”

]]> By: Bill Goodwin http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/2011/02/fletcher-pratt-part-4/#comment-45312 Bill Goodwin Fri, 04 Feb 2011 09:51:18 +0000 http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/?p=3448#comment-45312 Are we to understand, then, that Eugenie Clark was an Ichthy Wipsy Insider? The legendary clash of Eel and Sturgeon... John Ciardi was the one who said "Poetry lies its way to the truth." I've always liked that. Loving every bit of this, as usual! Are we to understand, then, that Eugenie Clark was an Ichthy Wipsy Insider?

The legendary clash of Eel and Sturgeon…

John Ciardi was the one who said “Poetry lies its way to the truth.” I’ve always liked that.

Loving every bit of this, as usual!

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