Wake for RAW

I'm planning a wake to coincide with the memorial service on that side of the continent.

Text reads:
Wednesday February 7th 2007
Imperial Library pub
54 Dundas st. E. upstairs (Toronto)
coinciding with his hometown memorial service,
join us in celebration of the life of
Robert Anton Wilson
Author of Illuminatus! Trilogy, Prometheus Rising
Wake the Dead
Raise a glass
7pm - close
FREE ADMISSION

If others would like to do the same in their city, they can contact me through my blog and I'll provide start-up information and poster files. It'd be really cool to link all the parties up, but I'm not sure if my venue has the internet capacity for streaming video. If it does, you can bet I'll find a place to stream it.

There will be no admission charged. There will be a donations jar to defray costs with any leftover donated either to Sister Magdalen's custody battle (her child was taken from her based on photos of a SubGenius event she participated in -the child was not at the event-) or to a charity of Bob's family's choosing (if I can contact them efficiently)

Robert Anton Wilson
January 18, 1932- January 11, 2007

Philosopher, author, teacher, lifetime student. Contemporary of Timothy Leary, Hunter S. Thompson, George Carlin. Astral explorer, Erisian, Human Rights Campaigner. Widower, Father, Friend, Reluctant Hero.

The Chaos Without claimed Bob in the early morning hours. On his own passing he said:

"Various medical authorities swarm in and out of here predicting I have between two days and two months to live. I think they are guessing. I remain cheerful and unimpressed. I look forward without dogmatic optimism but without dread. I love you all and I deeply implore you to keep the lasagna flying.

Please pardon my levity, I don't see how to take death seriously. It seems absurd. "

He touched my life, and the lives of thousands, if not millions of Erisians, Discordians, Sub-Geniuses and sundry left-thinkers worldwide. I am not unique in my devotion to the man and his ideas, but my own experiences with his literature are.

He acted as both an inspiration and an intimidation in my own writing. How I could weave such stories with so many ideas, subtle irony and humour, to infuse my own characters with so much lovable and unlovable fallibilities. He inspired me in my life as well, to reach higher, to strive further, to question everything.

His intelligence was tempered with humility and his cynicism with love, both of life and of the world he saw as clearly flawed.

Go in Peace Bob, to whatever it is that awaits you now. You will be remembered.

Bob's home page