Madeleine L'Engle passed away

Simple Living · Sep 7, 2007

I'm heartbroken. She was an icon.

HARTFORD, Connecticut (AP) -- Author Madeleine L'Engle, whose novel "A Wrinkle in Time" has been enjoyed by 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 of natural causes, according to Jennifer Doerr, publicity manager for publisher Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Williebee · Sep 7, 2007

bummer. one of my childhood favs.

JLCwrites · Sep 7, 2007

Loved A Wrinkle in Time. I imagine she is out bending the universe right now.

MelodyO · Sep 7, 2007

That's very sad! What a legacy to leave behind, though. Thanks for sharing the news with us.

Simple Living · Sep 7, 2007

I remember a 30 minute video you could check out of the city library, in the kid's section. It was just conversations with Madeleine. She took you on a tour of her writing space -- which was quite messy. She spoke about writing and how she started. It was very interesting. I'll have to see if I can find it again.

mscelina · Sep 7, 2007

I'm in mourning. She is single-handedly responsible for introducing me to fantasy--I read her before Lewis or Tolkien or Alexander. A Wrinkle in Time still is one of my favorite books. I read it at least once a year.

Alas. The passing of a legend.

kikazaru · Sep 7, 2007

How sad.

I loved A Wrinkle in Time and the rest of the series so much that I bought them for my kids before they could even read.

Esopha · Sep 7, 2007

That's so sad. I loved A Swiftly Tilting Planet.

Well, she was a great example.

bethany · Sep 7, 2007

oh no. I loved all of her books. That's so sad.

Danger Jane · Sep 7, 2007

I have tears now from this thread.

I never read Lewis and Alexander and Tolkien. I read L'Engle.

Nahotep · Sep 7, 2007

Not just the amazing Wrinkle in Time, but A Swiftly Tilting Planet, A Ring of Endless Light, Arm of the Starfish, Troubling a Star... Wow. She was amazing. Her books were filled with a real love for humanity, deep character insight, and seriously cool sci-fi/fantasy ideas like the tesseract. She's partially responsible for me want to become a writer. I'm very sad at her passing, but so grateful she left her books behind for us...

Danger Jane · Sep 7, 2007

I know. She was brilliant. All her books are just brilliant.

My favorite I think is A Wind in the Door. I guess I loved biology even then--as soon as they started talking about mitochondria and farandolae, I walked into my mom's room and asked, "Mommy, is there such a thing as mitochondria?"

So she told me about Mighty Mighty Mitochondria.

Then I asked about farandolae. She said no, I don't think so, honey.

This thread makes me really...really...sad.

Soccer Mom · Sep 7, 2007

I think she inspired a lot of us here. She is still inspiring new generations. I gave one of my sunday school kids a B&N card this summer for her birthday. Guess whose books she bought?

Kids still love her.

Evaine · Sep 8, 2007

I've just been given the two sequels to A Circle of Quiet, her memoirs - all the way from New Zealand, just because I said I'd enjoyed the first one on another discussion forum. Definitely the next thing I'm going to read, now. I've got all her Austin Family stories, and quite a few of the other children's stories - A Wrinkle in Time was the first one I read, at school, but I didn't know there were any others for years afterwards.

larocca · Sep 8, 2007

Ditto to everybody

mamawriter · Sep 8, 2007

Simple Living, thanks for sharing this. And if I may, in honor of Madeleine:

"They were making music, music that came not only from their throats but from the movement of their great wings as well.

'What are they singing?' Meg asked excitedly....

'Listen, then,' Mrs. Whatsit said. The resonant voice rose and the words seemed to be all around them so that Meg felt that she could almost reach out and touch them: 'Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof. Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift their voice; let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory unto the Lord!'

Throughout her entire body Meg felt a pulse of joy such as she had never known before."
~A Wrinkle in Time

Madeleine, I'm shouting from the top of the mountains, I'm singing my thanks for your work and your life. And now I wish you all joy in your journey.

The Grump · Sep 8, 2007

Great writer who I started reading in the 70s. Too busy doing the college and beat scenes before. Liked the Murray books more than the Austin ones. Guess it had something to do with cooking dinner on a bunsen burner.

Guess we're among the hosts who wish her "bon voyage". She rated a half-page obituary in the New York Times.

A. Hamilton · Sep 8, 2007

Hillary · Sep 10, 2007

Terrible news to wake up to... I'm so sad. I loved her books. I still do. I think I'll reread a few this week, in celebration.

Soccer Mom · Sep 10, 2007

Hillary said:
Terrible news to wake up to... I'm so sad. I loved her books. I still do. I think I'll reread a few this week, in celebration.

What a wonderful idea. There is no better tribute. I think I'll pull A Wrinkle in Time off my bookshelf this week.

Southern_girl29 · Sep 10, 2007

She was one of my favorites. I think I'll re-read them, too, and maybe start reading A Wrinkle in Time to my four year old.

Madeleine L'Engle passed away

Simple Living

Williebee

Capeless, wingless, & yet I fly.

JLCwrites

MelodyO

Waiting for love on the web

Simple Living

mscelina

Teh doommobile, drivin' rite by you

kikazaru

Benefactor Member

Esopha

bam pow zap.

bethany

:)

Danger Jane

Nahotep

Danger Jane

Soccer Mom

Crypto-fascist

Evaine

larocca

Proofreader

mamawriter

NAK

The Grump

Hates Marketing. Loves Writing.

A. Hamilton

here for a minute...catch me?

Hillary

Neural Trailblazer

Soccer Mom

Crypto-fascist

Southern_girl29