Rest in peace, DWJ

gleameil told me today that Diana Wynne Jones died in March. That is a blow that stings with surprising sharpness.

Diana Wynne Jones, I was hoping to meet you someday. I am glad that you presumably got one piece of fanmail from me, through our mutual friend sdn, in which I explained that I talked about your books with gleameil in our first chance meeting, and it was this shared enthusiasm that helped form the tenuous start to a precious friendship. She and I started talking today about the strange beauty of "Fire and Hemlock", and the interesting but different emotions the characters seem to experience. I love many of your books, especially the happy and humorous ones, but "Fire and Hemlock" still calls up meditative beauty in my mind. As others have said, your books are a warm assurance that oddball people are the most likely to have superpowers. I also think it's awesome that you mentored Neil Gaiman.

I am sorry for your loss, and sad to have missed you.