Roger Ebert: Film Critic & Mensch, A Eulogy…by Robert M. Katzman 4/4/13
About Roger. He was, in my experience, a typical, honest, helpful and gracious small town person. I’ve been everywhere, countless small towns and frequently in trouble of some sort. Small town people–complete strangers–always came to my rescue. Pretty stunning in retrospect.
To me, small towns are the soul of America, and the “Roger Ebert” kind of decent people living in them are as common as wheat waving in a field. I don’t miss the critic, as I type this tribute, tho’, that was something about him I deeply admired. I just miss the guy.
This part I’m adding six years later in 2019, because I think it is probably a forgotten nugget of his worldview:
Impishly, he once said that too many movies were dependent on “SOLIs”. What the hell is a SOLI? A “semi-obligatory musical interlude” to make a movie seem cool or romantic. He felt they were a cliche forty years ago.
Damn it, Roger, I’m gonna miss you. Not like pretend in the movies, but in real life, you were a standup guy.
Love, from a newspaper-selling guy from way back, to another very real newspaper guy.
Bob
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A Savage Heart and Fighting Words
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However, I have a PO Box, now and unless you live in Wisconsin (add 5.1% sales taxes), I ship anywhere in America.
Send me a money order with your return info.
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Here’s complete information on how to buy my books:
Vol 1: A Savage Heart and Vol. 2: Fighting Words
weigh almost 2 lbs each, and there are a total together of 79 stories and story/poems. About 525 pages each.
Robert M. Katzman
Don’t Go Quietly Press
PO Box 44287
Racine, Wis. 53404-9998
Books cost $29.95 each, plus shipping
For: (1)$3.95; (2)$5.95; (3)$7.95; (4)$8.95 (5)$9.95;(6) $10.95
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(262)752-3333, 8AM–7PM