h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.h2g2.com/A301654

Its great to find an entry on Uncle Shelby lurking in the guide. I definitely think (with a few spelling corrections and a bit of tidying up maybe) this should be in the edited guide in some form.

As far as I can tell, he's all-but unheard-of outside the US. I reckon that since discovering his work myself at an airport bookshop shortly after his death I have so far introduced his work to at least 10 people who are now hooked [oops, no pun intended], and countless others who just didn't get it, but I have yet to find even one who knew of him as a writer before I told them.

Lets bring him to a wider audience!

The giving tree is one of the best books ever written, and the illustrations are great. It is very popular as a children's book in Israel, translated into Hebrew.

OK, OK, I take it back! Lets go with "virtually unheard of in the UK" instead (his publishers, Harper Collins, dont even bother to list most of his books for sale here, although the internet is taking care of that nicely).

Would you happen to have an ISBN number on the Hebrew translation you mention? I know someone who might like a copy, but I don't speak Hebrew at all so I don't have much chance of finding it myself. (Maybe you could recommend a good on-line retailer of Hebrew books too?)

I don't speak Hebrew either, and I don't live in Israel, but I'll ask somebody who does speak Hebrew, and who I know has a copy of the Hebrew version.

I appreciate it.

Good so far. Crack on looking for more bio material.

Did a quick rush through for spelling/grammar.

Paragraph 1:

renasance ---> renaissance
playwrite ---> playwright

Paragraph 3:

durring ---> during
coflict ---> conflict
skils ---> skills

Paragraph 5:

nitch ---> niche
intrench ---> entrench

Last Paragraph:

who had died ---> who died

Here's my 2 cents:

cent the first: good piece, although I think it needs to mention the names of the children's poetry books, especially since it quotes from one.

cent the second: now's here's a question for the SCOUT. the author of this piece doesn't look like he's been online since June, and may very well not know that his piece is up in peer review. the process to submit for editing under the old system required the author's initiative -- does the new system require the author's permission?

later
mikey

Technically yes. Attempts should be made to get hold of the author by leaving message on his/her space, etc. This is
a) polite and
b) important to ensure that the work is actually finished, or if not finished, that it is a work in progress and will be finished.

If nobody can get hold of the author, and they are well and truly retired, then I can't see why an interested party can't pick up where the author left off, and write a new improved entry (making sure the original author is credited of course).

That sounds fairy nuff to me.

I already did leave a note for the author telling him I'd put his article forward for editing, and noticed as I did so that he didn't seem to be very active.

I was originally thinking of doing an entry on Shel myself, but I know very little about him and this one seemed (to me) quite reasonable as it stood (although it needed editing for typos), so I thought I'd put it forward anyway.

I've added some links I'd already dug up to the "HELP!!!" conversation thread on the page, in case anyone else wants to run with it or to save the sub-editor some time if it goes forward.

Yes, I'm alive. I never put the piece up for review because I wasn't happy with it. Starts OK, Middle is OK, end is dry. I feel like there should be more on his plays, life in Key West, etc., but I don't know much myself. All of that comes from web sites I've found. I have included a bibliography and a discography. By the way, would we need any kind of permission to "publish" an entire poem, such as Boa Constrictor?

I wanted to put my $.02 in...this is a great subject for the guide. But I'm biased. I still have my copy of "Where the Sidewalk Ends". When my kindergarden teacher read "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out" I fell in love and had to have the book. Purchased in 1975, it's now yellow, brittle, and much-loved (i.e. stained and tattered). An all-time children's classic. I even bought new copies for my best friend's kids for their birthdays.

Be of good cheer, all ye who want to see Shel in the Guide...TPTB have accepted my reccommendation!! Shel is now winging his way to the subs and will, in due course, be emblazoned upon the front page! This may take a little time, but we'll send you an email when it's about to happen!
Congratulations and thoroughly deserved!
Thread closed!
Theapi