Ray Bradbury was the key note speaker for the Santa Barbara Writers Conference. It was a wonderful experience to be present. Although he spoke from a wheelchair on stage, at 87, Bradbury was full of energy and enthusiasm. His talk was both entertaining and inspiring.
Basically telling the story of his life, and covering all his major works and the circumstances of their creation, Bradbury’s message was one of love. At every turn he stressed this, the love of life, the celebration of it, and creation as an act of this love.
At one point he addressed the audience of writers emphatically. “If you can become more involved with your love,” he said, “there is your salvation.” This seemed to sum up Bradbury’s message.
I felt in the presence of a great sage, that I was hearing the wisdom of accumulated millenia. It was a message of profound significance that could certainly be understood on a number of levels. Ultimately, it was a message of hope, and encouragement to keep loving, to love more, and to do more to fulfill that love.
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