Tuesday, January 9, 2007

John Brower and Minn-Con




I received an email tonight. John Brower has died, found in his apartment. Rodger Gerberding soon told me that John possibly had stomach problems of some sort and had been dead since late December. He was supposed to have made a trip to Manhattan and he never arrived. I have photos of myself with my mentor, Dennis Etchison, and Robert Bloch, a few months before his own passing to the big nowhere. Where are photos of John Brower, and Dwayne Olson, Scott Wyatt, so many of the Minnesota writers who keep Minn-Con the cult success it is. I recall when John related to myself and Harry Fassl that he had finally met his birth parents, and how incredible it was to him. I last saw John at WFC Austin in early November 06; we made the same small talk we always did. My truest recent memory of John was when we stood out in front of the hotel in Madison, Wisconsin, at WFC 05. Shivering, drinking coffee, and sharing laughs to jokes and happenstance that I can no longer recall. Two months ago I last saw my dear friend John Brower and now he is further along on the mysterious journey that Bloch and Wagner and Kelly Goldberg and Charlie Grant are on, perhaps sharing dinner with Rod Serling. John was 51. Rest In Peace. Wayne

7 comments:

Charles Gramlich said...

Several very fine writers died last year, including David Gemmell and Ken Bulmer. It seems a thinning of the ranks is taking place, and we are indeed the thinner for it.

Anonymous said...

And one less Munster. Yvonne de Carlo died.

Anonymous said...

I'm so sorry to hear about John. It's been a long time since I've seen him. I'm sure that somewhere in the dust-ridden boxes, I have photos.

Sidney said...

I'm sorry to hear about the death of your friend.

Michael Fountain: Blood for Ink said...

And John M. Ford. Strange that this same weekend I got word of the death from unknown causes of my once closest friend from high school and college years, the same age as your friend. This is probably the time to read some John Donne but a dinner with Rod Serling will be a very fine thing indeed.

Stu said...

Does anyone know if John appeared on any of the The Schubert Club Gamelan Ensemble recordings? Does anyone have any of his KFAI shows?

I was "email" friends with John, only meeting him in person a few times, and so I am just finding out about this news today. When I hadn't heard from him, I thought he was just busy.

John was an astonishing human being, a value on so many levels. His easy-going nature belied his enormous intellect. His brains would sneak up on you, like a great film.

Anonymous said...

I knew John way back in college and haven't seen him since somewhere in the '80s ... he was married then.
I was just googling names from the past and found your comments and the sad news. I knew it had to be him because of the adoption.

Can anyone fill me in about his life?
w. kaye
winnstoys@yahoo.com