Post by Jason Whittle on Apr 30, 2012 21:17:14 GMT 1
Obituary – Michael Louis Calvillo
There will be countless well deserved tributes by people who knew him better than me, but I couldn’t let Michael’s passing go without paying my own respects.
I met Michael for the first and only time at the 2010 World Horror Convention in Brighton. I was finding it hard to meet people and make friends, and it speaks volumes about Michael that he was the one person who took the time to approach me and was warm and friendly from the off. We talked about what we were reading, what we were writing, who we were fans of and which authors we were looking forward to hearing (we were in the reading lounge).
“Actually, I’m up next.” he told me.
“Wow,” I replied, genuinely impressed “Are you nervous?”
“No, I’m okay,” he replied “I’m a teacher, so I’m kinda used to speaking in front of people.”
Over the next half hour he delivered what was more like a stand up routine or theatrical performance than a mere reading, acting every part and thrilling a small but enraptured audience with his energy, passion and charisma. I became a fan right there and then and have been ever since.
Despite the nasty import charges, I bought his novel “As Fate Would Have It” and was delighted to find that his work was just as good in print as it was in his retelling. I’m sure that if his life hadn’t been cut so tragically short, he would have become a household name.
His legacy instead is a body of work which I’m sure will yet gain a cult following, and all his former students, who couldn’t have wished for a greater inspiration. But the most fitting tribute should come from the man himself, and the aforementioned reading reproduced here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rHCF6t38ek
There will be countless well deserved tributes by people who knew him better than me, but I couldn’t let Michael’s passing go without paying my own respects.
I met Michael for the first and only time at the 2010 World Horror Convention in Brighton. I was finding it hard to meet people and make friends, and it speaks volumes about Michael that he was the one person who took the time to approach me and was warm and friendly from the off. We talked about what we were reading, what we were writing, who we were fans of and which authors we were looking forward to hearing (we were in the reading lounge).
“Actually, I’m up next.” he told me.
“Wow,” I replied, genuinely impressed “Are you nervous?”
“No, I’m okay,” he replied “I’m a teacher, so I’m kinda used to speaking in front of people.”
Over the next half hour he delivered what was more like a stand up routine or theatrical performance than a mere reading, acting every part and thrilling a small but enraptured audience with his energy, passion and charisma. I became a fan right there and then and have been ever since.
Despite the nasty import charges, I bought his novel “As Fate Would Have It” and was delighted to find that his work was just as good in print as it was in his retelling. I’m sure that if his life hadn’t been cut so tragically short, he would have become a household name.
His legacy instead is a body of work which I’m sure will yet gain a cult following, and all his former students, who couldn’t have wished for a greater inspiration. But the most fitting tribute should come from the man himself, and the aforementioned reading reproduced here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rHCF6t38ek