I lost a teacher
Few of you will recognize the name Andre Norton. Fewer still will know who Alice Mary Norton was or for that matter, why she earned international acclaim. To me, however, she was special; one of the top ten influential persons in my life.
You see, Andre Norton was a prolific writer, a writer of stories that captivated the mind of a nine-year-old boy and forever changed his life. Ms. Norton passed on Thursday at the age of 93, but not before writing more than 70 novels, novellas, and short stories in the science fiction and fantasy genre. Among her many published works were series that included Witch World, High Hallack, Beast Master, Secret of the Lost Race, and Estcarp (some of you may have heard of the Beast Master series).
But long before she entertained millions with her later works, I began a love affair with her writing when I stumbled across a copy of Star Guard in my village's tiny public library. It was lying on the librarian's cart at the top of a stack slated for return to the shelves. The title jumped out at me (planets, stars, and space were BIG topics in the late '50s), I picked it up, and began reading while standing beside the cart. Wow. I hung on every word, and it seemed as though she was relating the story just for my benefit alone. Of course, at that time I didn't realize that 'Andre' Norton was a woman, nor did I realize that I was hooked on reading forever.
Because that is exactly what Ms. Norton did to me - I became a hopeless addict, strung out on the written word. As time passed and as they were published (or whenever I heard about them in my backwater village), I devoured Sargasso of Space, The Time Traders, and Catseye. I couldn't get enough and reread those stories; gradually I realized that there were other authors who wrote stories that inflamed my imagination every bit as much. Forever after, I always seemed to have a book near for those times when I wasn't participating in sports, outdoor adventures, or when our weather was horrendous enough that even a young, healthy, outdoors-loving lad did not want to be out and about.
Time passed, my literary tastes changed, yet I never lost my addiction. Whatever degree of intellect I possess today stems directly from Ms. Norton's influence. Thank you, Alice Mary, for enriching my life.