We have lost E.L. Doctorow

[FreeThinker]

One of the great writers of the Twentieth Century has died. E. L. Doctorow was a brilliant author and his Ragtime, World's Fair, The Book of Daniel, and The Waterworks are among my favorites. He was also a vigorous defender of writers and free speech with his work in PEN.

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jul/22/author-el-doctorow-dies-in-new-york-aged-84

[Merkin]

A sad and serious loss to American letters. Doctorow blazed new trails with his experimentations with the fictional form, and his brilliant novels will be remembered for their seamless blend of fiction, history, and, often, personal memoir.

[Cole Parker]

I loved his writing. Sad day for American literature.

C

[Chris James]

It has been ten years since I read The March by EL Doctorow and judged it to be one of the finest pieces of historical fiction I have ever read. We all know about Sherman's march across the south during the Civil War but seen through the eyes of Doctorow's characters it took on new meaning and gave me a wonderful insight on the event. Time to go read it again.

[Cole Parker]

Incidents and scenes in his stories remain memorable long after you've read them. That says something for the craft of his writing.

C