Ray Bradbury died Tuesday

The news of acclaimed science-fiction writer Ray Bradbury’s death at the age of 91 on Wednesday brought forth a special announcement from the city whose literary shape he helped to develop.

Ray Bradbury, recipient of the 2000 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, the 2004 National Medal of Arts, and the 2007 Pulitzer Prize Special Citation, died on June 5, 2012, at the age of 91 after a long illness. He lived in Los Angeles.

In a career spanning more than seventy years, Ray Bradbury has inspired generations of readers to dream, think, and create.

A prolific author of hundreds of short stories and close to fifty books, as well as numerous poems, essays, operas, plays, teleplays, and screenplays, Bradbury was one of the most celebrated writers of our time.

Fahrenheit 451 was chosen as a West Hollywood Big Read book in 2012.

His groundbreaking works include Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man, Dandelion Wine, and Something Wicked This Way Comes.

He wrote the screen play for John Huston's classic film adaptation of Moby Dick, and was nominated for an Academy Award. He adapted sixty-five of his stories for television's The Ray Bradbury Theater, and won an Emmy for his teleplay of The Halloween Tree.

In 2005, Mr. Bradbury published a book of essays titled Bradbury Speaks, in which he wrote: “In my later years I have looked in the mirror each day and found a happy person staring back. Occasionally I wonder why I can be so happy. The answer is that every day of my life I've worked only for myself and for the joy that comes from writing and creating. The image in my mirror is not optimistic, but the result of optimal behavior.”

He is survived by his four daughters, Susan Nixon, Ramona Ostergren, Bettina Karapetian, and Alexandra Bradbury, and eight grandchildren. His wife, Marguerite, predeceased him in 2003, after fifty-seven years of marriage.

Mr. Bradbury headlined the annual West Hollywood Book Fair in 2008 and leant his support in building the city’s library, saying, “libraries are at the center of our lives.”

The reason for that support, he wrote, was that, “I couldn’t go to college, so I spent three days a week for ten years in the library.”

Mr. Bradbury’s classic novel about a book-burning future, Fahrenheit 451, was selected as the book as West Hollywood’s 2012 Big Read. Over a dozen events took place tied to the novel about the human soul’s desperation for literature and free speech.

WeHo honored him by declaring Monday, April 2, 2012 “Ray Bradbury Day” in West Hollywood. For that occasion, Council member John Duran presented him the proclamation at his home and interviewed him, showing the interview at a following council meeting.

The city’s officials paid tribute to him in a press release.

“I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Ray Bradbury. He brought so much joy to so many,” said Mayor Jeffrey Prang. “His books took readers on imaginary journeys to the outermost edges of the galaxy without ever leaving their back yards. He will be missed, but his written words shall continue to inspire and transport us on a lifetime of adventures.”

“We have lost a true literary treasure, and one of the West Hollywood Library Foundation’s Literary Lions,” said Mayor Pro Tem Abbe Land. “I’m so glad we were able to celebrate his life and work with the opening of our new library and through our most recent Big Read month of activities.”

“It is with great sadness that I learned today of the passing of literary great Ray Bradbury,” said Councilmember John D’Amico. “I will think of him as I walk past Powell Library at UCLA, where he wrote his classic novel Fahrenheit 451 in 1950 on typewriters that rented for 10 cents a half hour. Ray Bradbury was a trailblazing author whose loss is felt by us all. I send my condolences to his family and to his many fans all over the world.”

“One of the greatest moments of my Council service was to be with Mr. Bradbury in his home. He was such an American treasure,” said Councilmember John Duran.

“We have lost a literary giant and a hero for literacy and libraries in general,” said Councilmember John Heilman. “We were so fortunate that Ray Bradbury participated in our annual Book Fair. We are also very lucky that he was one of the Literary Lions who supported the construction of our new library.”

Throughout his life, Mr. Bradbury liked to recount the story of meeting a carnival magician, Mr. Electrico, in 1932.

At the end of his performance Electrico reached out to the twelve-year-old, touched the boy with his sword, and commanded, Live forever!

The literary icon later said, “I decided that was the greatest idea I had ever heard. I started writing every day. I never stopped.”

He will truly live forever.