In Memoriam: Steve Caldwell 1941-2009
Saturday, March 21st, 2009
click on picture for full-size image
more pictures from 2008 and 2000
quotes from a correspondance:
July 15 2002
I’m in the process of preparing to sell my rather nice
first-edition collection, regretfully but to the immense relief of my
heirs, I think. It sits today in the dining room here, in 100 cardboard
boxes, each numbered, so I can’t even see the books, but it wouldn’t
surprise me if we’re in a bit of a bubble in firsts, which the popping
of the stock-market bubble could in turn pop. I plan to sell to offset
my considerable marketing losses and hope it will assure I can stay on
here indefinitely without counting on an inheritance–a good idea, since
my mother may indeed be immortal, unlikely as that seems. As may I.
But neither’s a very good bet.
December 24 2002
We’re a mess, but life is, and fortunately not just a mess.
March 8 2003
The war does seem all but inevitable. Bush may have been right about its
necessity, but his lead-up has been a travesty. It would arguably be
necessary (if you accept any rationale for war) if the war was to serve the
purposes of the U.N., which likely needs teeth to work well, but Bush from
the start has seemed to be intent on undermining the U.N., now seems likely
to go to war when the U.N. attempts to forbid him. The NYT columnists have
been excellent from the start, Krugman best and Friedman, except that he
obviously would applaud an attempt at a just war to establish a moderate
Iraqi democracy (as though that was doable and as though a democracy has any
way of forcing its electorate to be moderate), very good. But whether X
might wage a wise war, Bush seems very unlikely to, seems to be bent on
isolating the U.S. and assuring us a semi-permanent terroristic opposition.
He can win the war but the peace we’ve reason to think he’ll butcher.
…Mom uses my experience a lot, my early radical dependence on others in
effect pioneer work for her and you of my generation. There are just more
and more things she can’t do, and she’s very good, or seems to be, at
focusing on what she can. Also, at 91, she can’t help but wonder now and
then, as she did one day all day this week, whether a temporary aberration
won’t prove permanent, a wonder I’ve known myself now and again.