I've spoken to Amanda about this, but i'd like to re-iterate that i'm terribly sorry to hear about this news. Although i never knew her, i remember her presence on the board from years ago, and from the pictures shown here she was a beautiful person who shall be terribly missed.

I truly hope that the memorial tomorrow will be as lovely as the person that it mourns for, and celebrates the life of. My thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this.

In case you aren't following E-man's website/blog, here's a link to his photos from Sam's memorial this past weekend.

~ Amanda

"Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave..."

Thanks for posting that, Amanda.

i'm not going to pretend we were the best of friends but there was a time i talked with her pretty regularly. we were good enough friends that we exchanged a few tapes through the mail.  she ended up with my VHS copy of the old bbc hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy, that should give some idea of the high esteem i held her in

when we were both at the fest, on the night of the big silly dinner, she looked so happy to have a reason to dress up all fancy-like. she looked terrific and elegant, but still had the saddest eyes i've ever seen.  we went for a walk in the woods, and she knew so much about all the plants, even which berries she could eat right off the branches

some people are born way, way too tender-hearted and the world doesn't care and beats the shit out of them anyway. from what little i knew/know about what she went through i admire her for hanging on as long as she did. RIP

The Art of Glenn Mason

Wow, that's one of the best posts I have ever read on this forum. I completely agree. Very sad to hear about Sam... I can't say I knew her, but she seemed like a wonderful person. 

"Lost on the freeway again, lookin' for means to an end."

I'm just dropping by to thank my extended internet family for helping me out these past few weeks.

You folks are awesome.

Here is a piece written about Sam by the North Coast Journal, a local weekly. A couple caveats:

While it may be factually accurate, I do not think it is a complete picture.

It may make you angry, and it might even make you cry.

Click this

~ Amanda

"Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave..."

the way i cope when i'm upset is through humor (it's the way my family is, the way i was raised), which ironically always pissed sam off. my grandma had a series of very dehabilitating strokes this year and in the aftermath my family turned into the writer's room from 30 rock.

anyway if some jackassery sneaks through in this thread, that's the only reason why.

the main thing i took away from the article that i didn't know before is how brilliant and into her work she was. i mean i knew she was smart, but i somehow never caught on to the fact that she was so out there, DOING stuff.

there's some anger to be had, i think the person that was quoted who said that the world as a whole failed her hit it right on the head (someone that depressed having to struggle with an insurance company? ffs!). definitely anger for her father, who clearly has his own demons to wrestle with. even a little just for sam, for ducking out the back door. but part of me is just glad she's not in pain any more. is that wrong of me to think? i hope not.

Y'all are trying to drag me back to posting, aren't you?

Yeah, Sam was a bit of a compartmentalist . . . I think we all are to some degree. The piece is definitely a north coast view, contrasted with the Sam we knew as a peaker. Both of which were smaller parts of the Sam I knew.

Brilliant? I felt automatically smarter just by being in the same room with Sam.

~ Amanda

"Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave..."

Aye, and it really is a big pile of suck that so many of y'all had to learn about Sam this way.

Some of us never gave up on her, and that makes what happened hurt even more. I wrote on my blog recently that Everyone who met Sam came away enriched in some way. Any of you that had the good fortune to meet her will undoubtedly agree.

Well said. A rare and precious ability that not everyone is capable of.

Well, I did not know her, except through meeting her at the 2003 Fest. We spoke of living in Hawai'i. I am very sorry to learn of her passing and read about her life. She was obviously a committed individual, to making the world better, in her own way. The world will miss her beautiful energy. My heartfelt sympathies to all who knew her better...

Same bd as Lynch. 

She missed the inauguration.  And so much more.

Susan

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

Thanks to Bill for starting this thread. My path never crossed Sam's on TPG. I'm sad I didn't get a chance to chat but kind of glad I don't feel the hurt of her loss now. But I'd have liked to have known her and taken the pain.

Condolences to all her friends.

Monty

That's how I was able to remember DL's birthday.

Some of you brave souls have read about the so much more on my blog.