As the solstice neared, I and some friends gathered to remember those who died in 2008. As we age, more of our friends, co-workers and heroes bite the dust. Two died too recently for us to light candles for them:

Julius Fast, Writer, 89. Julie Fast, who died a few days ago at 89, was a wonderful writer. He could have been caught among three storms: he was the younger brother of Howard Fast, leftist novelist, and he wrote a pop psychology book – Body Language – which became a runaway best seller, and he wrote so quickly, fluidly and gracefully that pot-boilers bubbled-out from him as easily as his greatest work.

He, nonetheless, escaped, wrote great murder mysteries which won prizes. His masterpiece, in my view, is a semi-autobiographical, coming of age novel which he published late in his career “What Should We Do About Davey?.” The New York Times obit is here . "Davey", I am sad to say, is not in the Public Library circulating collection – but used copies are available. His classic science-fiction novel is the League of Grey-Eyed Women. His trail-blazing, first-ever-Edgar-winning murder mystery Watchful At Night is not available at all. Perhaps, post death, we’ll be able to re-evaluate Julie. In my view, he was a giant.

James Bevel A charismatic, brilliant, erratic civil rights leader who rose to prominence as a leader of student protests in Nashville, Tenn., James Bevel was married, for a time to SNCC leader Diane Nash. An associate of Martin Luther King, Jr., he led controversial children's crusade protests which were suppressed with extreme violence by Bull Conner in 1963 in Birmingham Alabama. Following Dr. King’s assassination, Rev. Bevel drifted into odd fringe activities – he ran for vice-president with Lyndon LaRouche, for example – and was recently convicted of incest. The AP obit is here . NY Times obit is here

For the rest who died in 2008, Odetta, Studs Terkel, Artie Traum, Ralph Digia, Joanne Becker, Lisa Spencer, Chris Dykema and the rest: we remember your lives with love and honor your work.