I just got the bad and sad news that Ed Hoch has passed away. One of the greats. I'm going to miss him tremendously. I have several very nice memories of him at various Bouchercons, including the time in Denver when his wife got a great laugh out of the fact that he and I had both sold stories to an anthology that wanted material that was heavy on the sex angle. And in Austin, when he was highly pleased with the duck-call he received when taking a tour of the city. This photo was taken in the hotel lobby when he returned. I can't imagine opening up an issue of EQMM without one of his stories in it. I can't imagine not seeing him at Bouchercon.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Ed Hoch, R. I. P.
I just got the bad and sad news that Ed Hoch has passed away. One of the greats. I'm going to miss him tremendously. I have several very nice memories of him at various Bouchercons, including the time in Denver when his wife got a great laugh out of the fact that he and I had both sold stories to an anthology that wanted material that was heavy on the sex angle. And in Austin, when he was highly pleased with the duck-call he received when taking a tour of the city. This photo was taken in the hotel lobby when he returned. I can't imagine opening up an issue of EQMM without one of his stories in it. I can't imagine not seeing him at Bouchercon.
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18 comments:
Well, hell, that really is bad and sad. One of the greats certainly, but also one of the great people in our field. I never saw Ed without a smile on his face. It was always a pleasure to see him and I'm going to miss that.
stilwell
Very sad news about a master of the short story. I met Ed once at an EQMM pre-Edgar Awards reception after I'd run one of his ss in a Malice anthology. A gent.
Awful news. Since I broke into the field back in the 1980s, Ed was a cheerleader and mentor for my work... was an enthusiastic anthology editor who thrilled me when he had my first short stories reprinted.
A true gentleman and giant in the field. There'll never be another one like him...
Damn
I'm deeply saddened by this news. Ed was a fine man and creative/productive genius. Few people have been as generous amd helpful to other writers as he. We've lost a giant.
As Brendan says, Ed was always quick to encourage younger writers. A truly kind man. Not only was he a first rate anthologist; he was also an anthologist's dream. Whenever I asked if he would be willing to contribute to a Crime Writers Association anthology, he always replied quickly, and delivered a great story with the minimum of fuss. He is irreplaceable.
That is too bad. The man was a writing machine, who still managed to produce excellent work.
Bad news indeed. I've enjoyed many of his stories. I think I'll go read another.
I must have read more of his short stories than anyone else's except perhaps Alice Munro.
One of the nicest guys (along with Bill, actually) I met at my only BoucherCon so far...and goodness what a lot of good and sometimes great stories. I'd like to have written "The Oblong Room" and I'm not alone in that, among some less famous others. Also one of our last links to the end of the pulp era, as a young contributor to Robert Lowndes's 1950s DOUBLE ACTION and related titles.
I've known Ed since birth, he was my Godfather and he has been a part of my life for 36 years. He and his wife Pat introduced my parents to each other over 40 years ago and they remained the best of friends after all of these years. It was always a highlight when Uncle Ed and Aunt Pat came to visit. They always had a "surprise" for my siblings and me. Coca-Cola was his trademark as was his love for french fries and my Mother's cream cheese roll-ups. She only made them when the Hoch's were coming to visit!! Its amazing to read all of the tributes written about him on the web. We knew him on such a different level, to us he was simply Uncle Ed. He was a world renowned author yet he was so down to earth. He was the first short story writer to receive the Edgar Alan Poe award and he was so proud of that award. We were proud of him as well. I'm still in shock at the news of his passing. He was family to us and he will be missed. It's a very sad day.
Thanks for that comment. And you're right. He's going to be sorely missed by a ton of folks.
I’m a fan of master Ed Hoch from Taiwan. Some of his great works have been translated into Chinese and commanded popular acclaim. I were deeply impressed by his ingenuity and insistence on the puzzle element in detective fiction. Hard to believe that this respectable and prolific author is gone. He is legend.
This is a terrible loss to the writing world, the mystery world and, of course, to his family. I've been kicking myself all day because, in the seven years since I've been back home in Rochester, NY, I've been meaning to try to contact Ed Hoch to interview him for one of the local newspapers. I had a tentative assignment; all I had to do was reach him. I kept putting it off due to other deadlines and stuff. Now I'll never be able to meet him. I plan to attend the service on Sunday, because Mr. Hoch was an inspiration even though I never made the opportunity to meet him ...
Ruth T-C
He was one of those writers you'd expect to always be around, so it's doubly said now he's gone. I had him sign my Sherlock Holmes collection at Bouchercon, and seeing his name again reminded me how much I'll miss him.
I've been reading his stories for over thirty years, and I cannot believe he is gone. I'm sure it won't really hit me until I pick up an issue of EQMM and there is not a new Hoch story.
My thoughts and prayers are with his family.
What Brendan said, and more. I met Mr. Hoch in Philadelphia nearly 12 years ago, at my very first Bouchercon. He was very gracious, and gave me plenty of tips, without even realizing it.
If I can become 1/2 the writer he was, I will be humbled.
I was lucky enough to get to interview Mr. Hoch at Pulpcon a couple of years ago. It was the first time I had tried an interview and I was a little nervous about it. I wasted my nervousness--he carried me through the talk and it was a great success. What a gentleman. I am glad to have known both the Hoch's.
Jack Cullers
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