A Dream Come True: The Dedication of Ray Bradbury Square

Ever since I created and organized Ray Bradbury Week in Los Angeles in 2010 to honor Ray on his 90^th birthday, I have wanted to have a major area in Los Angeles named after him. Working with the Los Angeles City Councilmembers Jose Huizar and Paul Koretz and their staffs, and receiving wonderful cooperation and encouragement from the good folks (especially Kris Morita and Peter Persic) at the Los Angeles Central Library; Hal Bastian the Senior Vice President & Director of Economic Development for the Downtown Center Business Improvement District; and Patti Berman the President of the Downtown LA Neighborhood Council, my dream has become a reality, and the downtown intersection of Fifth and Flower is now and forever RAY BRADBURY SQUARE.

I have previously written about the road to this reality over at the Huffington Post. 

On December 6th, 2012 the square was officially dedicated. I served as Master of Ceremonies, 

and it was my pleasure to introduce our speakers: Councilmember Jose Huizar; Councilmember Paul Koretz; City Librarian John Szabo; Ray’s eldest daughter, Sue Nixon Bradbury; actor Joe Mantegna; scientist and science fiction author, David Brin; and Ray’s biographer, Sam Weller. They all gave very personal and moving speeches, detailing the importance of Ray to them, the city of Los Angeles, libraries, literature, and the future. All on a beautiful, temperate day, with the sun shining and a bit of a pleasant breeze caressing. 

Such civic ceremonies can be less that enthralling, with speakers pontificating and the audience wondering what the hell they are doing there. Such was not this day. All the speakers spoke very personal, moving words in tribute of and love for Ray. But that shouldn't be surprising -- Ray always brought the best out in people by his love of life, his smile and laugh, and, of course, by the effect of his writing on minds both fresh and, shall we say, well-aged.

I want to give much thanks to the speakers in this blog. The best way to do that is to print my notes for the introductions I gave of each one.

Good afternoon. I’m Steven Paul Leiva and I’m here to welcome you to the beautiful Maguire Gardens, right here in front of the great Central Library of Los Angeles, and bordering Ray Bradbury Square.

Ray Bradbury Square, the intersection of Imagination and Inspiration.

We are here today to dedicate this square to a man who inspired me to become a writer, who later became a colleague, and, more important, a friend. So this is a very meaningful day for me. And as my hobby used to be crying at Kodak commercials, you’ll forgive me please if I tear up now and then.

We have with us today a number of people who were important in Ray Bradbury Square becoming a reality, or who were important in Ray Bradbury’s life. They all have words to say, so I say, let’s get to it.

Our first speaker is Councilmember Jose Huizar who’s district we are now in. Councilmember Huizar made the motion on September 18^th in the City Council to name this intersection Ray Bradbury Square, and he and his staff have worked tirelessly to make that happen, and to make this day happen.

Ray would be thrilled to have the councilmember here today, because Jose has been a brilliant advocate for the recent and future recovery of our downtown. His Bring Back Broadway initiative is energizing a new birth for what once was the main thoroughfare of Los Angeles, the focal point of all its vitality and energy. It’s an initiative that Ray was 100% in support of because he loved downtown, he loved the Broadway area with it’s grand movie palaces, and he wished to see it come back. And Ray would have been very excited to know that the downtown trolly is coming back, for which Councilmember Huizar can take a good share of the credit.  This trolly will greatly help the flow of pedestrian traffic, getting people out of their cars and engaging with downtown in a much more personal one-on-one level.

Jose, I believe that if Ray was here today, he would put his hand on your cheek and call you his son.

Ladies and gentlemen, Councilmember Jose Huizar.

Councilmember Huizar spoke of downtown and its importance to Ray, once a resident of the area, and of the Central Library where Ray spent years coming to in this twenties self-educating himself, as he could not afford college during the Great Depression. He "graduated" from this library at the age of twenty-eight, and became a great writer and a great citizen of Los Angeles. During Jose's speech, the large blow-up of the great Ralph Nelson portrait of Ray keep getting tipped forward by the light breeze. But each time Sam Weller would leap from the audience to catch Ray and put him back, and Jose carried on.

Our next speaker is the Councilmember for the 5^th District, Paul Koretz, who co-sponsored the motion for Ray Bradbury Square.  In a sense this day is the outcome of Paul and I running into each other at a bookstore. Could there be anything more appropriate?

Paul was Ray’s councilmember.  But, more important, he grew up in Ray’s neighborhood, went to school with one of Ray’s daughters, and -- if he had not gone into politics and public service -- he would have become a science fiction author, greatly inspired by Ray Bradbury.

When Ray died last June, Paul took a stack of Ray’s novels and placed them at his desk in the city council chambers.  I believe they are still there today. Paul worked with our city’s library commission to see that Ray’s local library, the Palms-Rancho Park Branch, where Ray and his daughters spent many happy hours, be dedicated to Ray.

And when we wanted to move forward on Ray Bradbury Square he immediately contacted Councilmember Huizar, and you are here today because of their work together. Paul is an incredible councilmember, a creative representative of his district, and a fighter for the betterment of this city and its people.  

Ladies and gentlemen, councilmember Paul Koretz.

Councilmember Koretz spoke of how much Ray meant to him both as a young man desiring a career as a science fiction author (which he intend to pursue after he retires from politics), and as a public servant, for Ray was always interested in intelligent public policy that led to civic spaces that encouraged pedestrian traffic, outdoor spaces for people to gather, and sidewalk cafes, which with Los Angeles weather seems quite obvious. But with this city's early and continuing love of the automobile, it wasn't always so. During Paul's speech a fire department emergency truck sped through Ray Bradbury Square and down Flower, it's siren blaring loudly, the sound bouncing on the surrounding skyscrapers seeming to bring up the volume. But Paul persevered.

Our next speaker, John Szabo, I met today for the first time. But I’ve been wanting to meet him, for he has just taken on probably the dream job for anyone who loves libraries -- he is now our City Librarian here in Los Angeles. John comes to us with over 20 years of leadership experience in public libraries, and has always championed innovative library services.  Well John, you should be right at home in L.A. Innovation is not unknown in these here parts.

As you know, libraries had no greater cheerleader than Ray Bradbury.  Not having gone to college, they were for Ray his higher education. They were for him a separate universe to travel to, draw from, gain much strength, then go back out into the world better prepared to face it.

And all those wonderful books on all those shelves! Dickens and Poe; Wells and Verne. And Shakespeare. Possibly Ray’s greatest goal was to have his works constantly on the shelves of libraries among those greats. He made it.

John, Ray would have been delighted to have you here today, and I’m sure he would have given you a hearty and heartfelt WELCOME, as we all do.

Ladies and gentlemen, City Librarian John Szabo.

John, as you might have guessed, spoke of libraries, and the great debt they owe to Ray. Although John had never had the chance to meet Ray, Ray's influence was strong in him, and the work he has chosen to do.

I’m very pleased to introduce our next speaker, Ray’s eldest daughter, Sue Bradbury Nixon She is here representing herself, of course, and all of the Bradbury family, who are here with us today, but also representing booksellers, of which she is one.

One does not have to wonder how she got the inspiration to be a bookseller, but one can be damn happy that she is.  For booksellers are lovers, passionate people who see life through many lenses, and who happily share their love with others.

Sue, I’m sure your dear old dad was proud of you for being a “book-person” and for being a joyful sharer of love.

Ladies and gentlemen, Sue Bradbury Nixon.

Sue expressed her and the family's great gratitude to the councilmembers Huizar and Kortez and the full city council for honoring Ray in this very big way. She spoke of Ray's love for downtown Los Angeles and the whole of city. He was always a big supported of his adopted city. Did she get emotional? Yes. Did she tear up? Yes. Was the audience moved? Absolutely. 

Joe Mantegna is our next speaker.  Joe is to acting what Ray Bradbury was to writing. A consummate professional, a versatile performer, and a deeply moving artist. But today he is also here as one of Ray’s dearest friends.  

Joe starred in both the stage and film versions of one of Ray’s most beloved short stories, “The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit,” a story about the vitality of the hispanic population in and around downtown L.A., and their great capacity for love of life.  The play has been performed often all over the country, but the film is now, sadly, a bit of a lost gem.  But lost gems are worth looking for.

Recently Joe has co-produced and narrated a new documentary on Ray, LIVE FOREVER: A RAY BRADBURY ODYSSEY, and because of that he spent much quality time with Ray in the last few years. And so, I believe, Joe feels Ray’s loss as deeply as anyone can.  But also can celebrate Ray with us today with as high a joy as anyone can.

Ladies and gentlemen, Joe Mantegna. 

Joe spoke of his relationship with Ray starting years ago when he starred in a stage version of The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit in Chicago, and continuing later when the film version was made. And he talked of the time he spent with Ray while Live Forever was being shot, and the feeling that Ray conveyed that Joe was not just a friend to him, but family.

As you may know, Ray Bradbury was often called a science fiction writer. And as you know he was more than that. Although by saying that I don’t mean to, and Ray certainly never meant to, denigrate science fiction.  He just knew and often stated that his only true work of science fiction was Fahrenheit 451. Nonetheless, he often wrote within the neighborhood of science fiction and other genre forms such as mystery, horror, and other fantastic and tall tales. 

When he started writing these tales and publishing in pulp magazines, all of these genres were put down as the backwater of literature.  Ray was one of the major forces uplifting those genres to much higher consideration, especially with works like The Martian Chronicles, which could never, ever, really be considered science fiction, as there wasn’t much science in it, but it certainly was a work infused with its vitality by the genre.

And yet, here’s the irony, The Martian Chronicles inspired many people to become scientists, especially space scientists. Walk down the halls of JPL and NASA and find someone who was not inspired by The Martian Chronicles, and you will have found a rare duck indeed.

And Ray has also been inspirational to Hard Science Fictional writers, the ones who really portray science and the futures it might bring about.

One of those writers is here with us today, Hugo and Nebula award-winning David Brin, author of the UPLIFT novels and so many other wonderful books such as his latest, Existence. 

David is also a scientist, and a futurist, who believes fervently, as Ray did, that, Yes, humankind does have a future, and if we are smart, it can be a damn fine one.

David, you were a friend of Ray’s, united not only by your art, but by a mutual distaste of empty cynicism. That is a legacy I’m sure Ray would have been proud to have you carry on.

Ladies and gentlemen, David Brin.

After Ray died I wondered if there were anyone who could give great speeches that would move crowds with the positive, uplifting, enthusiastic and inspiring energy that Ray put out. 

I doubted it. But I don't doubt it anymore. David Brin gave such a speech in honor of Ray. And his off-the-cuff comments were great, especially when he pointed out to us that the spirit of Ray was with us all, evidenced by the "nod" he gave to the audience when Councilmember Huizar was speaking, and the salute he gave when some firemen sped by, sirens blaring.

Our last speaker is Ray’s biographer, Sam Weller. He is also an Associate Professor in the Creative Writing Department at Columbia College Chicago. Sam wrote The Bradbury Chronicles, a fine biography of Ray. When it came out I wrote to Ray to tell him how much I liked it, and to say to him, a great lover of Charles Dickens, how great it was to have your biography written by a namesake of one of Dickens’s greatest characters.  I’m sure Ray agreed to have his biography written by Sam for more reasons than that, but that you can etch in gold.

Sam has also put out Echos: The Ray Bradbury Interviews and co-edited Shadow Show: All-New Stories in Celebration of Ray Bradbury, which came out in July and is already in its third printing.

Sam, I know how close you got to Ray working on the books, and how much he loved you. I’m sure he’s looking down right now -- no not from heaven, but from Mars -- very, very happy to see you here today.

Ladies and gentlemen, Sam Weller.

I think Sam became as close to Ray as a son. And he gave the kind of speech a loving son might give, which moved us all. But the best part was when he "channeled" Ray and spoke as Ray use to speak, filling his audience with the thrill of life, love, and literature.

In my closing remarks, before the speakers and I moved to the RAY BRADBURY SQUARE sign to officially unveil it, I mentioned how Councilmember's Huizar's office asked me to come up with a brief line to be included on the sign that would sum up Ray. A brief line to sum up Ray? Nearly impossible, I thought. But it had to be done. I drafted several ideas, finding a favorite, and sent them to Ray's daughters Zee and Sue to see what they thought. They agreed on two as being the best, one of which was my favorite, and told me to pick.  I, of course, picked my favorite.

If you were forced to sum up Ray -- and I was -- it seemed obvious, given Ray's importance to literature and his love and dedication to his adopted city, that the obvious summation would be:

Author - Angeleno

And so it is.

A BUNCH OF PHOTOS FROM THE DAY

Sam Weller and Zee Bradbury

John Szabo and Sue Bradbury Nixon

The photos above were taken by various people including my daughter, Miranda Leiva, my publisher from Bluroof Press, Dave Doody, the City Library and the Bradbury Family. I thank them all and hope to add photo credits later.

Below is a portfolio of photos of the day by Robert Kerr. 

Robert is an actor and was a member of Ray's Pandemonioum Theatre Company. He also in the last several years became very close to Ray, spending much times with him and helping him out. he was one of Ray's favorite friends and companions. All photos below are Copyright 2012 by Robert Kerr.

The crowd starts to gather for the dedication.

Everybody seated. 

Although some are standing.

And the media are there.

I welcome everyone to the dedication.

And bring up our first speaker - Councilmember Jose Huizar

CM Huizar speaks.

Followed by Councilmember Paul Koretz.

And City Librarian John Szabo.

Ray's eldest of four daughters, thanks the councilmembers, the Los Angeles city council and all of L.A. for honoring Ray.

I welcome David Brin to the podium.

Who gives a spirited, wonderful speech on Ray, science fiction, optimism and the presence of Ray now and forever.

Greeting Joe Mantegna as he comes to the podium.

Joe gave a moving speech on a man he was happy and proud to call a friend and inspiration.

Ray's biographer, Sam Weller, captured the essence of Ray in his speech, and suddenly, Ray was there among us.

As Sam sits, I come up to give makes some final remarks.

And invite the speakers to participate in the unveiling of the RAY BRADBURY SQUARE sign.

A quick group shot before the unveiling.

ONE!

TWO!

THREE!

Applause and Cheers!

Congratulations all around.

CM Huizar hugs Sue Bradbury Nixon and David Brin Hugs Zee Bradbury.

City Librarian John Szabo with Sue Bradbury Nixon.

The great Central Library of Los Angeles, Ray Bradbury's source of "higher education."