September 09, 2004
Long Live Uppity Negro
by Liza Sabater
My heart is heavy. Aaron Hawkins, editor and writer of Uppity-Negro.com has passed away. The details of how, where, why and when have not been posted yet, but his passing is already being felt throughout the blogosphere.
ALLABOUTGEORGE.com: Hiatus is such a strong word, pt. 2.
still spewing emotional vomit on a daily basis.
Dru Blood - I believe in the inherent goodness of all beings.: One of the hardest things...
hello, typepad: The Power of Links
Move the Crowd: R.I.P. Aaron, a.k.a. Uppity Negro
Ursula's Not So Secret History: Good-bye My Blogging Friend
Negro, Please: Cold Blooded: Aaron, Me, & The PPG
On a path: What Needs To Be Said
How do you react to a person's passing when you only knew them by their work? As I went out to smoke a cig and shed some tears, I explained to Napier, how it is different for me Aaron's passing, than the passing of a favorite book writer.
Some days pass without a post and you think, "oh, a lull" or "hmp! vacation? bitch". Other days, there's more than one post in a day, and it's like Christmas. Yes, checking NetNewsWire a couple of times a day for that, "Oh, there's a new post!" moment is Christmas. Each post in a blog is a gift to the world and Aaron was one of my favorite Magis. His was the gift of spice, bringing biting and laugh-out-loud wit to the news of the day.
Then there is the intimacy; even if it is the sometimes orchestrated sort of 'transparency'. You do get a sense, with every passing day, that you know the author better and better; that you and the blog writer are growing together. This is where blog and blog writers will always be different from their paper counterparts. Books, magazine & newspaper articles : they are all products. A blog is a living thing : An extension of their creator(s) voice. A good blog writer will have a 'voice' that'll reverberate within you.
I did not read Aaron for as long as others and I did not meet him personally. His style of posts was a joy to read. Go to his site and devour it all.
A Star. Fantastic. Satirist. Genial. Wit.
I hope Aaron's blog will be kept in perpetuity, as a monument to the man who wrote it and as an example of excellence to others.
May you rest in peace.
May you outwit forever in cyberspace.
Some links to the master:
Uppity-Negro.com: In Memoriam: Yes, there's a brief advertisement
Uppity-Negro.com: In Memoriam: I saw my baby, crying hard as babe could cry
Uppity-Negro.com: In Memoriam: I believe it would be an invaluable learning experience
Uppity-Negro.com: In Memoriam: Jury of One
Uppity-Negro.com: In Memoriam: Give me crack and anal sex
Uppity-Negro.com: In Memoriam: static, a whisper on another line
Uppity-Negro.com: In Memoriam: Say my name (I)
Posted by Liza Sabater in Blogs
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The following blogs make reference to this post :
» Long Live Uppity Negro from Radio Free Blogistan
This was first posted at c u l t u r e k i t c h e n: Long live Uppity Negro.... [More...]
Found inSeptember 9, 2004 11:28 PM
» R.I.P Aaron from XX
Aaron Hawkins of Uppity Negro died. Little info is known at this time.
Thanks to Liza Sabater for the head's up. [More...]
Found inSeptember 10, 2004 05:47 AM
» Sad News from Rox Populi
A truly funny and thoughtful voice in the blogosphere is now silent. Aaron Hawkins of Uppity Negro has passed away. There aren't many details at this time. Via email from Liza Sabater. --Roxanne [More...]
Found inSeptember 10, 2004 05:54 AM
» liza collects remembraces of aaron from anil dash's daily links
http://www.culturekitchen.com/archives/002197.html... [More...]
Found inSeptember 11, 2004 08:43 PM
» In memoriam Aaron Hawkins from c h a n d r a s u t r a
I was deeply saddened to find out today that Aaron Hawkins, the writer behind the wonderful blog Uppity Negro, [More...]
Found inSeptember 13, 2004 10:48 PM
Say it loud, say it proud!
God, this makes me cry so hard. I'm finally dealing with this.
A little, anyway.
One of the entries you linked, the title is a quote from something I wrote.
And that makes me cry more.
Gah. Shutting up now.
2
Comment by: liza at September 12, 2004 06:19 PM
I cannot imagine the grief you're going through right now vaspider, but there's nothing better than crying. Grok knows I hate to cry but when I do, my eyes can see better.
The challenge now is not so much to forget how he died, but to remember and honor how he lived. To always remember, cherish and honor. Always.
3
Comment by: VASpider at September 13, 2004 02:06 AM
Yeah. It feels that way. A little clearer.
I'd let things drift. Gah. It's so good to see this moment, everyone reading back, reading again, thinking.
I just wish it hadn't come at this price.
Nothing should cost as much as it's costing everyone. Many so much more than me. I'm humbled by that much. It hurst for me, and I had... this.
Internet.
Thing.
Whatever it is.
Words suck, you know that? They just... suck. When they don't cooperate.
1
Comment by: VASpider at September 12, 2004 06:07 PM