There has been sad news at RI and for here....go to this link and read Irv's post about the passing of Maria Gleason.
2. joezan - 6/20/2002 2:36:39 PM
Shit...
3. PelleNilsson - 6/20/2002 2:43:58 PM
How very sad. I will miss Maria.
4. theDiva - 6/20/2002 2:46:40 PM
I feel numb.
5. Daniel Sickles - 6/20/2002 2:46:55 PM
Terrible news. God bless.
6. Raskolnikov - 6/20/2002 2:47:40 PM
Very sad indeed.
7. CalGal - 6/20/2002 2:48:41 PM
Oh my god. I just sent her an email the other day, asking what was up.
8. rubberducky - 6/20/2002 2:51:32 PM
oh fuck...
geez, i'll miss her terribly
9. theDiva - 6/20/2002 3:03:43 PM
Who among the old-timers remembers that first, wild riff in the old Social Thread, concerning the formation of a Fray rock band and subsequent world tour? As I recall, Maria and the Ms. planned spectacular black leather outfits to go along with their saxophones.
10. OhioSTOPAS - 6/20/2002 3:07:31 PM
11. rubberducky - 6/20/2002 3:08:31 PM
i just adored Maria.
She had such a contagious passion, such marvelous conviction, and the uncanny ability to sniff the devil out of those details.
it's a sad honor that i hosted the last thread with her. i miss her.
she made me laugh when she was evil, she made me smile when she was just being herself.
Rest In Peace, Maria, you deserve it.
12. rubberducky - 6/20/2002 3:10:24 PM
i remember, diva. it was one of the first times i started looking at my online political adversaries as real people and not just monikers on a computer screen.
13. theDiva - 6/20/2002 3:10:29 PM
I have this vision of her having a very long chat with St. Peter. :-)
14. concerned - 6/20/2002 3:16:22 PM
I'm very sorry to hear this. Maria Gleason typically was more cogent than her cohort.
15. bubbaette - 6/20/2002 3:16:25 PM
I don't know what to say, except that I'm very sad at this awful news. She was too smart and too funny to die.
16. Wombat - 6/20/2002 3:19:10 PM
Terrible news. She was fiesty and unpredictable. I enjoyed reading her posts.
17. rubberducky - 6/20/2002 3:21:45 PM
Message # 10 should go in the side bar, Pelle
18. vw - 6/20/2002 3:21:54 PM
Oh damn. We have lost the honor of knowing a very funny, very smart and gentle soul. Please, those of you who might know the family express our condolences and thank them for allowing us to know someone as special as Maria
19. glendajean - 6/20/2002 3:29:55 PM
My first memories of Maria (as Ariel the Sprite) was in the Fray. It was during that big meltdown and she was a bit frantic.
That was not a fun time for anybody.
And since I've gotten to learn her brilliant and funny side. She has been a major contributor to this forum. I am so glad that I got to know her through her posts here. And I always imagined what her house must be like, with wonderful smells of Cuban cooking and the most incredible stacks of books along every wall, crook and cranny.
Rest in peace, dear Maria. God bless.
20. Ms. No - 6/20/2002 3:32:19 PM
Oh, Sprite. I can't believe I'll never talk to her again. God, I'm going to miss her.
Deev,
I remember the band and the formation of the Sisters of No Mercy.....and a certain few towelboys...
21. theDiva - 6/20/2002 3:32:50 PM
yes....:-)
22. Ms. No - 6/20/2002 3:33:09 PM
And don't forget the lawn flamingos, glendajean!
23. Snowowl - 6/20/2002 3:38:29 PM
There really aren't any words. Maria was a special person and I'll miss her.
24. judithathome - 6/20/2002 3:43:27 PM
Maria was a special person and I will miss her very much. We shared a fondness for black velvet worn at Christmas time...and capes, too.
I know Maria will be the best dressed in Heaven.
25. rubberducky - 6/20/2002 3:45:45 PM
sigh, no more tales of her birthday week...
26. vw - 6/20/2002 3:50:57 PM
She had the unerring knack of finding the perfect link for what ever I was talking about ... I will definitely be a less knowledgeable person without her.
27. CalGal - 6/20/2002 3:51:05 PM
Maria and I didn't like each other at all the first year we met, maintained a careful neutrality for at least a year or more after that, and suddenly became quite good friends a couple years ago. One of our last email exchanges involved how utterly silly our original animosity seems now.
I'll miss her.
28. thoughtful - 6/20/2002 3:57:02 PM
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.
I will miss her deeply. She was one of my favorite posters who never failed to amaze me with her knowledge, impress me with her passion, and treat me with her incredible sense of humor.
I had the pleasure of meeting her at an event and found her to be even more wonderful in person than she was virtually.
She faced her illness with an incredible sense of courage which was a true source of inspiration for me.
Rest in long, happy peace, Maria. May you enjoy your new expansive life free from the confines of your tortured physical self. Thank you for touching my life. I will miss you.
29. arkymalarky - 6/20/2002 4:01:11 PM
Beautifully expressed image in that last paragraph, Thoughtful.
30. Jamie R - 6/20/2002 4:02:49 PM
That is terribly sad news.
I didn't talk to her often, but I always enjoyed reading her. She was intelligent and funny and decent.
31. wonkers2 - 6/20/2002 4:03:42 PM
We'll miss Maria's intelligence and tenacity. She hasn't been around lately, and I wondered what was up. Condolences to her family. I can imagine how much they'll miss her. R.I.P.
32. arkymalarky - 6/20/2002 4:07:22 PM
There are so many things about Maria I admire, and I've thought about them a lot in the last few hours, and one that stands out for me at the moment is the ability of spiritual faith and reason to so comfortably coexist in her.
33. Frankster - 6/20/2002 4:13:32 PM
No way ... no way.
... She asked me for a Mote t-shirt once, but only on the condition that I would allow her to send me one. She sent me one with a Benjamin Franklin quote on beer that draws chuckles from folks everytime I wear it.
... She was one of many Fraygrants/Moties of which I have always wanted to meet in person. Yes, yes. Who can ever forget the contributions of Ariel the Sprite during the early days ? She was always a pleasure to read.
I'm shocked to say the least, and my thoughts are for her family at this time.
Shit!
34. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 6/20/2002 4:15:54 PM
I didn't know she had Lupus, but I often wondered where her quick and penetrating humor and fury came from--such is the fate of edge-workers.
I always had the sense in the few posts I shared with her that one should be a bit more cautious about choosing words--for she could bite if one's posts were callow.
Beyond missing her, I'll look for her spirit again in others who carry their woe with forbearance, charm and a fine rage.
35. betty - 6/20/2002 5:02:58 PM
I submitted work to maria for Uz's poetry book and she liked it. she called it inspirational. If anyone else had ever said such a stupid thing to me I would have thrown up all over my computer screen. Inspirational, like it was a poster with a kitten dangling from a tree branch. but maria had this way of saying what she meant with an honesty and integrity that you had to respect even if you didn't agree with her, and I never thought to feel offended by her "inspirational" comment. I felt proud and complimented and lucky for her to say that about my writing.
she liked this one and so I'm offering it up...
"blue you mother"
i saw a million crows
fleeing the pink orange west—
perched on branches like rustling raven leaves,
flying low and loud to their
late evening blue you mother
calling them home
to stretch out their wings across your belly
and shine their star.
36. marjoribanks - 6/20/2002 5:10:02 PM
Ugh. Terrible news.
RIP Sprite, you were totally unique.
37. ronski - 6/20/2002 5:12:03 PM
I didn't know her very well, but I am very sad to hear this.
38. Jenerator - 6/20/2002 5:26:40 PM
Oh my God, I cannot believe that she died! I thought that she was in decent health? I knew that she had Lupus, but I had no idea that she was terminally ill.
I just cannot believe it.
Not only was she one of nicest and most forgiving of persons, but she had the sharpest wit in here.
The place won't be the same without her.
39. wabbit - 6/20/2002 5:30:09 PM
Oh my god. I haven't seen Maria since the weekend of the NYC Frayunion several years ago and I'm grateful to have known her for a tiny part of the too brief time she had. She was in good spirits and was fine company, only a little disappointed that a waitress at a Cuban restaurant didn't speak Spanish and excited about Richard Gere having smiled at her earlier in the day. As if anyone could help smiling at her, Maria had such a great smile. She and Ed were quite a couple, there was never a dull moment with those two around. We talked about her lupus, how in some ways it's a blessing to know you don't have time to waste and she squeezed everything she could out of her time. She was smart, funny, sharp as a tack, and very brave, one of a kind who will be missed by so many.
40. stostosto - 6/20/2002 5:30:53 PM
I am shocked. I would never have imagined maria to be ill. She was such an elegant and sexy poster in an exquisite ladylike way.
41. Absensia - 6/20/2002 5:34:56 PM
I didn't know Maria well but she was so bright, feisty, gentle, funny, and would thwack someone with whom she disagreed if it was for good reason! How could one not love someone like that? I have benefitted from her recommendations of books to read, as well as discovering her treasures, posted all over the Mote. I see her arguing with St. Peter...not about whether SHE should be there, rather whether his attitude is proper and does he need to do a little reading! Then I see her taking her rightful place, wings already in place, having earned them here, resting only a short while, making sure her books, et al, are in place, then rushing out to meet people, play some sly jokes, and generally have a wonderful time. Never once did the twinkle in her eye ever go out.
I feel sad for her family. I know their grief must be great. I remember Maria talking with such love about her Eddie and always being so happy when she found "the perfect gift" for him. I always wondered how he liked those satin boxers!
When my first husband died at 27, the priest, at his funeral said, "this is a sad time, but we this deal will not be in vain, if we love those around us a little more, are a little more gentle to those around us, and remember that life is uncertain and we are all mortal."
42. CalGal - 6/20/2002 5:43:20 PM
43. bubbaette - 6/20/2002 6:35:21 PM
I sent her and Eddie a "heat pack" in December and was a bit obsessive about bubble-wrapping the jars since Glendajean's mail pickles arrived in shards. She sent me back a package of books -- each one carefully wraped in two layers of bubble-wrap!
I'm going to miss running across her on the Mote and TT and the way she cut to the chase in any dispute by finding and linking the facts from reliable sources.
44. RickNelson - 6/20/2002 6:35:53 PM
Sorrow today! Maria taught me so much! She shared her patience with me, how grateful I am to her. I grieve with all for her passing.
45. jexster - 6/20/2002 6:39:51 PM
In paradisum deducante angeli....and with Lazarus who once was poor, may she find rest everlasting
46. Jenerator - 6/20/2002 6:41:02 PM
Thanks for the obituary CalGal.
I called Marshame with the news and she is in shock.
47. judithathome - 6/20/2002 6:43:34 PM
I hope wherever she's gone, they have an OED.
48. bubbaette - 6/20/2002 7:04:43 PM
I feel certain that Maria's heaven will have an endless library.
49. jexster - 6/20/2002 7:37:29 PM
Maria would appreciate
Russian Orthodox Kontakion for the Dead [midi]
Lyrics
50. uzmakk - 6/20/2002 7:53:06 PM
!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
51. NuPlanetOne - 6/20/2002 8:41:36 PM
/
Ariel
The screens have gone black
I didn’t know you were real
Here, where I plug into this
world of photons with its faceless
Souls. Where blind I try to
imagine what type of face the
words belong to, how I have become
good at it. The beauty and charm
that hides within, if it is sincere
as it was in you, bewitches
I could see through, no, would not
look very deeply within some others
I hide too, but you unmasked me, gently
with two turns of a phrase and I
knew at once, developed a crush
and reached through the void
and said hello in real time because
you have the mind I have always
sought. No, I do not know if this
affects the real world, the one
I live in. But this other one, that I
wander in and out of, the one I
know as words from faces I imagine
Here, the very medium this moment
is blank and all the screens that lit
us up with your presence, are black
and miss terribly, your participation
Which we took for granted, how
in memoriam, we need to tell you.
52. christipeters - 6/20/2002 10:15:24 PM
I am very sorry to read this news. Though I never met her irl, I have always enjoyed reading Maria's posts. I will miss her very much.
Thank you for posting the obit Cal.
53. Erinys - 6/20/2002 10:24:00 PM
She did recommend some good books, didn't she, Irving Snodgrass?
I will so miss her stories of her extended family, her parables, her anecdotes, her recollections.
54. JJBiener - 6/21/2002 2:03:28 AM
It seems like I have known Maria for a very long time. When I first ventured out of the political threads on the Fray and into the Social thread, Maria was one of the first people I got to know. It seems inconceivable to me that she is gone.
I first heard about her death a few hours ago. I have been struggling to think of something appropriate to say. I could repeat the sentiments that have already been expressed, but there wouldn't be much point in that.
I keep thinking about opportunities missed. We take the people in our lives for granted, and it is only once they are gone that we think about the time we could have spent with them. We always believe that we can put things off until tomorrow until one day we find out tomorrow isn't coming.
I always figured I would meet Maria one day. The right opportunity would present itself, and she and I would swap Mote stories over lunch. That opportunity never presented itself.
Now I am forced into reflection by Maria's death. I am troubled by questions. How do I learn from this? How do make the most of the opportunities I have? How do I manage to keep my life from getting in the way of my life?
Unfortunately, I don't have any answers. I am just going to try to let the people in my life know how much I appreciate them. I am going to try to spend time with those I care for. And I am going to try to keep the things that are important in perspective.
Maria packed a lot of life into her short time on Earth. She lived her life to the fullest despite the challenges her illness threw in her path. That is a pretty good example to follow. I hope we all can do as well.
55. RustlerPike - 6/21/2002 2:17:27 AM
Sickening news.
56. Adrianne - 6/21/2002 9:23:29 AM
Hello, all.
Maria mentioned, over and over through the years, that if she came into a lot of money she would like to fund a scholarship for women who wanted to study philosphy.
This was brought up on TT as a tribute in lieu of a lupus fund, and I think it's a brilliant idea. Any interest here?
57. thoughtful - 6/21/2002 9:23:41 AM
Ah Maria, I will always remember your smile. Don't know why, but there are a few special people on earth that, when they smile, it's as if a spotlight has just been shined on their face, the smile so bright and warm and lovely. Perhaps it comes from the depths of their soul, the light that shines through when the veil of a solemn face falls open into that broad, contagious smile.
Maria, I will always remember your smile.
58. magoseph - 6/21/2002 9:40:29 AM
Someone should tell JJ, he was so very fond of her. A long time ago, she asked for my email address through him.
59. alistairConnor - 6/21/2002 9:54:09 AM
MGleason.
MariaG.
ArieltheSprite.
Maria.
I'm moved by your absence. Our meetings were few but intense, intellectual complicity, forbearance without condescension, tenderness. I looked forward to meeting you for real. I'll think about you, on our birthday. Every year.
I'm sorry for Ed.
60. don s. - 6/21/2002 10:04:49 AM
there are few people I was as fond of
so long, maria
61. pseudoerasmus - 6/21/2002 10:12:59 AM
One thing Maria wanted to do was see Cuba again, her place of birth from which she was exiled. Does anyone know whether she had gotten her wish ?
62. arkymalarky - 6/21/2002 1:09:22 PM
I don't think she had, PE, but I don't know. I'm sure Irv knows.
Hey Adrianne. Is there a place where the fund is being set up and the details that you could post here?
We can put a link in the sidebar, and I noticed the obituary Cal linked has the address of the Lupus fund if anyone wants to send anything there as individuals or a group.
63. Fielding - 6/21/2002 1:46:32 PM
I'm sorry.
64. Adrianne - 6/21/2002 1:57:05 PM
arky,
I don't know yet, we're looking for someone who knows how to do that sort of thing. I'll keep ya'll posted, though.
65. arkymalarky - 6/21/2002 1:59:52 PM
Thanks, Ad.
What a network of friends Maria had. I can imagine just the same thing going on in her rl community.
66. arkymalarky - 6/21/2002 2:00:41 PM
Fielding,
It's good to see your id here, and so sad it's under such circumstances.
67. Absensia - 6/21/2002 2:44:59 PM
Was just thinking how great it would be if ppl would link to their fav Maria posts, whether they be recipes, silliness, literaure, poems, arguments pro or con, bon mots, etc. I would be wonderful, as a reminder to us and a way to show new folks what we've been talking about.
68. Stephanie D. - 6/21/2002 7:06:49 PM
I haven't posted on the Mote in a while. It's been good to read your posts about Maria and realize how many people's lives she touched--I know her from Table Talk. If you go to Table Talk/Mothers Who Think, there's a memoriam thread for Maria that has many excerpts from her wonderful posts. I believe you can still read there for free.
For Maria
When you were five,
Florida ahead, Cuba behind
the bucking sea slapped your face
with salt, rough as a midwife’s
crack on the ass.
I see you blinking away the sting,
turning clear-eyed to your new world.
Strange new world, where strangers
stare into boxes, tap out messages.
This is called surfing, this is called the Net.
That net caught your words for us,
vivid and delightful as tropical fish:
Snowflake, the world's surliest pony
Revenge is not only a dish best served cold, but awfully tasty as a left-over
I am recklessly in favor of condiments
I am a strong believer in not putting up with things that don't work.
Oh Maria, did you have to get pulled so down, so dark, so soon?
Maybe to you it was an anchoring.
I can believe you capable of any depths.
69. Jenerator - 6/21/2002 7:35:51 PM
70. Absensia - 6/21/2002 10:07:39 PM
Stephanie,
Thanks...just spent a couple of hours at TT reading all the Maria posts.
71. judithathome - 6/21/2002 10:16:23 PM
Jen, what a perfect post...I know Maria is smiling.
72. iiibbb - 6/21/2002 11:43:36 PM
My condolences...
73. PincherMartin - 6/22/2002 3:41:48 PM
Although I never had the pleasure of meeting Maria Gleason, as many of you did, I'm sad to hear that someone of her talents is gone. She was a beautiful writer with a sharp wit. In addition, she was as well-read as just about anyone I've ever come across. That she would die at such a young age must be especially heartbreaking for her family and friends.
74. Rivendell - 6/22/2002 3:41:53 PM
What terribly sad news. Maria Gleason was one of those personalities who came through in this medium so clearly. One did not even have to have much interaction with her to get a good idea of her wit and intelligence. She will be sorely missed.
I had been told some time in the past that the Lupus would likely claim her early. I can't imagine it is any consolation to Ed to have had this advance knowledge.
Blessed rest Maria. The name Ariel you took to yourself and the Arwen you were given were not overstatements.
75. Property of Jesus - 6/22/2002 10:45:55 PM
Bad news. I'm sorry to read it.
76. RustlerPike - 6/23/2002 5:06:57 AM
Anyone have a nice picture of maria they can post?
77. arkymalarky - 6/23/2002 12:22:06 PM
Irv posted one in RI that was very good.
78. Shannon - 6/23/2002 4:07:57 PM
Carene Lydia from TT posted these
The first page is wedding pics. Page 2 had one of her with her dog that I really like.
79. RustlerPike - 6/23/2002 4:29:06 PM
Actually the one in RI wasn't that good, I thought, and it was over-enlarged as I recall. There was a nice one of her under a tree that I spoke about with her a while ago. Who knows where that is.
80. Adrianne - 6/25/2002 9:09:40 AM
Can someone confirm that Maria's alma matre is College of Mount St. Vincent? We have a lawyer and an academic admin signed on to set up the scholarship in Maria's name, but I want to confirm before we contact the foundation.
Obviously, I don't want to bother Ed until I have more details and etc.
Thanks
81. CalGal - 6/25/2002 10:36:51 AM
Ad,
Maria's obituary gives it as "College of Mount St. Vincent, Riverdale, N.Y."
82. Jenerator - 6/25/2002 1:44:14 PM
Rustler,
Is this the one you're thinking of? It's the only one of Maria I had seen until now. It's from the above link provided by Shannon: 
83. Jenerator - 6/25/2002 1:45:14 PM
What's rather ironic and sad to me, is that the last time I spoke with Maria was in the Health thread, about the skin form of Lupus.
84. RustlerPike - 6/25/2002 5:21:52 PM
Jen:
That's not the pic, but it's a real nice one.
Did you know she had lupus?
Lupus - what a terrible name. Doesn't it mean 'wolf'?
85. anomieme - 6/25/2002 9:25:17 PM
What sad news to come back to. Maria was one of the first people to respond to my comments about faith and religion years ago. Her compassionate and sensible replies completely disarmed me from challenging anything she said. She always seemed to bring a certain wisdom and compassion to any discussion. I always admired her. Our loss.
86. CharlieL - 6/26/2002 10:18:05 AM
"Lupus - what a terrible name. Doesn't it mean 'wolf'?"
Yes, it means "wolf." It gets its name from a rash that often forms on the face that is said to resemble a wolf's mask.
87. seadate - 6/26/2002 6:27:15 PM
Thanks for letting me know, Judith :(
88. transient1a - 6/27/2002 10:51:09 AM
Message # 82
A poignant allegorical photograph.
Maria and Lupus: Life embracing death.
89. marjoribanks - 6/27/2002 11:01:05 AM
Transient has said what was on my lips ever since I saw the photo.
--
I have been flipping through Neruda's Extravagaria. This is the book of poems, in translation, that the Sprite last recommended to me.
Perhaps it is my imagination, but many of the poems are about death and legacy and so on. They were written during a particular time in Neruda's life.
Anyway:
Now we will count to twelve
and we will all keep still.
For once on the face of this earth,
let's not speak in any language;
let's stop for one second,
and not move our arms so much.
It would be an exotic momemt
without rush without engines;
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness
---
What I want should not be confused
with total inactivity.
Life is what is about;
I want no truck with death.
90. msivorytower - 6/27/2002 6:05:34 PM
I haven't wanted to say much in this thread, I initially posted my condolences over in RI. But I've been thinking about Maria ever since I heard the news, and the impression she made on me over the years I knew her.
I think the thing that stands out most was her powerful intellect, passionate love of poetry and of books. We were sympatico from the moment we met on the Fray and I aspired to the clarity of her mind.
It's funny that although I haven't been very active here at the Mote for a few years, I was very happy she came back to participate in the Mote and took comfort in knowing I could discuss topics with her when I would occasionally drop in. That luxury is no longer possible, and I sorely feel her absence.
I will miss her, miss sharing the coming adventures in my new career with her (she had always wanted to study law, but circumstances lead her elsewhere), and miss her sparkling wit.
91. engramis - 6/27/2002 10:05:21 PM
Ariel the Sprite.
I remember thinking back then (and somewhat alliteratively), perfect pseud for the pixyish persona perceived behind her keyboard. How little I knew about her, come to realize, after reading your posted remembrances.
No, I didn't really "know" Ariel the Sprite, didn't know her real name or all the other things about Fraysters which I've missed over the years.
But my sincere thanks to those in this thread for bringing Maria Gleason to life.
Thanks also to Moties(?) for your memorial to Hashke, discovered via Google after noticing his absence. I no longer post or even lurk anywhere with any regularity, but the Fray held and holds a special place in my online history brief as it was.
I see & recall some familiar names and wish you all the best.
Ciao. Dilated.
92. phillipdavid - 6/28/2002 11:03:26 AM
Goodbye, Maria.
Thank you for enriching my life with all the wonderful poetry you posted -- your own, and those from poets of long ago that I may never have been introduced to otherwise.
Thank you for your friendship during those early days on The Fray...I needed a connection then to a larger world, a richer world, to vibrant conversation, to intersting and good people. You were one of those that connected me to what I needed then.
God Bless you, Maria.
93. phillipdavid - 6/28/2002 11:05:23 AM
One of my favorite poems by Maria isn't listed in the yellow-bar link above:
Getting to NO
Really, I said
Completely out
Of the ether -
Waking myself
From the pleasant
Daydream of a
Terminally
Disengaged Soul.
Really, I think
I disagree
With all you have
Said, including
That to which I
Did not listen.
You have no style,
No distinction,
Just the ease of
Repetition.
And I crave for
More than you give.
It's so simple.
94. PelleNilsson - 6/28/2002 11:09:53 AM
Hi phillip. Nice to see you. Sad that it took a wake to bring you back here.
95. HollyW - 6/28/2002 11:22:01 PM
Oh, no. I'm just seeing this thread.
Maria's posts were just pearls. She was somebody who glowed. She was the real thing. That is so rare.
I feel very sad.
My deep, deep sympathies to all the Fray-TT-Mote people here who knew her longer and better than I did.
96. Andonly - 6/29/2002 2:12:30 PM
I can't express the shape of a loss my complacent expectation falls through like a hole in the world.
I expected Maria Gleason would be around again eventually, and she won't be. I expected continued access to her sharp, comically brilliant mind, but I won't have it. I expected to be impressed with her remarks to come, but there will be none.
Deaths tear up the world, but in time the holes get mended. Perhaps some of the stitches round the one Maria's passing has left can be found in the archives of this and other internet fora, where as much of her as I ever knew, ever respected, is preserved in ether.
97. ElliottRW - 6/30/2002 5:48:33 PM
Maria was not nice to me.
Indeed, she was cruel to me, pointing out without mercy my own inadequacy.
But today, I am the stronger for it, wiser for it, happier for it. In retrospect, she did me a huge favor.
At first, I thought this ironic, that her (obvious) intent to harm me, to hurt me, to humiliate me instead helped me. Now, after reading this thread, I am not so sure; perhaps Maria had my best interests at heart all along.
Either way, Maria, thank you.
98. Pebbles - 7/1/2002 7:59:43 AM
Adrianne, we have some information about the possible scholarship fund at TT. If you want to take the lead on it, let us know!
99. Pebbles - 7/1/2002 8:12:51 AM
Sorry for the serial posting...
That is, since I have some small experience with these kinds of funds and have the time at the moment, I went ahead and found out what the possibilities are with the College of Mount St. Vincent. They have the structure in place to set up and administer a memorial fund, that we could send donations to. I'd be happy to pass the information on to you, Adrianne.
100. Pebbles - 7/1/2002 9:00:35 AM
Sorry for the serial posting...
That is, since I have some small experience with these kinds of funds and have the time at the moment, I went ahead and found out what the possibilities are with the College of Mount St. Vincent. They have the structure in place to set up and administer a memorial fund, that we could send donations to. I'd be happy to pass the information on to you, Adrianne.
101. vw - 7/1/2002 9:02:06 AM
Adrianne's husband went into the hospital this weekend. I don't have any further details but she may not be stopping by to read the above Pebbles.
102. Pebbles - 7/1/2002 3:16:22 PM
oh dear. I hope he's okay.
103. vonKreedon - 7/2/2002 2:53:09 PM
Man, I hate it when people die. I wish they'd stop it.
In the Fray I remember thinking of Maria as Arial the Spite. I can't remember exactly why, but I think that I perceived her to tend to bite for the sake of biting. And her bite was pretty sharp.
104. vonKreedon - 7/2/2002 2:54:01 PM
Ooops, misspelled Ariel as if a font rather than a sprite.
105. patsy rolph - 7/2/2002 7:55:05 PM
My strongest grateful memory is from the fray. I had insomnia and Maria would make me virtual hot chcolate, She even skimmend the top. . The many memories posted here have been a bit of a comfort Thank you all.
106. jexster - 7/5/2002 3:17:54 PM
107. jexster - 7/5/2002 3:21:22 PM
Hodie si vocem eius audieritis, nolite obdurare corda vestra, sicut in exacerbatione secundum diem tentationis in deserto: ubi tentaverunt me patres vestri: probaverunt, et viderunt opera mea.
Today if ye shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation according to the day of temptation in the wilderness: where your fathers tempted me: proved, and saw my works.
108. jexster - 7/5/2002 3:40:16 PM
Ant: Sub tuum praesidium confugimus virgo Dei genitrix nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus nostris: sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper virgo benedicta.
V: In omni tribulatione et angustia nostra.
R: Succurrat nobis beatissima virgo Maria.
Ant: Under thy guardianship we take refuge, O virgin Mother of God; do not disdain our prayers in our needs but from all perils liberate us, O blessed ever virgin.
V: In all our tribulation and distress.
R: Succor us, Most Blessed Virgin Mary.
109. PelleNilsson - 7/5/2002 4:44:30 PM
Are we witnessing the birth of a mgleason cult?
110. theDiva - 7/5/2002 5:00:11 PM
Eternal rest grant unto her, Oh Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon her
May her soul and all the souls in Purgatory
through the mercy of God
rest in peace.
Amen.
==========
Oh, Maria. I miss you so much.
111. RustlerPike - 7/5/2002 11:18:52 PM
Maria shouldn't have died.
112. Cellar Door - 7/6/2002 7:48:57 PM
One of the most frustrating things about ebing out of The Mote for the past couple of weeks (due to technical difficulties) was not being able to say anything about Maria Gleason.
Yes, I hate it when people die. But I've grown sadly used to it, I'm afraid. Sometimes I think all the best people are dead.
And I'm not just being flip.
113. Cellar Door - 7/7/2002 1:14:46 AM
One of the oddest things happened recently when I saw the documentary on The Cockettes (which is quite spectacularly wonderful and no one should miss it) There was a piece of footage from New York in 1971 where they were appearing at some gathering or other and there -- quite clearly -- was my old Gay Activists Alliance compadre Morty Manford. Now Morty died in 1992, and the last time I saw him was before I left New York for Los Angeles in 1976. Yet my very first thought on seeing this footage was -- to give him a call.
Utterly irrational at the obvious level. Yet the brief sight of him on film brought back who he was and what he meant to me with a vividness I can't account for. And Morty isn't among those dear departed I think about that often.
But maybe now I will.
114. RustlerPike - 7/7/2002 2:20:46 AM
Cellar:
Maybe you can leave him a message?
115. Cellar Door - 7/7/2002 10:12:30 AM
I think not.
116. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 7/7/2002 11:54:54 AM
CD- Did you know a guy in The Gay Men's Chorus who lived in The Viillage and worked for ABC who's name was Bob Levine?
117. PelleNilsson - 7/7/2002 12:28:05 PM
This is not a chat thread.
118. Cellar Door - 7/7/2002 12:35:10 PM
Sounds familiar. I'm sure I did.
119. theDiva - 7/7/2002 1:25:13 PM
The prayer in 110 should have read
Eternal rest grant unto her, Oh Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon her
May her soul and all the souls of the faithful departed
through the mercy of God
rest in peace.
Amen.
++++
How odd, and yet how fitting, to miss so much someone with whom I never exchanged a RL word. What struck me most about Maria was her strong Catholicism. She was devout and passionate without being sanctimonious, a very powerful (to me) combination; she was able to articulate so well those yearnings and beliefs that many Latin Catholic women feel and hold dear. I admired her so much for that. I imagine her to be at Jesus' side, finally getting answers to those questions which we mere mortals continually ask. He is laughing uproariously at her wonderful, wry sense of humor.
She was a wonder and a blessing.
120. JJBiener - 7/7/2002 1:42:43 PM
Diva - I had a near-death experience several years ago. I can tell you with a high level of confidence that Maria has her answers. I can also tell you that while she has some lingering sadness about leaving this world, she is happy to be home.
121. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 7/7/2002 2:26:36 PM
Sorry!
122. Jonesatlaw - 7/16/2002 12:27:16 PM
I haven't been around in some time, and stopped by to see what was up. I was shocked and saddened to hear about Maria's death.
She was a truly kind and wonderful person. She offered me help when my father had a stroke, and it was much appreciated. Her support on line meant a great deal to me. She took the time to write me emails with solid advice, and patient understanding and support. "By their fruits ye shall know them.." has been frequently quoted in the religion thread here.
Maria bore fine fruit, and its sweetness will be missed.
123. RustlerPike - 7/21/2002 5:48:15 AM
Ave Maria.
What does 'ave' mean, btw?
124. RustlerPike - 7/21/2002 6:09:01 AM
Oh. 'Hail'. Stupid me.
125. RustlerPike - 7/21/2002 6:11:45 AM
Maria underwent some kind of transformation over the years. She was haughty and arrogant and silly when I first met her here, but in the last two years we became good friends.
She was able to make peace, and bury the hatchet. That's rare in people, especially in women, I find.
She was very brave, and I loved her stories about her uncle. Is he still alive? If so, he must be inconsolable.
126. RustlerPike - 7/21/2002 6:13:23 AM
I know if I had a terminal illness I'd make sure everone knew about it and milk all the sympathy I could from everyone.
She just said she had some rl matters that were keeping her away from the Mote. God, that's courage. That's belief. I can never be like that.
127. sakonige - 7/21/2002 9:39:25 AM
She was probably ashamed of her illness. She probably saw her failing health as a sign of weakness and blamed herself for it.
128. JJBiener - 7/21/2002 10:58:28 PM
Sakonige - You couldn't be more wrong about Maria. I knew her quite well over the years. She was never ashamed of her illness. She discussed it openly on the Mote and was a wonderful source of information on the subject.
She never saw herself as weak or saw her illness as weakness. She accepted it with a grace and dignity that was truly remarkable. I never saw her display the slightest bit of self-pity, and she certainly had every reason to.
She never blamed herself for her illness. She was an intelligent woman who understood her disease and wasted no time moaning and complaining. She knew she had a limited amount of time on this Earth and she made the most of it.
This thread is for the people who knew and loved Maria, and I think it is completely inappropriate for you post your baseless speculation here. I think you owe Maria, her husband and everyone here an apology.
129. rubberducky - 7/22/2002 8:23:57 AM
God, that's courage.
yes, too true. she had that in spades.
130. RustlerPike - 7/22/2002 8:36:34 AM
JJ:
Don't waste your breath fighting with sako on this thread, I say. I don't think maria would really care what silly speculations sako made.
I see this thread as a wake in a large, marble floored church. People talking quietly is OK, even joking and idle banter is fine. But shouting and fighting, that's out. It echoes too loudly.
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