Patience and Fortitude：Wherein a Colorful Cast of Determined Book Collectors, Dealers, and Librarians Go About the Quixotic Task of Preserving a Legacy

NeilGaimanNovelistNeilGaimanhassentaBritishbusinessmantumblingintoafantasticunderworldandhadadevilandangelcomicallyconspiringtothwarttheApocalypse.Hefoundhisbiggestsuccess,though,inDeath,DreamsandDestruction--andthefourothersimilarlynamedsiblingswhocontrolledthereinsofthehumanrace'semotionalimpulsesinhisgraphic-novelseriesTheSandman,awholesalerejuvenationofgraphicfictionthathadeveryonefromToriAmostoNormanMailerspinningwith,yes,Delirium.BiographyNeilGaimanthoughthewrotecomicbooks.Butanewspapereditor,ofcourse,sethimstraight.Backwhenhewasridingthediabolicalheadwindsofhispopularseriesofgraphicnovels,TheSandman,theauthorattendedapartywhereheintroducedhimselfasacomic-bookwritertoanewspaper'sliteraryeditor.Butwhentheeditorquicklyrealizedwhothisactuallywas--andtheglazemeltedfromhiseyes--heofferedGaimanacorrectiontingedwithastonishment:"MyGod,man,youdon'twritecomics,youwritegraphicnovels."RelatingthestorytotheLosAngelesTimesin1995,Gaimansaid,"Isuddenlyfeltlikesomeonewhohadbeeninformedthatshewasn'tahooker,thatinfactshewasaladyoftheevening."Gaiman'sdonemuchmore,ofcourse,thansimplywritegraphicnovels,havingcoauthored,withTerryPratchett,GoodOmens,acomicnovelabouttheApocalypse;adaptedintohardcovertheBBCminiseriesNeverwhereaboutthedarkunderworldbeneaththestreetsofLondon;and,inspiredbyhisyoungdaughter,putahorrifyingspinonC.S.Lewis'wardrobedoorsforCoraline,achildren'sbookaboutapassagewayintoamagical,yetmalevolent,land.ButitisTheSandmanthatisGaiman'smagnumopus.Thoughhehadtoldacareercounselorinhighschoolthathewantedtopencomicbooks,hehadacareerasafreelancejournalistbeforehisfirstgraphicnovel,ViolentCases,waspublishedinEnglandin1987.DCComicsdiscoveredhimandTheSandmanwasborn.Orreborn,actually.Thecomicdebutedbackin1939witharegular-Joecrimefighterinthelead.ButinGaiman'shandsthetalehadamoreotherworldlyspin,slowingintroducingreaderstothesevensiblingsEndless:Dream,Death,Desire,Destiny,Destruction,DespairandDelirium(onceDelight).Theyallhavetheirrolesinshapingthefatesofman.Infact,whenDeathwasimprisonedfordecades,theresultsweredevastating.RichardNixonreachedTheWhiteHouseandMichaelJacksontheBillboardcharts.Directionfromnewspapereditorsnotwithstanding,toGaiman,thesestoriesarestillcomicbooks.ThemanwhoshuttledbackandforthbetweencomicsandclassicsinhisformativeyearsandcanpepperhiswritingwithreferencestoNorsemythologyaswellasthevaudevillianrockgroupQueen,nevercottonedtosuchhighbrow/lowbrowdistinctions.ComparingnotesonayachtingexcursionwithmembersoftheIrishrockbandU2,thewriterwholookslikearockstarandDeliriumandtherockstarswhogavethemselvescomic-worthynamessuchasBonoandTheEdgecametoarealization:Whetherthemediumispopmusicorcomicbooks,notbeingtakenseriouslycanbeaplus."It'ssafertobeinthegutter,"hetoldTheWashingtonPostin1995.In1995,GaimanbroughtTheSandmantoacloseandbeganspendingmoretimeonhisnongraphicfiction,includingacoupleofshort-storycollections.AfewyearslaterhereleasedStardust,anadultfairytalethathasyoungTristanThornsearchingforafallenstartowoothelovelybutcoldVictoriaForester.In2001,heplacedanex-connamedShadowinthemiddleofawarbetweentheancientandmoderndietiesinAmericanGods.CominginOctober2002isanotherdeparture:anaudiorecordingofTwoPlaysforVoices,whichstarsBebeNeuwirthasawisequeendoingbattlewithabloodthirstychildandBrianDennehyastheAngelofVengeanceinvestigatingthefirstcrimeinhistoryinheaven'sCityofAngels.Gaimanneednotworryaboutdefininghisartisticrelevance,sincesomanyotherseemtodoitforhim.StephenKing,RogerZelaznyandHarlanEllisonareamongthosewhohavecontributedintroductionstohisworks.WilliamGibson,themanwhocoinedtheterm"cyberspace,"calledhima"awriterofrareperceptionandendlessimagination"aswellas"anAmericantreasure."(Eventhoughhe's,technically,aBritishtreasuretransplantedtotheAmericanMidwest.)EvenNormanMailerhasweighedin:"Alongwithallelse,Sandmanisacomicstripforintellectuals,andIsayit'sabouttime."Thegushiestpraise,however,maycomefromFrankMcConnell,whobarelycontainedhimselfinthepagesofthepoliticalandartisticjournalCommonweal.SayingGaiman"mayjustbethemostgiftedandimportantstorytellerinEnglish,"McConnellcrownedSandmanasthemostimportantactoffictionoftheday."Andthat,notjustbecauseofthebrillianceandintricacyofitsstorytelling--andIknowfewstories,outsidethebestofJoyce,Faulkner,andPynchon,thataremoreintricate,"hewroteinOctober1995,"butalsobecauseittellsitswonderfulandhumanizingtaleinamedium,comicbooks,stilllargelyconsidereddemimondebythetenuredzombiesoftheacademicestablishment.""IfSandmanisa'comic,'"heconcluded,"thenTheMagicFluteisa'musical'andAMidsummerNight'sDreamisaskit.Readthedamnthing:it'simportant."GoodToKnowSomefascinatingfactoidsfromourinterviewwithGaiman:"OneofthemostenjoyablebitsofwritingSandmanwasgettingauthorswhoseworkIlovetowritetheintroductionsforthecollectedgraphicnovels--peoplelikeSteveErickson,GeneWolfe,HarlanEllison,CliveBarker,PeterStraub,MikalGilmore,andSamuelR.Delany.""IhaveabigoldAddamsFamilyhouse,with--inthesummertime--avegetablegarden,andIlovegrowingexoticpumpkins.AsaboyinEnglandIusedtodreamaboutRayBradburyHallowe'ens,andamthrilledthatIgetthemthesedays.UnlessI'montheroadsigningpeople'sbooks,ofcourse.""Accordingtomydaughters,mymostirritatinghabitisaskingforcupsoftea.""Iloveradio--andlovetheavailabilityofthingsliketheJackBennyradioshowsinMP3format.I'maddictedtoBBCradio7,andkeepbuyingboxedCDsetsofoldUKradioprograms,thingslikeRoundtheHorneandHancock'sHalfHour.EverynowandagainI'llwritearadioplay.""Ilovethunderstorms,oldhouses,anddreams."Hometown:Minneapolis,MinnesotaDateofBirth:十一月10,1960PlaceofBirth:Portchester,EnglandEducation:AttendedArdinglyCollegeJuniorSchool,1970-74,andWhitgiftSchool,1974-77Website:http://www.neilgaiman.com