writings of a walking contradiction

I am crushed. I've been crying and I know I'm not going to be able to stop for a while.

This evening, I learned of the death of one of my childhood heroes and one of the sources of my inspiration and decision to go to college to study Creative Writing.

On  the fifth of February, author Brian Jacques died of a heart attack after going to hospital for an emergency heart surgery.  He was a great man who wrote the Redwall series of books that brought so much joy to my life at a time when I had little that made me happy. I have anxiously awaited a new novel every year since first discovering the Redwall books 13 years ago. While I will greatly mourn the absence of future books, I am profoundly grateful for the books that he has left us.

He will live forever in our memories through his wonderful books of tiny and valiant creatures fighting against the sources of evil and darkness in the world. The world has suffered a great loss through the death of this grand Teller of Tales and Weaver of Dreams.

May his soul be at peace in his Dark Forest and may he be surrounded by the badgers, otters, hares, mice, squirrels, and moles that he created and so loved and allowed us to love. May he know the great joy and happiness he gave to my childhood and teenage years.