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Immortal in my Book
I was deeply honored that Bill and Varese came up to Portland for my wedding last year on July 30th, 2005, exactly one year prior to Bill’s fateful run in the San Francisco Marathon. Although we kept in touch and saw each other sporadically over the years (he visited me a few times in Germany,…
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Once a Runner
Our first few interactions did not go so well. Bill was a dashing young Wired recruit quickly working his way up to copy chief. He was confident and already knew his way around the office. He’d arrive each morning with a little fanfare, shaking hands and imparting jokes to editors along the row. He often…
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If I wait here at the cafe long enough he’s bound to show up again.
Bill was amazing, funny and whip smart. And ubiquitous. For years I’d run into Bill at the oddest hours in the most random places. Not simply parties thrown by shared aquantainces (although there were plenty of those), but also bus stops, cafes, post offices, crosswalks…it got to the point where we’d see each other and…
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Remembering Bill
Bill at the wedding of Brad Wieners and Mary Ashley, Maine, October 2002. — Todd Lappin
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Of Hamster Mills, the Gogginator, and Proper Goodbyes
My friendship with Bill had a headquarters: Club One Yerba Buena. It was the only place we could run together. I’d lumber along on what he called “the hamster mill” for a mile or two. He’d start out with a long, upright gait, chatting about local politics or movies or work or baseball while settling…
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Sorry I didn’t get the jokes
A lot of talented people passed through Wired heading in wildly different directions. Bill stayed put. I remember patting Bill on the shoulder once and nearly hurting my hand. The guy was rock solid, both physically, judging from his shoulder, and most certainly as a presence in the Wired office. He also had a bull-headed…
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Bill the Scribner
The first time I remember Bill as Bill (as opposed to simply having seen the cute guy with great posture around Wired) was at a seminar Louis had convened for Wired Ones to glean the wisdom of a futurist. The prognosticator spun out some long-boom fruitopian scenario, explaining how all the jobs we think of…
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Running into Mailboxes
Those in New York City who adored Bill but like myself are unable to make it to Mill Valley for his memorial service Friday are welcome to join me in Central Park at 2 pm for a run of 2.2 or so miles — the distance Bill had left to complete the SF marathon Sunday.…
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Running @ the mouth
Hello friends of Bill, This site was originally the idea of Michael Grossman, a longtime friend and colleague of Bill’s, who suggested that Bill’s wide circle of friends might want a place to reflect on his life. Josh and I put it together, with the advice of Paul Donald and Jessie Scanlon, in the hopes…
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Billspeak
Just some little Billspeak tidbits that make me smile: Rattle my cage = give me a call sometime Wired = Chronicle of FuturephiliaWired = Why-read magazine dogger = ?(he called me dogger a lot) I loved the way he’d condense a 5 paragraph email to something like this: At 3:21 PM 8/13/04, Joshua Davis wrote:…