Ed Solomon (Texas)

Gene Poinc was an enigma wrapped in a mystery. A weird man by his own definition but a scholar and a gentleman any way you looked at him. Gene hated hypocrisy. He quested for brevity in his writing and  everyone else's. We were friends and fellow curmudgeons. We laughed and cried over things we wrote. He would make suggestions and then apologize for making them. "Leave it alone" he would  tell me, "If they don't like it to hell with them."

Gene would confess that he wept openly over some of my stories and then threatened to kick my butt if I stopped sending him jokes. Often he would write, "PLEAZZZZZZZZZE don't be mad at me for poking fun at your story on the digest." "I just see things in a goofy way sometimes." Gene took a great liking to  the DeNomolos characterization and scolded me when I would speak ill of the crafty old fool. He delighted in sending E-mail to DeNomolos telling him to keep an eye on me as I was bad mouthing him in public. DeNomolos got letters from the twins as well as the Valentines in crayon.  "Goofy seeks it's own level", he told me once and DeNomolos agreed wholeheartedly.

Gene had a wonderful sense of humor and such a creative mind. I know he corresponded with many people once he got the computer up and running. It became his contact with the outside world and those of us with whom he shared became his brothers, sisters and his friends. Many of his posts to me would be in the middle of the night. He kept strange hours and confided to me that when he did go to bed his mind would keep racing and he didn't sleep well.

When asked to describe my relationship with Gene I would simply state that he was a man of many gifts and talents who was willing to share everything from Chocolate Chip Cookies (with out nuts) to his gift of writing and his wisdom of human nature. He was truly a National Legend but more than that he was our friend and brother. I miss you Gene, come back soon.

In the Craft,
Ed Solomon.