RIP James Kilbourne

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

RIP James Kilbourne

With a great deal of sadness, I just read the following on a Facebook post by a person named Stoney Stone. This was posted on James's own Facebook wall.

RIP James Gregory Kilbourne. News from Jean today that Jim passed away on Wednesday evening...a heart attack. Jim was a major influence on many of my friends and me in our younger years. He made me think. His spirit will live on in our hearts. — with James Gregory Kilbourne.

For those who don't know anything about James, he was one of Barbara Branden's closest friends.

... James Kilbourne, whom I met eleven years ago on a moonlit terrace in Athens, Greece. A boyfriend once told me a fable that I loved, and I had him tell it again and again. The story was that my friends and I had been born and had lived on Rigel, where we had played, carefree and happy, among the stars. One day, God decided that it was time for us to go to Earth and learn its mysteries. He picked us up in His hands and scattered us over the earth – and from then on, each of us searched always for our lost playmates. In James, I knew almost at once that I had found my playmate from the stars.

He also wrote an article on the old SoloHQ that caused a holy turmoil in online O-Land.

Drooling Beast

This article was a catalyst that, from one angle, helped OL come into being. Back then, Barbara said good things about the article and Perigo, one of the site's owners and James's target, reacted with malice and hatred toward her that endures until today, even now that she is gone. Soon after, SoloHQ split into Solo Passion, Rebirth of Reason, and Objectivist Living.

James was gay, for those who might find value in knowing this. He was open about it, but very low-key as an individual.

I had the pleasure of meeting him once. Kat and I visited him with Barbara at his house for dinner. He was charming to the extreme. We even got Kat to listen to some opera.

I communicated with James regularly by email for a while, but eventually we drifted apart.

I always had in the back of my mind to look him up and try to dig further into the delight Barbara found in him. I no longer have that opportunity. The longing remains but James and Barbara now belong to memory.

I hope there is an afterlife because I would love to see them playing among the stars and join them.

Michael

[Brant Gaede]

2005 seems like yesterday. I miss him for him.

--Brant

[syrakusos]

I saw this yesterday, but was blanking out on it. Another loss. I remember the storm on SOLO, I did not remember that essay being the start. This is his SOLO (RoR) autobiography:

"Co-founder (1989) of Custom Training Institute (www.CustomTraining.com), a training company that applies the concept of knowledge engineering to solve a company's information technology challenges. We are survivors of the recent tech depression. I am a passionate lover of life, liberty, and great music, particularly symphonies and operas. Politically, I am a Washingtonian classical republican liberal with Jeffersonian leanings. I am a defender of the real victim, the overlooked innocent, and the truly heroic."

His articles covered a range, but he clearly shared several interests and perspectives with Lindsay Perigo, which may explain his concern. James Kilbourne's SOLO (RoR) articles are here:

http://rebirthofreason.com/Articles/Author_107.shtml

[Brant Gaede]

Most people were on board with LP in the spring of 2005. Things started to get unsettled with the publication of Valliant's screed against the Brandens, especially Nathaniel. James' "Drooling Beast" was a huge mistake. The book, the article and LP going nutso led to the end of SOLO HQ and the start of Rebirth of Reason, using the same software, SOLO Passion and OL. Part of the breakup between LP and Joseph Rowlands must have been their utterly incompatible personalities and approach to posting on HQ. LP and JR also had an extremely stupid moderation policy which made everything worse. That was more JR than LP. I'm still under moderation there almost ten years later. I rather recently posted there on a subject of interest to me then followed up with another that said if I remained under moderation I'd not post again. To be honest, I have much greater contempt for JR than LP. JR writes with the passion of someone constantly taking low doses of Valium to make sure he hasn't any poking up around the edges. For him, it seems to me, Rand's dictum of "the passionate search for passionless truth" is the passionless search (search?)--for, whatever. And for the record, it looks like he really did rip off LP's share of SOLO HQ, although it really didn't hurt LP except in his head. By that I mean instead of shutting down HQ and starting another site, he just changed the name. I likely would have done the same but would have told LP right up front that the equipment was mine and he was gone--assuming I actually know enough about what happened. Maybe he deserved some money. If it had been shut down, all that material published therein would have been lost and likely will someday be, like here on OL and elsewhere too. That may be best. We are having conversations. Think of all the Rand conversations that are lost. I think the real good stuff got written down and published.

--Brant

[Guyau]

.

James Kilbourne recorded some recollections of his early life and some of his personality here at OL.

Well, all right, Mr. Kilbourne, let’s let it ring:

[syrakusos]

("At sunset") (Text: Joseph von Eichendorff) (Wikipedia here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Last_Songs)

Wir sind durch Not und Freude
gegangen Hand in Hand;
vom Wandern ruhen wir
nun überm stillen Land.

Rings sich die Täler neigen,
es dunkelt schon die Luft.
Zwei Lerchen nur noch steigen
nachträumend in den Duft.

Tritt her und lass sie schwirren,
bald ist es Schlafenszeit.
Dass wir uns nicht verirren
in dieser Einsamkeit.

O weiter, stiller Friede!
So tief im Abendrot.
Wie sind wir wandermüde--
Ist dies etwa der Tod?

We have through sorrow and joy
gone hand in hand;
From our wanderings, let's now rest
in this quiet land.

Around us, the valleys bow
as the sun goes down.
Two larks soar upwards
dreamily into the light air.

Come close, and let them fly.
Soon it will be time for sleep.
Let's not lose our way
in this solitude.

O vast, tranquil peace,
so deep in the evening's glow!
How weary we are of wandering---
Is this perhaps death?

[Wolf DeVoon]

This NYT obit bothers me, firstly because it shows what the "paper of record" deems notable, and secondly because I'm nearing the end of my life with the growing conviction that my death will go unreported. Fair enough. "He lived in a world that celebrates queer folk and comedy."

[Selene]

This NYT obit bothers me, firstly because it shows what the "paper of record" deems notable, and secondly because I'm nearing the end of my life with the growing conviction that my death will go unreported. Fair enough. "He lived in a world that celebrates queer folk and comedy."

 

Wolf:

 

I have thought about this also and decided to write my own obit and leave it with my wife and my close friend.

 

Also, I would add medical supplies, ether, sterile suturing needles, etc., pain killers even if you have to be creative in acquiring them.

 

A generator of course and a 3-D printer would pretty much give you factory capabilities where ever you are going to plant yourself and family.

 

A...

I thought your writing about your daughter was exceptionally moving to me as my Ashley is a bright young lady out on her own and productive.  I remember being in the delivery room at Huntington Hospital having driven the twisting Le Mans type road along Long Island Sound from Setauket to Huntington with my wife in labor.****

 

We were both in a state of pure euphoria...

 

Twenty-eight hours of back labor later, she dropped into my hands.

 

Up until that moment, my rational egoist mind was chanting that I was going to raise her the same way as my son...that lasted about twenty-five seconds after I beheld her face...

 

A...

 

****was driving the 1985 Chevy Camaro, Cranberry Red with T-tops off - it was July...