Rest in Peace

Gonff the Mousethief in Kotir

“He [Gonff] was a ducker and weaver of life, a marvelous mimic, ballad writer, singer, and lockpick, and very jovial with it all.”

Brian Jacques – June 15, 1939 – February 5, 2011

Brian Jacques started writing Redwall when he was a truck driver delivering milk to the children at the Royal Wavertree School for the Blind.  He would visit with the kids and read to them, but he was unhappy with the selection of books in their library, so he began telling them the tale of Redwall Abbey.  Eventually he wrote the story down and showed it to his old English teacher, who secretly showed it to a publisher.  The rest is history.

I discovered Redwall when I was about eight years old, and I ate it up like no other book existed.  Then I read Mossflower and began Mattimeo.  And I was sad because that was all there was.  Or so I thought.  Then one day I was at my friend Christina’s house and her brother Matt opened the doors of Redwall wide.  Well, actually, let’s back track for a moment, Christina and I were not friends.  We were veritable enemies.  And Matthew and I were sworn enemies.  We were the kind of enemies parents could not leave unattended lest we kill each other.  And then along came Brian Jacques with his courageous mice, joyful otters, and chivalrous, gluttonous hares, and he created friends out of foes.  Chris, Matt and I stood in the basement hallway by the bookshelf and laughed for hours as Matt told us about the pro-antagonist of The Outcast of Redwall, Veil, and his episode with the blue honeypot, and about Salamandastron and the other five books there were to read (and many more to come)!  That day Chris and I became best friends, now I’m her Maid of Honour, and we owe our 15 years of friendship to a jolly old Englishman.

Brian’s health started failing a few years back when he began having minor heart attacks, and even suffered a stroke.  Still, his death on Saturday, February 5, came as a shock.  Brian was like a grandfather to thousands of children around the world, some (like Sean Rubin) more directly than others, but he is mourned by all alike.

Requiescat in pace Brian, we love you.

Let no foul beast give one command,

I’ll say, ‘O no not me,

My back bends to no tyrant’s rule.

Hey, friends, this mouse is free.’

Free has a sound, it rings around,

A lovely way to be.

So dance or sing, do anything,

You’re free free free free freeeeeeeeeee!

~Gonff, Mossflower (1988)