A few years back, I heard an erroneous report that Maurice Sendak had died. He was one of my favorite illustrators and a great influence on me, so I was greatly saddened by the news. So I was overjoyed when, a couple of months ago, I discovered how wrong that was. Not only is he not dead, but he is still working. As far as my heart was concerned, he had been raised from the dead.
Just now, I have found an opposite. While doing a Google search, I read the news that Trina Schart Hyman had died in November of 2004. She is another of my favorite illustrators and another deep influence. Not only is she gone, but she's been gone for over a year, and I just caught the news today. I feel like I've been punched in the chest.
O! My! God! I was the source of that report, and I feel both abashed and joyful to learn from you that a wonderful storyteller and illustrator is still alive!
Gah! That was you? I'd wondered where I'd heard that report. How had *you* gotten that idea?