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Bill & Judy Crider
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For some reason we always seem to wait until obituary time to write the glowing report of our friends. This time, I don't think I'll wait for the obit to say the good.
I first met Bill Crider when he was Dr. Crider teaching American Lit. at Howard Payne University. I enjoyed his teaching style so much that I took him for a J-term version of English 201 (I think it was 5 papers in 3 weeks - the one year there was snow on the ground in Brownwood, TX). During the American Lit class I stopped by and asked if he as my English professor would look over a short story I'd written. He took it and a couple of days later he gave it back with some advice about the characters and a fairly generous assessment of the story itself. He was right about the need for character adjustment, but I think he was over-generous with the story itself--I still haven't re-worked it into anything worth sharing.
Fast forward about 15 years and I found a book with Bill Crider as the author. On a hunch, I bought the book, looked up his addressed, and inquired if he had been my English teacher. He was, and our friendship became more than student/teacher. He has become a friend, mentor, and all-around encourager. He's read a couple of my stories since and has always been more than friendly in his critique.
I've become attached to his writing (I've even indulged in some of the darker stuff that appeared under the name Jack Maclane) and always enjoy looking for the newest Sheriff Dan Rhodes mystery.
I'm saying all this, and trying to join the cloud of voices bringing laud to a man who deserves it, because Bill has recently run up against a dire diagnosis of aggressive carcinoma. So while I'm not going to wait for the obit to tell what a powerful encouragement, influence, and friend Bill has been to me, I am going to take this moment to send thoughts and prayers out for him and this battle he's found himself in. Godspeed, Dr. Crider, and beat this thing. I know you've got another story (or 10) to tell.
