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Note: This account is no longer active.
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Ed's last words for Epinions members and links to tributes are on his page.
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Activity Summary
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Reviews Written: 332
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Member Visits: 42,981
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Total Visits: 264,687
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About ed_grover
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Ed (born 1931) died of lung cancer in February 2006. wordwalker delivered the news to the Epinions community, along with a touching tribute.
Because of wordwalker and pogomom, various pictures of Ed will continue to take turns in the space above.
In a note Ed wrote on Jan. 1, 2006, he thanked Epinions members for making his time on the site worthwhile and rewarding: "Please let everyone know how much I appreciate their kind words . . . It's been a great experience and my heart goes out to all of you at Epinions."
Ed's description of himself follows these links to
ENTRIES IN THE ED GROVER APPRECIATION WRITE-OFF
Aug. 27, 2005: kcfoxy started things off with a review about pots. Separately, she wrote that "Ed is a true Sweetie and gentle man, and someone I've long admired and cherished for his many kindnesses and classy way of raising my consciousness as well as providing pithy, cogent reviews anyone could be proud of...a Character!"
Aug. 28: jkkelley shares an insightful assessment of the book The Hidden Hitler and calls Ed "a warm, caring, wonderful man who has given Epinions much great writing and friendship . . . A perceptive, intelligent reviewer."
Aug. 30: popsrocks shares a personal appreciation for Ed's advice about alcoholism: "Thanks for those words of wisdom my friend, Ed Grover."
Aug. 30: Ed writes well.
Aug. 31: Stephen_Murray recommends the movie Beautiful Boxer: "This review is dedicated to my long-time epinions pal Ed Grover, who has been encouraging me to write about sex and gender differences around the world since my arrival on the site five-plus years ago." Stephen also recommends, although less enthusiastically, the book Gay Rebel of the Harlem Renaissance: Selections from the Work of Richard Bruce Nugent.
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Sept. 2: prfstars raises a glass in Ed's honor: "Ed Grover has cancer. I've said that out loud a dozen times, but I just can't quite accept it. Ed is one of those writers who has been on Epinions forever-- part of the landscape. I've enjoyed his stuff for years."
Sept. 2: macresarf1 assesses history and currents events in a scathing essay: "This piece is dedicated to Ed Grover, my colleague of nearly five years. His work, encouragement and courage have been an inspiration to all of us at Epinions."
Sept. 3: cr01's insightful piece about his tour through some of Cuba's history includes a link to one of Ed's interesting travel pieces. "Ed Grover was one of the first review writers I read on the evening I discovered Epinions. His gentle humour struck me, and while reading, Ed made me appreciate that I didn’t simply need to replicate a list of facts to produce a very helpful review.
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Sept. 3: fuche_bu enthusiastically recommends Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris, in a review he dedicates to Ed.
Sept. 4: mshawpyle can move one to tears, and to deep reflection. He does that and more in his appreaction of both Ed ("The prospective loss of Ed Grover is a sore and grievous one. Yet there will remain, with us, so much of the best of him, in his wisdom and hard-won grace, that it were selfish to wish him bound here in any pain.") and Jan Morris' Trieste and the Meaning of Nowhere. Markham also commands words with his inimitable mastery in praise of Microcosms by Claudio Magris and Paradise of Cities: Venice in the 19th Century by John Julius Norwich.
Sept. 4: CurtisEdmonds says of Ed's writing, "There is no denying the excellence of his work." Curtis says that watching a Toronto baseball game from a hotel room is "unutterably cool," although he does a terrific job at uttering how cool it is.
Sept. 5: millinocket gives a delightful warning about one of Wisconsin's more unfortunate spots for sightseeing: "This review was written specifically for the wonderful Ed Grover. Ed shares my love of the beauty to be found in abundance in our state, as well as my disdain of the more horrid of the 'tourist destinations'."
Sept. 5: nwinston writes an especially nice consideration of spirituality in which she spotlights some of Ed's writings, which deserve the attention.
Sept. 6: pogomom uses some characters Ed created as she creatively recommends a carpet cleaner. "On a very personal note, I had the good fortune to meet Ed during my first days as an Epinions member. I had no idea that a chance meeting would enrich my life in such a profound way. Ed’s boundless good humor, compassion, support and friendship are something I will always hold dear. I love you Ed."
Sept. 6: ifif1938 shares her enjoyment of the Robert Altman movie Ready to Wear, which has as its subjects some that interest Ed: "I chose this subject due to a few of my most favorite of his reviews dealing with the fashion world, Yves St Laurent, Bill Blass and Ralph Lauren, another, Womens Wear Daily and in honor of some of his writings about books I found fascinating that took place in my favorite of all cities, Paris."
Sept. 6: WulfsDen offers a hearty recommendation of Wonderfalls that is likely to interest any fan of quality television, although it intentionally will not please Fox Network programmers. "Ed is a kind soul, who usually finds the good in things, and finds a way to discuss them with dignity and respect."
Sept. 8: kamel622 heartily endorses Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by an author whose work Ed appreciates, Lois Ehlert. "I dedicate this one to you Ed, my thoughts and prayers are with you."
Sept. 8: gaelkm, inspired by Ed's reviews of sunscreen products, has highlighted a good one for kids. "I know Ed believes in protecting your skin while out in the sun, and so do I."
Sept. 9: faithforever's apprecation of Ed is lovely and loving. She says that he is "the one who was kind enough to read my reviews and tell me the truth about his ideas and lifestyle, the one who taught me lessons through his own experiences and discernment. The guy who overcame the overwhelming fight that comes with addiction, for him... alcoholism. The man who led me to read books I wouldn't have without his insights into them."
Sept. 9: dramastef dedicates to Ed her wonderful recommendation of Kid's Gardening: A Kid's Guide to Messing Around in the Dirt by Kevin Raftery and Kim Gilbert Raftery. "This past year, my now six-year-old daughter has developed a desire to do a more traditional vegetable and herb garden, and when we went to the library to find books, my thoughts were of Ed, and how he felt as a boy eating the fruits of his labor. I even told Isabelle about Ed, and that our garden would be our own 'Victory Garden', not in honor of any war, which would be the politically correct thing to do, but in honor of Ed Grover."
Sept. 13: Ed enjoys ghost stories.
Sept. 13: Granniemose lights up the site and the write off with a terrific recommendation of Guardians of the Light: Stories of Us Lighthouse Keepers by Elinor De Wire and with some nice words about Ed. "ED GROVER has covered many subjects during his years here, and has earned a spot in the hearts of all of us who have admired his sensitivity, his creativeness, and his humor."
Sept. 13: jankp imagines a meeting between Ed and Jan's Dr. Freudine.
Sept. 14: Stephen_Murray and Jiahong dedicate to Ed their exploration of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
Sept. 14: pilarzmom also takes us through a part of California that sounds beautiful, Santa Teresa County Park. "Some of my favorite reviews of Ed's were about his love of bird watching, although he never considered himself a true "birder". It saddens me to know Ed has cancer, but I like to think he is ready to go on to a better place. Somehow, I know when Ed's time does come that I will able to be look up to sky and imagine him soaring as a beautiful and free bird. Here's to you, Ed!"
Sept. 15: 2buzy treats us to some recipes that sound delicious, and to some wonderful words about Ed. "After reading just one of his reviews, (in 2001) I was hooked. I loved his writing style and wonderful insight. Throughout the years, I enjoyed reading all of his reviews, his warm comments and all of the delightful tidbits of his life he was kind enough to share."
Sept. 16: iluvbirds tells us how she came to appreciate Ed's guidance, eventually. "I consider Ed to be one of the real, down to earth, good people at this site. He's honest, a great writer and an awesome friend."
Sept. 24: Bryan_Carey wanted to toast Ed with something. His choice of non-alcoholic beer was both appropriate and unfortunate. "Ed is everyone’s friend. Even though I have never met him in person, I feel I know him from reading so many of his reviews over the past 5 years. He is a man of character, and his writing has inspired us all."
Sept. 29: pmills1210 recommends A Widow for One Year by John Irving.
Sept. 29: The man himself joins in. Ed shares a delightful recommendation of The Essence Of Style: How The French Invented High Fashion, Fine Food, Chic Cafes, Style, Sophistication, And Glamour! by Joan DeJean.
Sept. 30: Ricardo_Ramos gives a thoughtful, balanced recommendation of Quentin Mao's novel Dress Like a Boy. About Ed, Ricardo writes, "Ed's writings have been a beacon shining the light of encouragement on gay writing, both in Epinions and in the writings he reviewed in In-Step and in his own epinions that invited readers in to share his appreciation of a wide range of stuff, not just writing by or about gay people. I humbly add my soft voice to this month's appreciation of Ed Grover and for his unstinting encouragement of me and many others." Ricardo also gives an interesting critique of the movie Ethan Mao.
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Oct. 1: klueger recommends Anne C. Chappell's 501 Delicious Diabetic Recipes. "I want to send out my best to Ed. I am keeping you in my prayers and I hope that this little entry on something way out of my comfort zone has brought some cheer to you Ed. You have always been one of the kindest people. Know you are appreciated."
Oct. 5: a collection of LGBT-related speeches and writing
Oct. 15: DAnneC dedicates to Ed her charming autobiographical contemplations on perfume bottles. "As is the case with our dear friend to whom this is dedicated, the scent bottles on my dressing table are not merely bottles of fragrant liquid. They tell stories deep and wonderful."
Oct. 18: tbthorn's assessment of the Guys Gone Wild Spring Break Explosion video is an amusing delight. "It might hardly seem like a compliment to dedicate a review of smut to someone as esteemed as Ed_Grover, but it makes sense when you think about it."
Oct. 20 and 21: drdevience drew inspiration from Ed for two especially good critiques she wrote of scents: J. Del Pozo Duende perfume and Ferrari Black cologne.
Oct. 22: msmorvay's contemplation on Harold Kushner's When Bad Things Happen to Good People is interesting and insightful. "I dedicate this book to Ed who is a good person. And I wish for him a great deal of strength."
Oct. 23: Ricardo_Ramos not only recommends the movie Drift, he suggests with whom you should watch it. "The movie is a celebration of friendship—not just of gay friends, but of the importance of friendship for gay friends."
Oct. 26: Stephen_Murray and Ed share an appreciation for the writing of Saki, especially his short stories. Ed enjoyed The Complete Saki collection more than Stephen did the novel The Unbearable Bassington.
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Nov. 3: plorentz shares a memorable bit of autobiography that with enviable subtlety also is about the magic of music and the haunting power of Painted from Memory by Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach. "Ed was the one of the first people on this site to encourage me to write more book reviews, and he's always made a point of reading my (much more frequent) record reviews - even though he rarely had the first clue who I was writing about. With his reviews, he's also taught me a healthy appreciation for fine erotica. Thanks Ed, for unashamedly being who you are and for sharing who you are with all of us."
Nov. 10: garym heroically made his way through Joyce Carol Oates' Take Me, Take Me with You. His funny review makes it sound like the book isn't worth reading even once, but he read it twice, an experience he redeems with his dedication: "This review is dedicated to someone who actually knows how to write. Someone who better deserves the recognition and glory that Oates carries. This is for you Ed Grover."
Nov. 23: laurashrti includes praise of Ed in her reflections on the site. She says he is "one of the most awesome people around epinions."
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Dec. 1: rmthunter praises Arvo Pärt's Passio and dedicates his evocative review to Ed, for reasons known to Ed and him.
Dec. 4: jackai shares both an insightful recommendation of the Vince Guaraldi Trio's soundtrack for A Charlie Brown Christmas and a splendid assessment of Ed: "It’s a hard feat to make oneself politically visible without coming off as militant, grating, or worse, hostile. Ed is none of those things. Instead, he leads by example the kind of impact one can have if they demonstrate simple, quiet grace, guileless charm and peerless intelligence."
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Jan. 7, 2006: jankp raves about the poetry of Jaan Kaplinski in her persuasive review of Evening Brings Everything Back, which brought thoughts of Ed back to her: "When I first saw [Kaplinski's] picture on the back cover of his book I was stunned by his resemblance to member Ed Grover in his profile pic."
Jan. 16: Ed once sent a Calvin & Hobbes-related message to AliventiAsylum. She repays the favor with her delightful recomendation of the treasury The Days are Just Packed.
Jan. 16: skbreese's recommendation of the movie A Home at the End of the World is terrific, as is her dedication: "I never knew Ed Grover personally, but I felt like I knew him from reading so many of his beautifully written reviews."
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Feb. 16: rich2003dm reflections on Ed and Epinions show that Ed inspired affection, even among those of us who knew him not well enough.
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ABOUT MOI"
I'm an old gay man who used to write book reviews for our local LGBT newspaper, Wisconsin IN Step. There's a link at the top, but the paper recently went belly up. When I first started here few if anyone did alternate lifestyle book reviews.
I'm now on my own as far as what I read and what I review. You can expect to see more of the kind of things I like rather than the kind of LGBT things I think I should be reviewing. I'll occasionally write about a variety of subjects that interest me and generaly join in the fun of this great group of people. I like a good laugh, good food and good friends.
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