Happy 91st Birthday, Lloyd Alexander

It seems to be a yearly tradition for me to write a blog post on here, I'm sorry that it doesn't happen more. Each year on January 30 (Lloyd Alexander's Birthday), it gives me a chance to reflect on the man who has become my favorite author, and the impact he has made on my life. It would be no exaggeration to say that the goals I have, and the direction my life is headed would definitely not be the same without Lloyd Alexander.

Today to celebrate and commemorate Lloyd on his 91st birthday, I have decided to share a list of interesting facts about Lloyd that I have learned that others may not know. I hope this list is interesting to those who read it.

• Lloyd's full name was Lloyd Chudley Alexander (but in high school, he decided to drop his middle name)
• The Chronicles of Prydain was originally planned as a trilogy and was to be titled "The Sons of Llyr" the 3 books in the series were to be:

1. The Battle of the Trees
2. The Lion with the Steady Hand
3. Little Gwion

• When "The Battle of the Trees" was edited out of the first book, Lloyd wanted to rename it "The Assistant Pig-Keeper" but was convinced by someone at the publishing house to name it "The Book of Three"
• Lloyd Alexander loved classical music, especially Mozart
• He thoroughly enjoyed watching the TV show "Xena: Warrior Princess"
• Even though his last book was published in 2007, Lloyd did all of his writing on a typewriter up to the end.
• Lloyd had Agoraphobia: Fear of leaving his house (although, not sure if it was actual fear, or just liked the comforts of home, either way he didn't travel much).
• He was a master of crossword puzzles.
• He truly appreciated his fans. He made it a goal to always personally write back every fan that sent him a letter (I'm unsure if he was 100% in that goal, but I know he was close).

Lloyd Alexander was a very special and unique human being. The talent that he had for writing enabled him to write in such a way that his stories and characters stick with you in a way that I have never quite experienced elsewhere. 

If you have never read any of the books by Lloyd Alexander, I suggest that you do so. If you are like me and have read his books many times, then I urge you to share them with someone else. His creativity and imagination is contagious, and if this world had more people like Lloyd Alexander, it certainly would be a better place.

Happy 90th Birthday Lloyd Alexander!

Lloyd Alexander was born on January 30, 1924. That makes today his 90th birthday. This being the case, I wanted to take a few minutes to reflect and share my thoughts on Lloyd Alexander, and who he is to me.



It has now been a little over a year since I finished making the documentary titled "Lloyd Alexander".  In this film I attempted to pay tribute to, in my opinion, one of the greatest fantasy authors of all time. My biggest hope in making the film was to create more awareness of him and his writings. I am pleased to say that I have had countless people who have told me that they read his books for the first time because of the film. As I reflect on the experience of making this documentary there are a few thoughts that I want to share.



First, as I became consumed by learning all that I could about Lloyd Alexander, I came to love both him and his wife, Janine, almost as if they were Grandparents that I never knew.  I never had the opportunity to meet the Alexanders, but through reading about them, talking with their friends and family, and visiting the places they called home (with the exception of going to France, where Janine is from), I feel as though I was able to get a glimpse into what life would have been like had I known them. And that is a happy thought.



Second, as I went through the process of making the film, I met many people whose lives have been changed by the influence of Lloyd Alexander. Some of these people were friends or colleagues of his. I met some who loved him so dearly that they were nervous of my project. And many of the people that I met had their lives changed by reading his books. This is the category that I fall into. Lloyd Alexander had such a way with words that he was able to do more than entertain. He somehow found a way to connect with individuals, and inspire each of us that read his words to become more than we were, to reach after our dreams, and to take pride in our work even if we are assistant pig-keepers.



Finally, I am very glad that I had the opportunity to make this film. It truly made me a better human being. It helped me learn more about the human condition. It introduced me to many wonderful people. It taught me that no matter how big or far away our dreams may seem, nothing is impossible if we work hard and persevere. I hope that as people are exposed to this film for generations to come, they can have part of the same learning experience that I had making it. I hope that many others can come to know and love Lloyd Alexander, just as I have been able to.



Today, for his 90th birthday, we are permanently dropping the price of the DVD's down to $10.00. Also, I am releasing 5 different clips from the documentary throughout the day. They will be available on the Lloyd Alexander YouTube channel here.  We will eventually have the full film available on this YouTube channel, although I am not sure when exactly that will be.



Here is the first of the clips. This clip is 4 minutes from the beginning of the documentary. I hope you enjoy.