Q is for Quién Más?

Or, in other words, "who else?"

This is the post in which I list a few runners-up... or honorable mentions...  Creative people about whom I initially thought to write in this A-Z series, but then didn't for one reason or another.  They deserve some love, too.  In no particular order,

• Roger Dean, psychedelic artist of prog-rock album covers (Yes, Asia).
• Terry Gilliam, ex-Python and visionary movie director.
• Soror Nema (Maggie Ingalls), ceremonial magician who channeled some transcendent poetry about the dawning of a new aeon of human history.
• Dunbar Aitkens, designer of a fascinating thing called the Glass Plate Game.
• Don Cupitt, philosopher and inspiring author.
• Robert Desnos, surrealist poet, dream-worker, and radio pioneer.
• Gene Kelly, dancer extraordinaire.
• Hildegard of Bingen, Christian mystic and designer of a secret alphabet (I just love those).
• Ebony Anpu (Charles Reese), another ceremonial magician with some wild ideas.
• Moebius (Jean Girard), dearly departed comic book artist.
• C. L. Moore, sci-fi/fantasy author who created memorable action heroes Northwest Smith and Jirel of Joiry.
• William Carlos Williams, master of quasi-surreal free verse that floats down the stream of consciousness...
• Douglas Hofstadter, computer scientist and philosopher who taught me how to stop worrying and love my lack of fundamental free will.
• Loren Eiseley, naturalist and evocative writer about science.
• E. T. A. Hoffman, German Romantic author of eerie fictions.
• Eric Bentley, playwright -- while watching one of his plays unfold, I whispered the most pretentious thing I've ever said in my life to my friend sitting next to me:  "This IS theater."
• Alice Sheldon (James Tiptree Jr.), eclectic science fiction author who delved into tragic places to find transcendence.
• Paschal Beverly Randolph, 19th century author, abolitionist, and sex-magician.

I suppose that I should have done this post last, since now you can see at least a few examples of who I won't be choosing for some of the letters R through Z...  :-)