Larry Eisenberg, science fiction writer and biomedical engineer, passed away on Christmas Day at the age of 99. Despite his accomplishments in those fields, to readers of the New York Times online comments section he was best known as a prolific versifier, whose more than 13,000 posts since 2008 came mostly in the form of limericks.
Dr. Eisenberg's passing inspired a host of tributes in verse. I posted one of my own, both in the Times comments section and on Twitter:
With a wry little wave and a chortle,
Dr. Eisenberg slipped through the portal.
He had nothing to fear
As he passed from this sphere.
His limericks had made him immortal.
RIP. https://t.co/n8d3R0XPvx
— William Shunn (@shunn) December 27, 2018
As it happens, my limerick was read on the December 28 edition of the CBC Radio public-affairs program "As It Happens" during a segment remembering Dr. Eisenberg. Listen here:
Read more about Larry Eisenberg's remarkable life here:
NY Times: Larry Eisenberg, 99, Dead; His Limericks Were Very Well Read
Locus: Larry Eisenberg (1919-2018)
WQXR: Remembering Larry Eisenberg, Lover of Limericks and Opera
