Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Mike Sheeter

Mike,

I saw this obit at one of our favorite stomping grounds, Out of the Gutter, and immediately had that deadening sickness in my chest that comes when a friend has passed. I’m sending this e-mail (and posting online soon) with hopes you respond and just say it’s a joke, another Mike with the same name, or anything amigo. But it isn’t coming, is it? I raise a beer and many more, sir.

I remember when we were assembling BEAT to a PULP: ROUND ONE and there was no doubt we wanted “The All-Weather Phantom” as one of our stories in the batch. And, when you and I signed on to write/interview for OOTG, I remember our back and forth e-mails on what we would pen, your real-life adventures and the folks you met in your life that would give Hemingway or London a run for their money. I hope to hell it has been written down somewhere. Our letters only offer a peek into a life lived to the fullest.

I wish we had met and had a drink and I wish I would have an honor to publish another one of your terrific short stories. But I was honored to do it twice.

Thanks, Mike.

*Mike's family kindly wrote back and mentioned that the last song he downloaded was Levon Helm singing "When I Go Away." It's now a favorite of mine as well.

14 comments:

Randy Johnson said...

Sorry to hear about your friend. Condolences to his family and all his friends.

Chris said...

Didn't know Mike, but he sounds like my kind of guy. My condolences. . . .

David Cranmer said...

Thanks, Randy.

He was, Chris. A man who enjoyed life.

jedidiah ayres said...

Mike was the best.

Ron Scheer said...

Too few good ones in the world. Your loss is my loss, friend.

Charles Gramlich said...

Very sorry to hear this. So many good folks, so little time to visit with them.

Heath Lowrance said...

The All-Weather Phantom was a stand-out story in that anthology, and he was a writer of rare talent. I'm very sorry to hear of his passing.

Oscar Case said...

Sorry to hear of it, David.

AC said...

Sorry to hear this news, David.

David Cranmer said...

Mike was the real deal. Damn, I'm going to miss his presence in the pulp world. And I hope we see a collection of his short stories.

Anonymous said...

I was searching for Mike Sheeter to let him know that the mother of his first writing partner had died May 6, 2013. I was devastated to see that Sheeter had passed away. Sheeter and Mike Toohey were the guts of Testosterone Alley in our days at Hustler. Mike Toohey has been gone some 30 years now. Lucille is going to be buried in Cayucos, California, next to her beloved son Mike.

I loved both Mikes deeply. Tom, I'm so sorry that I had lost touch. Please accept my late condolences.
Regards,
Vicki

Kimbersh said...

Vicki - Mike loved you and Toohey. Always. I will pass your condolences on to Tom. He is back in CA now.

Kim Sheeter

Tom M said...

Hard to believe they are both gone.

Anonymous said...

Mike Sheeter, truly a one-of-a-kind soul. A walking wikipedia before the internet existed. A great heart, a great mind, a great guy. Love from a friend.