On behalf of the DC2KWriters
One should sorrow, but not sink under sorrow’s oppression.
—Eugie Foster, “Mortal Clay, Stone Heart” (2010)
On September 27, 2014, we lost Eugie Foster, editor of the Daily Dragon, to the frailty of what she often called her “human suit.” Her spirit lives on in her enduring body of work, including nominated and award-winning fiction. Her stories and much more are described on her website, now maintained by her devoted husband, Matthew.
Eugie shunned praise of her many accomplishments. We, fellow authors of her online group DC2KWriters, beg Eugie’s pardon in now writing about her as an extraordinary friend, writer, and editor. The DC2KWriters met in Ann Crispin’s 2000 Dragon Con writers’ class when Eugie, like all of us, had just begun her writer’s quest. “Juggling hamsters” with finesse, Eugie conquered the challenges of writing and submitting stories with talent, determination, and courage. She soon won publication and the first of many awards, but she never stopped encouraging the rest of us in our pursuit of the craft.
Our friend Eugie always practiced loving kindness, an endearing trait in a woman of surpassing beauty whose physical presence alone brightened any place she entered. She supported her Daily Dragon staff with the ferocity of a lioness but did not tolerate cruelty in any form. A strict vegetarian, Eugie would not eat anything that once had a face. She transformed her beloved pet skunks into fae “taylups” and celebrated the adventures of other favorite animals in her fantasy stories.
Her keen wit could either delight or cut to the true issue at hand. A firm proponent of the Oxford comma, Eugie followed proper punctuation, correct spelling, and good grammar with a zealot’s devotion. She shared her skills as a successful editor and author gleefully, writing many articles brimming with wisdom mixed with a healthy dose of fun.
Eugie’s tales cover the full spectrum of human emotion, distilling whimsy and tragedy with equal skill. We cannot condense Eugie’s fiction. You must relish that experience for yourself. Read her stories. Share them with friends. Introduce children to her many tales for the young.
As Eugie wrote in “A Parade of Taylups” (2007), “Only fairies can see their own kind . . . the ones that embrace the wonder into themselves, the ones who remember how to see, they can go home.”
