As I sat in this chair this morning prepping the next round of episodes for Down From Ten after a longer-than-intended Christmas hiatus, I got the news that Tee Morris’s wife died yesterday, leaving Tee and his five-year-old daughter, affectionately known as Sonic Boom, behind.
You that listen here regularly know Tee from his starring role as Amos in Down From Ten, or perhaps you heard his voice as Marian’s boss in Predestination or from the Predestination exit interview, but the story of Tee Morris is quite a bit more colorful. Tee invented podcast fiction, co-founded podiobooks.com, and is thus created the industry which launched the careers of myself, Chris Lester, Philippa Ballantine, Nathan Lowell, Scott Sigler, Christiana Ellis, Mur Lafferty, Nobilis Reed, and many others. He’s also directly helped many of us, and many others, with encouragement, advice, and lending his voice to our worlds. He’s also become a good friend to many of us, apart from a professional association.
Odd as it sounds, there are three things in this modern world that are more expensive than any other – being born, dying, and death. Natalie Morris’s death was sudden and unexpected, but it has left Tee with a raft of expenses he must meet immediately, and this as an unexpectedly single parent. Because of this, I have a special request for you – if you were planning on sending me a tip in the next week or three, send it to Tee instead.
Below you’ll find a widget for the chip-in account that Philippa Ballantine has started to help get Tee and Sonic Boom through the crisis time to calmer waters. Please click on it and toss a couple bucks in if at all you can.
jdsawyer
After a childhood in academia, J. Daniel Sawyer declared his independence by dropping out of high school and setting off on a series of adventures in the bowels of the film industry, the venture capital culture of silicon valley, surfing safaris, bohemians, burners, historians, theologians, adventurers, climbers, drug dealers, gangbangers, and inventors before his past finally caught up to him.
Trapped in a world bookended by one wall falling in Berlin and other walls going up around suburbia and along national borders throughout the world, he rediscovered his deep love of history and, with it, and obsession with predicting the future as it grew aggressively out of the past.
To date, this obsession has yielded over thirty books and innumerable short stories, the occasional short film, nearly a dozen podcasts stretching over a decade and a half, and a career creating novels and audiobooks exploring the world through the lens of his own peculiar madness, in the depths of his own private forest in a rural exile, where he uses the quiet to write, walk on the beach, and manage a production company that brings innovative stories to the ears of audiences across the world.
For news and free stories, sign up for his occasional newsletter. Or find his contact info, podcasts, and more on his home page at http://www.jdsawyer.net
Dan, this is amazing. You are a true friend to Tee and I applaud your willingness to do this. Good show sir.
odin1eye
When my mom died in ’95 leaving me with the guardianship of my teenage brothers, I was amazed at how the community at my school (George Fox College) and the town came together to support us.
I am always saddened to hear about loss but this hits a little more close to home. Unfortunately my current finances are stretched but I sent in what little I could, remembering all to well how fast it adds up.
It lightens my heart a little to see how fast the total has grown in the few short hours since I did that. I am so glad to see the community respond so.
There just really are no words.
Amber
I was so, so sorry to hear about Natalie’s death. My heart goes out to him and their little girl and I pledge to donate something over the weekend.
A Geroge Fox Alum? I started attending in ’95. Small world!
Thanks for posting a bit of your story
Odin, Helen – thanks for coming by and taking the time to leave comments. Fingers crossed for Tee and SB
-Dan
admin
Dan,
Ah yes I knew Kitty went there didn’t realize you did as well. I’m a friend of Steena’s as well which is how I found the wonderful world of podio books.
Amber
Dan,
Ah yes I knew Kitty went there didn’t realize you did as well. I’m a friend of Steena’s too which is how I found the wonderful world of podio books.
Amber
Amber –
Yes indeed – I actually met Kitty there in ’95 and was A&E Editor on The Crescent for a time in the fall of ’96
Glad to have you along!
-Dan
admin
This was really unexpected and sad, even if I don’t know Tee, I know his work through what I’ve got from podiobooks.com and various appearances in shows.
The utter callousness of the world we live in show itself when one cannot be left to grieve a lost loved one, but has to attend to financial matters.
Thanks for setting this up, I hope it helps lighten the burden of some aspect of it all…
Yngve Sjølset
Comments are closed.
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Dan, this is amazing. You are a true friend to Tee and I applaud your willingness to do this. Good show sir.
When my mom died in ’95 leaving me with the guardianship of my teenage brothers, I was amazed at how the community at my school (George Fox College) and the town came together to support us.
I am always saddened to hear about loss but this hits a little more close to home. Unfortunately my current finances are stretched but I sent in what little I could, remembering all to well how fast it adds up.
It lightens my heart a little to see how fast the total has grown in the few short hours since I did that. I am so glad to see the community respond so.
There just really are no words.
I was so, so sorry to hear about Natalie’s death. My heart goes out to him and their little girl and I pledge to donate something over the weekend.
Bless you for doing this.
Amber –
A Geroge Fox Alum? I started attending in ’95. Small world!
Thanks for posting a bit of your story
Odin, Helen – thanks for coming by and taking the time to leave comments. Fingers crossed for Tee and SB
-Dan
Dan,
Ah yes I knew Kitty went there didn’t realize you did as well. I’m a friend of Steena’s as well which is how I found the wonderful world of podio books.
Dan,
Ah yes I knew Kitty went there didn’t realize you did as well. I’m a friend of Steena’s too which is how I found the wonderful world of podio books.
Amber –
Yes indeed – I actually met Kitty there in ’95 and was A&E Editor on The Crescent for a time in the fall of ’96
Glad to have you along!
-Dan
This was really unexpected and sad, even if I don’t know Tee, I know his work through what I’ve got from podiobooks.com and various appearances in shows.
The utter callousness of the world we live in show itself when one cannot be left to grieve a lost loved one, but has to attend to financial matters.
Thanks for setting this up, I hope it helps lighten the burden of some aspect of it all…