R.I.P. quarsan

May 7, 2018 7:11 AM

Farewell to veteran Mefite quarsan, aka Andy Carling, who joined in March 2001—writer, editor, former EU journalist based in Brussels, latterly living in England's Lake District.
posted by rory to MetaFilter-Related at 7:11 AM (51 comments total)

Ah, man, that's sad news.
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:11 AM on May 7, 2018

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posted by iamkimiam at 7:32 AM on May 7, 2018

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posted by gudrun at 7:39 AM on May 7, 2018

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posted by something something at 7:48 AM on May 7, 2018

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Mods, his user page says passed away May 2017, just FYI.
posted by WidgetAlley at 8:06 AM on May 7, 2018

Oh no. :( I'm so sorry to hear this.

About 10 years and more ago, Andy used to interview politicians on http://www.blairwatch.co.uk/ (which is now defunct) and posted the links to political threads on Mefi. He was also an inspired writer. Some samples:

"It's part of a journalists job to go where they're not wanted. It's part of their job to stay when people tell them to go."

The Big Man and the Little Girl (cw: child sexual abuse)

My book burning with Pastor Jones (A review of Eat, Pray, Love)

One night in a disused laboratory

Consider the Lily Tarn

The Fell Walkers' Guide to Eternity:
* Chapter One: A Vision Of Judgement
* Chapter Two: On Nature’s Invitation Do I Come
* Chapter Three: Fears In Solitude
* Chapter Four: The Apparition of the Brocken
* Chapter Five: Waking Dreams — A Fragment

The last chapter ends:

I have as many memories as there are raindrops.

But the future remains unknown. Time takes me back and forward as it wishes, but not into the undiscovered country of the future. This may be a blessing, because in all my travels, whatever the time, I’ve noticed things are changing really quickly now, rain, temperature, all the seasons are different, like a pattern is being lost to the forces of chaos It takes a long time to notice the small changes, the slight increase of random, violent events and how normal cycles become abnormal ones. I’ve also seen the slow darkening of the skies, how the stars all twinkle because of dust particles in the atmosphere. A couple of brief centuries ago, this was rare and unusual. Oh I wish I could have shown you the stars long ago, they were so beautiful and alive you’d understand why our ancestors worshiped them.

How I got here, who or what I am no longer has any interest for me. But after wandering on the fells and through the ages I know that I will be here in this ever changing beauty for eternity.

It just won’t be long enough.

It never is. May his memory be a blessing to all who knew him.

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posted by zarq at 8:14 AM on May 7, 2018 [28 favorites]

Mod note: Fixed the date typo, thanks.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:26 AM on May 7, 2018

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posted by Fizz at 8:30 AM on May 7, 2018

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posted by languagehat at 8:37 AM on May 7, 2018

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posted by skycrashesdown at 8:38 AM on May 7, 2018

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posted by Atom Eyes at 9:04 AM on May 7, 2018

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posted by Fig at 9:17 AM on May 7, 2018

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posted by blurker at 9:26 AM on May 7, 2018

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posted by Barack Spinoza at 9:30 AM on May 7, 2018

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posted by cichlid ceilidh at 9:40 AM on May 7, 2018

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posted by camyram at 10:18 AM on May 7, 2018

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posted by Tabitha Someday at 10:27 AM on May 7, 2018

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posted by holborne at 10:42 AM on May 7, 2018

Oh no. Sorry to hear this.
posted by vacapinta at 10:49 AM on May 7, 2018

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posted by Mitheral at 10:50 AM on May 7, 2018

When I first joined, he and quonsar were both active and it took me quite a while to realize they were different users, rather than a single user with some big personality swings. Looking thru his posts now, I see he even made a Metatalk post about it.
posted by donnagirl at 11:30 AM on May 7, 2018 [4 favorites]

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posted by radioamy at 11:43 AM on May 7, 2018

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posted by DingoMutt at 11:43 AM on May 7, 2018

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posted by Kattullus at 12:02 PM on May 7, 2018

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posted by stellathon at 1:34 PM on May 7, 2018

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posted by Lynsey at 1:47 PM on May 7, 2018

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posted by oneswellfoop at 2:58 PM on May 7, 2018

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posted by The Great Big Mulp at 5:02 PM on May 7, 2018

I am sorry to hear this.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:03 PM on May 7, 2018

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posted by tangaroo at 7:39 PM on May 7, 2018

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posted by Rumple at 8:58 PM on May 7, 2018

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posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 8:59 PM on May 7, 2018

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posted by mwhybark at 11:08 PM on May 7, 2018

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posted by rangefinder 1.4 at 11:47 PM on May 7, 2018

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posted by mmoncur at 12:13 AM on May 8, 2018

I had the same confusion as a lurker, donnagirl.

He was a lovely writer; thank you for posting those links, zarq.

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posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 12:50 AM on May 8, 2018 [1 favorite]

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posted by wheek wheek wheek at 1:32 AM on May 8, 2018

Really sorry to hear this. I remember him more as Andy the [goodnatured] twat behind Zoe McCarthy's My Boyfriend is a Twat.

RIP Andy, a lovely, laid back Northerner who will be missed.
posted by humph at 3:03 AM on May 8, 2018 [1 favorite]

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posted by chasles at 3:53 AM on May 8, 2018

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posted by Ten Cold Hot Dogs at 9:01 AM on May 8, 2018

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posted by virago at 6:46 PM on May 8, 2018

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posted by NailsTheCat at 12:21 PM on May 9, 2018

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posted by zaelic at 2:52 AM on May 10, 2018

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posted by vrakatar at 4:10 PM on May 10, 2018

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posted by but no cigar at 10:41 PM on May 11, 2018

Late in hearing this, but so very sorry to learn of hi passing. Thank you for letting us know, rory, and thank you for the great tribute & links, zarq.
posted by madamjujujive at 4:38 AM on May 23, 2018 [1 favorite]