“The rest of my life has passed quite suddenly. Around ten or twelve I fell into the inevitable logarithms of time. It seems to go faster and faster. I wonder now why we have to have Christmas so often.” – Kary Mullis

Our friend Kary Mullis died on Aug. 7, 2019, at the age of 74.

His first trip to Wizard Academy with Nancy was more than 15 years ago. They were in the same class as (L to R) Chris Lowry of Savannah and Mike Greene of Asheville and Jane Fraser of Halifax (in teal, below Chris and Mike) along with 20 other delightful people.

Kary’s colleagues in science called him “an untamed genius.” His discovery of polymerase chain reaction in 1983 opened the door for us to study DNA and won him the 1993 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

I agree with Kary’s observation concerning the inevitable logarithms of time, don’t you?

Wasn’t it just a few months ago that you and I walked across an open field and spoke of what we would build together? That campus is nearly finished now.

Do you remember when 106 of the cognoscenti of Wizard Academy worked together on a book called Accidental Magic? I pulled my copy off the shelf just now and marveled at it, as I have done at least once a year for the past 18 years. I do the same thing with your book, People Stories: Inside the Outside. Your talent continues to amaze me.

Do you remember when Ray Bard arrived with those 200 hardbacks of Accidental Magic just as your book-release party began in 2001? You had already landed in Austin and were on your way to the Academy while Ray was still sitting anxiously at the airport, waiting for the first printing of your book to arrive.

This summer, Avital Rotbart worked nonstop for several weeks on our long-promised book, Secrets of the Wizard Academy Campus. We hope to have those available on May 2, but as we have learned, printers often have schedules of their own.

Likewise, we expect to be able to unveil The Ad Writer’s Masters Class. Working at the speed of light, a person could – in theory – complete that class in a year, but in reality, it will take most people two years.

You will instantly be able to recognize an Ad Master when you meet one. I’ll tell you how on May 2 when we gather for an unforgettable campus tour and celebration. It will be epic. We’ll feast like kings.

When a person reminisces as I have done in today’s Monday Morning Memo, we usually assume they will soon be departing and are singing us a soft goodbye. Let me assure you this is not the case.

We’re simply hosting a catered half-time show.

Let us know if you plan to come.

Roy H. Williams