August 10, 2002 Peoria, Illinois at the Lakeview Library about 85 people showed up to honor Philip Jose Farmer and THE LOVERS. Of those registered on showing up for the event many from throughout the United States and Roger Crombie from Bermuda, Paul Spiteri and family from England, and Zacharias Nuninga and Frouwke Dijhuizen from The Netherlands.  Philip Jose Farmer and his wife Bette sat at the head table while the first award was presented to Mr Farmer, a nice wood plaque with the Virgil Finlay drawing originally from the Startling Stories of August 1952 on bright purple metal.   Presented by Rick Beaulieu.
This plaque has the following text:
 
 

Then a picture of the Farmer's presented by artist Shannon Robicheaux was given to the Farmers.
Shannon said that he had thought long and hard to come up with the proper image for this drawing to represent the correct image of what the story has meant through the years.

Michael Croteau read letters to the editors of Starling Stories in regards to the printing of THE LOVERS.  During the early 50's the normal time period of having letters printed in response to an article or story was three months.  With THE LOVERS being printed in August the first letters in response were printed in the November issue and over the next 3 years over 250 letters were printed with just a handful of the letters against the story.  Some of the more notable letters were from of the better known names in the science fiction world.  (Forrest J Ackerman, John Brunner, Poul Anderson, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Alfred Bester, Theodore Sturgeon among others)

A binder with many letters of tribute from fellow science fiction authors was read by Tracy Knight, letters from the following were included:
Piers Anthony,  Jean M Auel, Michael Bishop, David Brin, David Drake, Ed Gorman, James Gunn,  Joe Haldeman, Howard V Hendrix,  Joe L Hensley, Julian May, Michael Moorcock, Andre Norton, Frederik Pohl, Kim Stanley Robinson,  Robert Sheckley, Bruce Sterling,  Gene Wolfe, Jane Yolen, and Kilgore Trout.
 
 

                    from the Peoria Library                                             Hugo Awards

After the awards and gifts Philip Jose Farmer gave a short speech.  He picked up the smaller of the two Hugos sitting in front of him and informed us that was the Hugo he received in 1954 for being the most promising new Science Fiction Author of the Year.
 
 

With all the talking done, now was the time to get to the signing of books, each person would be allow to get 5 books signed and then back into line if time and Mr Farmer's health permits.  Now the decision on what to get signed first and hope that time would permit a second chance.  Having books for 3 friends with limited me as to what get signed, decision made into line and wait.  I was in line for the second time and only 18 from the table when Mr Farmer said he had to quit.  At 85 and having had a stroke last year he tires easily.  Just a few minutes before 4 o'clock the signing was over.  I had my copy of TARZAN ALIVE (1st edition hard cover) and THE LOVERS (1st printing Ballantine paperback) signed.   Now my copy of THE LOVERS has been signed by both the author Philip Jose Farmer and the cover artist Richard Powers.

After leaving the Library I visited three used book stores to see what was available and picked up about 30 paperbacks for my collection.
 
 

At 6 o'clock arrived at The Lariat restaurant for dinner.  There were 5 tables of 10 people each with Philip Jose Farmer at the head table.  One table was mostly members of the Farmer family.  At the table where I was Bette Farmer.  She informed us about how they met and what Philip did to catch her attention. ( falling down a flight of stairs twice).  They have been together 61 years.
When Mr Farmer sent the manuscript for THE DARK HEART OF TIME to Ballantine/Del Rey they questioned him on his knowledge of Tarzan.

At dinner another drawing by Shannon Robicheaux was given to the Farmers showing some of the Farmer fans waiting to have their books signed.
 
 

The two characters on the left of the line are Rick Beaulieu and Michael Croteau.