In Memory of Lile Gowen

April 15, 1957 – January 5, 2026

Lile Gowen in conversation with Linda Deneroff, Kate Schaefer (CW’92) and Dan Trefethen are in the background. Clarion West 2018. Photo by Eric Harlow

Every summer from 2011 through 2024, uninterrupted except for the COVID-19 Pandemic, Lile Gowen hosted a party in celebration of a Clarion West instructor during the Six-Week Workshop. More than just a party, Lile always catered with delicious food and drinks, and an opportunity to see Seattle from his beautiful home in Queen Anne. His only two concerns about hosting a party were that we didn’t let too many people crowd the patio and that Connie Willis took the elevator.

“Marneeeee! Are we going to have a party this year?” Lile’s voice from over the phone always conveyed his enthusiasm for hosting the next class of speculative fiction writers. I can hear his voice so clearly in my head, it seems impossible to believe that I won’t be hearing it again. The only time we didn’t have this call was in 2021 and 2022 due to COVID precautions. And even then, he had been very disappointed not to host.

Board member Yang-Yang Wang (CW ‘14) talks to Ted Chiang (CW Instructor ‘21), with Jon Lasser (CW ‘16) in the background, on Lile’s patio in 2018. Photo by Eric Harlow

Steven Barnes, Nisi Shawl, and Matt Ruff at a 2017 fundraising event hosted by Lile Gowen. Photo by Rashida Smith (CW’05)

A volunteer and avid participant in Seattle’s Foolscap Convention, Lile was introduced to Clarion West through Karen Anderson and he first co-hosted a summer party with Foolscap. He also hosted a number of fundraising events at his home, donated to the instructorship fund, and volunteered on our accessibility committee.

Altogether, Lile graciously hosted 13 events for instructors and special guests, including Minister Faust (2011), Connie Willis (2012, 2015, 2017), Joe Hill (2013), Kij Johnson (2014), Kim Stanley Robinson (2015), Elizabeth Bear (2016), Steven Barnes (2017), Matt Ruff (2017, 2024), Karen Lord (2018), Annalee Newitz (2019), Oren Etzioni (2019), Sarah Pinsker (2024), and Kelley Eskridge (2024). Each year he had his team create fabulous one-of-a-kind posters to be signed by the instructors.

Lile loved talking to Greg Bear, Nisi Shawl, Ted Chiang, and many of our local authors and his enthusiasm for science fiction was always evident. His events were a student favorite and gave each class an opportunity to savor their experience and meet the Seattle community. Many of us looked forward to chatting with him about baseball, the Boston SciFi Film Festival, tv series, and books.

Eileen Gunn (CW Instructor ‘18, ‘21), Annalee Newitz (CW Instructor’22), and Oren Etzioni at the 2019 AI Discussion hosted by Lile. Photo by Rashida Smith (CW’05)

Lile will be dearly missed at Clarion West, but his love of science fiction will certainly live on through the many, many lives and works that he supported. You can find his official obituary here: https://www.cookfamilyfuneralhome.com/obituaries/william-gowen. Lile’s family plans a celebration of life at a later date.