For more on Baen's life, you can read David Drake's obituary.

I've never formally met Jim Baen (though I may have come across him way back when at CCNY), but he helped change my life. By his starting an e-magazine, I was able to sell a science fiction story. That may not sound like much, and it probably means more to me than most other people. But a publisher sets a direction, and being open to new people has an immeasurable value for any writer trying to break in. I would have liked to have had the opportunity to say thank you to him in person, but that won't happen.

So I thought I'd leave a virtual flower to his memory. Flowers are the most ethereal of life forms and the most resilent. They die and they return. Their presence is always felt.