See The Guardian obit here.   Umberto  Eco has passed away.  I was lucky enough to hear this captivating analyst of culture and mean speak at University of Toronto’s International Summer School on Semiotic and Structural Studies that Paul Bouissac organized for many years (a version continues in Imatra).  It was 1983 or 84; the topic was the symbolic power of American film, specifically I belief he spoke on Bogart in Casablanca. He was passionate about language and meaning. The punch line of the talk was, repeated several times in Eco’s heavy Italian accent,

“Bogie — ‘ees my heero!”

Rob Shields (University of Alberta)

ps. see the ongoing and renjuvenated Ryerson/Victoria College Toronto Semiotic Circle.  An apt memorial.