Editing Isaac Asimov (section)

=== Personal life ===
Asimov met his first wife, Gertrude Blugerman (May 16, 1917, [[Toronto]], Canada<ref>Asimov, I. (1979) ''In Memory Yet Green'', (Avon 1980 edition), p. 351.</ref>&nbsp;– October 17, 1990, [[Boston]], U.S.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.geni.com/people/Gertrude-Asimov-Blugerman/6000000010837202541 |title= Gertrude Asimov Blugerman|website= Geni.com|date= May 16, 1917| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323094144/https://www.geni.com/people/Gertrude-Asimov-Blugerman/6000000010837202541 |archive-date= March 23, 2019 | access-date= March 23, 2019}}</ref>), on a [[blind date]] on February 14, 1942, and married her on July 26.<ref>Asimov, I. (1979) ''In Memory Yet Green'', (Avon 1980 edition), p. 364.</ref> The couple lived in an apartment in [[West Philadelphia]] while Asimov was employed at the Philadelphia Navy Yard (where two of his co-workers were [[L. Sprague de Camp]] and [[Robert A. Heinlein]]). Gertrude returned to Brooklyn while he was in the Army, and they both lived there from July 1946 before moving to [[Stuyvesant Town]], [[Manhattan]], in July 1948. They moved to [[Boston]] in May 1949, then to nearby suburbs [[Somerville, Massachusetts|Somerville]] in July 1949, [[Waltham, Massachusetts|Waltham]] in May 1951, and, finally, [[West Newton, Massachusetts|West Newton]] in 1956.<ref>Asimov, I. (1979) ''In Memory Yet Green'', (Avon 1980 edition), pp. 355, 366, 476, 480–481, 532, 560–563, 623, and Asimov, I. (1979) ''In Joy Still Felt'', (Avon 1980 edition), pp. 47–49.</ref> They had two children, David (born 1951) and Robyn Joan (born 1955).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.asimovonline.com/asimov_FAQ.html |title=Isaac Asimov FAQ |work=asimovonline.com |access-date=March 3, 2015 |archive-date=October 16, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016074817/http://www.asimovonline.com/asimov_FAQ.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1970, they separated and Asimov moved back to New York, this time to the [[Upper West Side]] of Manhattan where he lived for the rest of his life.<ref>Asimov wrote in 1969 that "periodic trips to New York ... have, more and more, become a kind of highlight to my life". {{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/stream/nightfallotherst00asim#page/244/mode/2up|title=Nightfall, and other stories|last=Asimov|first=Isaac|date=1969|publisher=Doubleday|page=267}}</ref> He began seeing [[Janet Asimov|Janet O. Jeppson]], a psychiatrist and science-fiction writer, and married her on November 30, 1973,<ref>Asimov, Isaac. (1975) ''Buy Jupiter and Other Stories'', VGSF (1988 ed.), p. 205.</ref> two weeks after his divorce from Gertrude.<ref>{{cite book|title=In Joy Still Felt: The Autobiography of Isaac Asimov, 1954–1978 |last=Asimov |first=Isaac |date=1980 |publisher=[[Doubleday (publisher)|Doubleday]] |location=Garden City, New York |isbn=0-385-15544-1 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/injoystillfelt00isaa/page/659 659, 661] |url=https://archive.org/details/injoystillfelt00isaa/page/659 }}</ref>

Asimov was a [[Claustrophilia|claustrophile]]: he enjoyed small, enclosed spaces.<ref>{{cite book|title=I. Asimov: A Memoir |last=Asimov |first=Isaac |date=1994 |publisher=Doubleday |location=New York |isbn=0-385-41701-2 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/iasimovmemoir00asim_0/page/129 129–131] |url=https://archive.org/details/iasimovmemoir00asim_0/page/129 }}</ref>{{efn|{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/stream/nightfallotherst00asim#page/244/mode/2up|title=Nightfall, and Other Stories|last=Asimov|first=Isaac|date=1969|publisher=Doubleday|page=244|quote=I wrote a novel in 1953 which pictured a world in which everyone lived in underground cities, comfortably enclosed away from the open air. People would say, 'How could you imagine such a nightmarish situation?' And I would answer in astonishment, 'What nightmarish situation?'}}}} In the third volume of his autobiography, he recalls a childhood desire to own a magazine stand in a [[New York City Subway]] station, within which he could enclose himself and listen to the rumble of passing trains while reading.<ref>{{cite book |title=In Memory Yet Green: The Autobiography of Isaac Asimov, 1920–1954 |last=Asimov |first=Isaac |date=1979 |publisher=Doubleday |location=Garden City, New York |isbn=0-385-13679-X}}</ref>

Asimov was [[fear of flying|afraid of flying]], doing so only twice: once in the course of his work at the Naval Air Experimental Station and once returning home from [[Oahu|Oʻahu]] in 1946. Consequently, he seldom traveled great distances. This phobia influenced several of his fiction works, such as the [[Wendell Urth]] mystery stories and the ''Robot'' novels featuring [[Elijah Baley]]. In his later years, Asimov found enjoyment traveling on [[cruise ship]]s, beginning in 1972 when he viewed the [[Apollo 17]] launch from a [[SS Statendam (1956)|cruise ship]].<ref>Asimov, I. (1973) "The Cruise and I", in ''The Tragedy of the Moon'' (1973, Dell), chapter 16.</ref> On several cruises, he was part of the entertainment program, giving science-themed talks aboard ships such as the ''[[Queen Elizabeth 2]]''.<ref name="Acrophobia">{{cite book|title=I. Asimov: A Memoir |last=Asimov |first=Isaac |date=1994 |publisher=Doubleday |location=New York |isbn=0-385-41701-2 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/iasimovmemoir00asim_0/page/125 125–129] |url=https://archive.org/details/iasimovmemoir00asim_0/page/125 }}</ref> He sailed to England in June 1974 on the {{SS|France|1960|6}} for a trip mostly devoted to lectures in London and Birmingham,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fiawol.org.uk/fanstuff/then%20archive/1974Asimov/asimov.htm |title=Asimov in the UK |website=Rob Hansen's Fan Stuff |access-date=July 16, 2020 |archive-date=September 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930035853/http://www.fiawol.org.uk/fanstuff/then%20archive/1974Asimov/asimov.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> though he also found time to visit [[Stonehenge]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Platt |first=Charles |editor-last=Durwood |editor-first=Thomas |title=Ariel, The Book of Fantasy, Volume 4 |publisher=Ariel Books |date=1978 |pages=28–31 |chapter=A Visit with Isaac Asimov |isbn=9780345278296}}</ref> and Shakespeare's birthplace.<ref>Asimov (1980) ''In Joy Still Felt'', p. 676</ref>

[[File:Isaac and Janet Asimov.jpg|thumb|right|Asimov with his second wife, Janet. "They became a permanent feature of my face, and it is now difficult to believe early photographs that show me without sideburns."<ref>Asimov (1980), ''In Joy Still Felt'', p. 471.</ref> (Photo by Jay Kay Klein.)]]
Asimov was a [[teetotalism|teetotaler]].{{sfn|Asimov|1971|p=[https://archive.org/details/isaacasimovstrea00asim/page/106/mode/2up 106]}}

He was an able public speaker and was regularly invited to give talks about science in his distinct [[New York accent]]. He participated in many [[science fiction convention]]s, where he was friendly and approachable.<ref name="Acrophobia"/> He patiently answered tens of thousands of questions and other mail with postcards and was pleased to give autographs. He was of medium height, {{height|ft=5|in=9}}<ref>''In Memory Yet Green'', p. 22.</ref> and stocky build. In his later years, he adopted a signature style of "mutton-chop" [[sideburns]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.space.com/42222-astounding-science-fiction-book-excerpt.html|title=Asimov's Sword: Excerpt from 'Astounding' History of Science Fiction|last=Lewin|first=Sarah|date=October 23, 2018|website=[[Space.com]]|publisher=[[Purch Group|Purch]]|access-date=November 9, 2018|archive-date=November 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181110040337/https://www.space.com/42222-astounding-science-fiction-book-excerpt.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-harlan-ellison-isaac-asimov-studs-terkel-together-video-20130503-story.html|title=Harlan Ellison, Isaac Asimov, Studs Terkel together in 1982 video|last=Kellogg|first=Carolyn|date=May 6, 2013|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=November 9, 2018|archive-date=October 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181017201429/http://articles.latimes.com/2013/may/06/entertainment/la-et-jc-harlan-ellison-isaac-asimov-studs-terkel-together-video-20130503|url-status=live}}</ref> He took to wearing [[bolo tie]]s after his wife Janet objected to his clip-on bow ties.<ref>Asimov, I. (1980) ''In Joy Still Felt'', p. 677.</ref> He never learned to swim or ride a bicycle, but did learn to drive a car after he moved to Boston. In his humor book ''Asimov Laughs Again'', he describes Boston driving as "anarchy on wheels".<ref>{{cite book|title=Asimov Laughs Again |last=Asimov |first=Isaac |date=1992 |publisher=HarperCollins Publishers |location=New York |isbn=0-06-016826-9 |url=https://archive.org/details/asimovlaughsagai00isaa }}</ref>

Asimov's wide interests included his participation in later years in organizations devoted to the [[comic opera]]s of [[Gilbert and Sullivan]].<ref name="Acrophobia"/> Many of his short stories mention or quote Gilbert and Sullivan.{{sfnp|White|2005|pp=83, 219–220}} He was a prominent member of [[The Baker Street Irregulars]], the leading [[Sherlock Holmes]] society,<ref name="Acrophobia"/> for whom he wrote an essay arguing that Professor Moriarty's work "The Dynamics of An Asteroid" involved the willful destruction of an ancient, civilized planet. He was also a member of the male-only literary banqueting club the [[Trap Door Spiders]], which served as the basis of his fictional group of mystery solvers, the [[Black Widowers]].<ref name="Asimov_p376-377">Asimov, Isaac. ''I. Asimov, a Memoir'', New York, Doubleday, 1994, pp. 376–377.</ref> He later used his essay on Moriarty's work as the basis for a Black Widowers story, "[[The Ultimate Crime]]", which appeared in ''[[More Tales of the Black Widowers]]''.<ref>Asimov, Isaac. ''More Tales of the Black Widowers'', Greenwich (Connecticut), [[Fawcett Crest]], 1976, p. 223.</ref><ref>Asimov, Isaac. ''In Joy Still Felt'', Avon, 1980, pp. 699–700.</ref>

In 1984, the [[American Humanist Association]] (AHA) named him the Humanist of the Year. He was one of the signers of the [[Humanist Manifesto II|''Humanist Manifesto'']].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americanhumanist.org/Humanism/Humanist_Manifesto_II |title=Humanist Manifesto II |publisher=American Humanist Association |access-date=October 2, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020110719/http://www.americanhumanist.org/humanism/Humanist_Manifesto_II |archive-date=October 20, 2012 }}</ref> From 1985 until his death in 1992, he served as honorary president of the AHA, and was succeeded by his friend and fellow writer [[Kurt Vonnegut]]. He was also a close friend of ''[[Star Trek]]'' creator [[Gene Roddenberry]], and earned a screen credit as "special science consultant" on ''[[Star Trek: The Motion Picture]]'' for his advice during production.<ref name="theguardian.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/jun/09/isaacasimov|title=Isaac Asimov|date=July 22, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510164909/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/jun/09/isaacasimov|archive-date=May 10, 2017|url-status=live|work=The Guardian|access-date=March 3, 2015}}</ref>

Asimov was a founding member of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, CSICOP (now the [[Committee for Skeptical Inquiry]])<ref>*{{cite web |title=Sixteen Notable Figures in Science and Skepticism Elected CSI Fellows |date=January 12, 2010 |url=http://www.csicop.org/news/press_releases/show/sixteen_notable_figures_in_science_and_skepticism_elected_csi_fellows |publisher=[[Committee for Skeptical Inquiry]] |access-date=October 11, 2012 |archive-date=October 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181024204448/https://www.csicop.org/news/press_releases/show/sixteen_notable_figures_in_science_and_skepticism_elected_csi_fellows |url-status=live }}
* {{cite magazine |last=Blackmore |first=Susan |author-link=Susan Blackmore |title=Playing with fire / Firewalking with the Wessex Skeptics |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg12717254.900--forum-playing-with-fire--firewalking-with-the-wessex-skeptics--.html |magazine=[[New Scientist]] |access-date=October 11, 2012 |archive-date=October 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004220126/http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg12717254.900--forum-playing-with-fire--firewalking-with-the-wessex-skeptics--.html |url-status=live }}
* {{cite web |title=About CSI |url=http://www.csicop.org/about/about_csi/ |publisher=[[Committee for Skeptical Inquiry]] |access-date=April 29, 2014 |archive-date=April 21, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140421083212/http://www.csicop.org/about/about_csi |url-status=live }}</ref> and is listed in its Pantheon of Skeptics.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.csicop.org/about/the_pantheon_of_skeptics/ |title=The Pantheon of Skeptics |access-date=April 29, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013103203/http://www.csicop.org/about/the_pantheon_of_skeptics/ |archive-date=October 13, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In a discussion with [[James Randi]] at [[CSICon|CSICon 2016]] regarding the founding of CSICOP, [[Kendrick Frazier]] said that Asimov was "a key figure in the [[Skeptical movement]] who is less well known and appreciated today, but was very much in the public eye back then." He said that Asimov's being associated with CSICOP "gave it immense status and authority" in his eyes.<ref>{{cite web|title=A Conversation with James Randi|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZQNuw2jjzg&t=1s|website=[[YouTube]]| date=August 14, 2017 |publisher=[[Center For Inquiry]]|access-date=August 25, 2017|archive-date=February 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200228220925/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZQNuw2jjzg|url-status=live}}</ref>{{rp|13:00}}

Asimov described [[Carl Sagan]] as one of only two people he ever met whose intellect surpassed his own. The other, he claimed, was the [[computer scientist]] and [[artificial intelligence]] expert [[Marvin Minsky]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Asimov |first=Isaac |author-link=Isaac Asimov |title=In Joy Still Felt: The Autobiography of Isaac Asimov, 1954–1978 |orig-year=Originally published 1980; Garden City, NY: [[Doubleday (publisher)|Doubleday]] |date=1981 |publisher=[[Avon (publisher)|Avon]] |location=New York |isbn=0-380-53025-2 |oclc=7880716 |lccn=79003685 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/injoystillfelt00isaa/page/217 217, 302] |url=https://archive.org/details/injoystillfelt00isaa/page/217 }}</ref> Asimov was an on-and-off member and honorary vice president of [[Mensa International]], albeit reluctantly;<ref>{{cite book |last1=Asimov |first1=Isaac |title=I.Asimov: A Memoir |date=2009 |edition=ebook |publisher=Bantam Books |location=New York |isbn=978-0-307-57353-7 |oclc=612306604 |pages=546–547 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mATFyeVI7IUC&pg=PT546 |access-date=July 3, 2014 |archive-date=July 28, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728030600/http://books.google.com/books?id=mATFyeVI7IUC&pg=PT546 |url-status=live }}</ref> he described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs".<ref>{{cite book |last=Asimov |first=Isaac |title=I, Asimov: A Memoir |publisher=Doubleday |location=New York |date=1994 |page=380 }}</ref>{{efn|On the subject of IQ tests, Asimov wrote: "there is no objective definition of intelligence, and what we call intelligence is only a creation of cultural fashion and subjective prejudice,"<ref>"Thinking About Thinking" in ''Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction'', January 1975.</ref> and "I simply don't think it is reasonable to use IQ tests to produce results of questionable value, which may then serve to justify racists in their own minds and to help bring about the kinds of tragedies we have already witnessed earlier in this century."<ref>"Alas, All Human" in ''Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction'', June 1979.</ref>}}

After his father died in 1969, Asimov annually contributed to a Judah Asimov Scholarship Fund at [[Brandeis University]].<ref>Asimov (1981), ''In Joy Still Felt'', Avon Books edition (originally Doubleday, 1980), p. 500.</ref>

In 2006, he was named by [[Carnegie Corporation of New York]] to the inaugural class of winners of the [[Great Immigrants Award]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=2006 Great Immigrants: Isaac Asimov |url=https://www.carnegie.org/awards/honoree/isaac-asimov/ |access-date=February 20, 2024 |website=Great Immigrants Great Americans}}</ref>