Writers share love for Robert Parker, Spenser series
If you’re a fan of Robert Parker or his Spenser series, you’ll probably love this collection of essays by other fans who happen to be writers themselves.
“In Pursuit of Spenser: Mystery Writers on Robert B. Parker and the Creation of an American Hero” seems more like a conversation than a series of essays. For starters, there’s a brilliantly written introduction by Otto Penzler on his friendship with Parker and what the Spenser novels mean to him.
The first chapter, or essay, by the collaborators is “Songs Spenser Taught Me.” Here, Ace Atkins discusses how the novels changed his life and caused him to become a writer. His voice is important to the discussion as he’s continuing the series. I’ve read two of this author’s novels, and he certainly has a different style of writing than Parker.
Then, there’s Dennis Lehane, who writes one of the best parts of the book. Lehane is the author of many books, including “Mystic River” and “Shutter Island.” For several years, the Boston media hailed Lehane as the writer who was going to surpass Parker. Lehane won’t say if it caused any conflict, but it was the elephant in the room whenever they were brought together for a book signing.
The important thing is it was the Spenser novels that inspired Lehane to become a writer. He was working at a bookstore in Boston as a teenager and had the opportunity to put together a signing for Parker. Afterward, he walked Parker outside and asked his advice about writing. Parker answered his question and then headed home on foot. Years later when they met as equals, Parker didn’t remember the signing. For Lehane, those few minutes changed his life.
In another section, Lawrence Block, who didn’t know Parker very well but read most of his books, recalls a signing in which Parker answered questions from his fans. One of the questions was whether or not he ever read his books once they were finished. He said he didn’t. Parker then saw Block standing in the rear of the crowd. He asked him, “How about you, Larry? Do you ever read your own work?” Block responded, “I read nothing else.” Block was happy he’d been able to hit the pitched ball back to Parker so quickly and with a sense of humor.
There’s also a nice entry by author Jeremiah Healy, who probably knew Parker as well as any other author. Healy remembers when they met in a Boston bar and Parker gave him some sound advice on why getting an agent was important. It’s a great essay to read, especially when Healy talks about how Parker felt about the casting of the television series “Spenser: For Hire,” with the late Robert Urich. Parker wasn’t happy with the choice.
Great fiction writer Ed Gorman also weighs in. He discusses the Westerns Parker wrote, including “Gunman’s Rhapsody,” which is the author’s take on the Wyatt Earp legend, and “Appaloosa.” Gorman does a terrific job discussing Parker’s desire for authenticity in the genre.
Parnell Hall, Loren D. Estleman, Reed Farrel Coleman, Brendan DuBois, S.J. Rozan and others contribute to this excellent book. “In Pursuit of Spenser” is written by fans of Robert Parker for fans of Robert Parker. It’s a fun read that brings back wonderful memories of the man who created Spenser and so many other characters.
Wayne C. Rogers is the author of the horror novellas “The Encounter” and “The Tunnels,” both of which can be purchased at Amazon’s Kindle Store for 99 cents each.
