> QUOTE
>"To Rara-Avis,
>
>I may be a first time mystery author and maybe the
three martinis I had
>tonight after my book signing are talking, but you
guys have a serious
>case of in-list dweebism going on. .... snipped...."
UNQUOTE
But the facts of the case have yet to be stated fully.
Tuesday, the 15th, at 10:53 AM, RARA-AVIS Time (Toronto): One
Peter Lance
signs on for the first time. He claims to have been referred
to us by one
Kate Derie; he asks our help in compiling a list of "CRITICS"
who review
"MYSTERIES"; he hints darkly that there exists such a list,
hidden, "a
secret ...closely guarded," not available to plain folks like
us...and
him; he asks our help, off-line, in compiling a list of
reviewers that he
will then make available to us. Although he doesn't say so,
his e-mail
signature advertises his identity as an author; presumably he
wants to
leaflet or send complimentary copies of his novel to
reviewers. He calls
us "Friends."
Tuesday, the 15h, less than 12 hours later, 11:21 PM: One
Peter Lance,
author of _First Degree Burn_, flames the list, in disgust
with the few
posts he's read during that day. He's been signing books,
admits that 3
martinees may be talking, and, according to one of our
regulars, looked
real soft boiled himself.
Now let's use investigative standards evolved in RARA-AVIS to
analyze these
shreds of evidence. We pay attention to words like "vulgar"
and
"etymology," right? Perhaps we should pay more attention to
someone who
writes in capital letters? This list he's seeking, these
CRITICS who are
hidden or in hiding from him, do they LOOM LIKE CAPITAL
LETTERS? Is there
excessive anxiety here?
The other thing that should have tipped us off is his address
to us: what
should the hard-boiled reader THINK when he/she/ne encounters
a character
in a story who addresses everyone as "Friends"? Dunno
about you, but I think salesman, preacher or hit man. We
should've tumbled
to him
earlier.
OK, apart from the 3 martinis--I'm getting thirsty
myself--what else could
have provoked his reaction? What did he read? Well, that day
we were in
the middle
of talking about the stories of the week, a darn good
discussion it was
too. Mostly we were upbeat, laying out some points for
further comment, in
very friendly fashion. BUT it must have been mystifying to
Mr. Lance,
before or after his evening of drinking and signing, as to
why we were
carrying on about these certain stories... [I AM going to get
that drink.
Excuse ME, Friends.] ...we were making valid points, backing
them up (as one
recent reader kindly noticed); at times, we were a trifle
academic, using
big words or THEORY... Wait! It's as plain as the etymology
on your face!
We were commenting just like CRITICS! What happened was a
transfer of
anxiety/hostility. Maybe PL imagines we are the reviewers! We
are the
people on the HIDDEN LIST!
In fact, I want to confess that I REVIEW! Not mysteries, but
(worse)
criticism and novels like _Mason & Dixon_, by Thomas
Pynchon who convinces
me while I'm reading him that nothing IS as it SEEMS. I'm
ashamed I didn't
confess this when I came on board. I agree with Peter Lance:
If I were
going down a dark alley, I wouldn't want me at my back
either....
This is not just good Mexican beer talking here. I can still
read the
writing on my bottle.
Besides, it may not be the 3 drinks that really influenced
PL. Think about
it. What else had he been doing? He'd been signing his "Peter
Lance" over
and over
and over. Words have power.
We need to thank "Peter Lance." I certainly do. In writing
t/his story,
I have found a LIFE. It is rich, full-bodied, robust. It has
gusto.
Right now, it tastes great!
Bill Hagen
<billha@ionet.net>
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