Perhaps something can be made of this exchange:
> (Buy me many drinks and I will continue to discuss
traditional/cosy
> >> detection, sf, romance, the Western, etc
etc etc, at boring length, deep
> >> into the night.)
>
> >So is alcohol the coffee of the detective
class?
>
> Actually, Bill, this is merely how you can detect
the presence of an
> (ex-)academic on the list.
>
> Marianne
------ Right. Academics talk, and drink is a good
lubricant.
How about a variation on the work theme? Think of instances
where the PI or noir protagonist is, shall we say, less than
sober--through his/her own intakes or forced intakes--and
STILL does a job of "work." Maybe even graceful work, inspite
of a chemical condition. [sounding like a social worker
here]
Believe Marlowe, in drugged condition, effectively using a
bed spring in Farewell, My Lovely, would qualify. Believe
Pelecanos has some protagonists who perform in various states
of high...but won't hazard naming scenes, because I can't
remember that aspect as well as the scenes themselves (being
carried away with the deployment of participants at the
time).
Bill Hagen
billha@ionet.net
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