RIP Spenser
I vividly remember Robert Parker from hearing him speak at an ALA. Very likely, it was an ALA held in Boston, a city I know more through his books than from personal experience. At that event, Parker made gentle but uproarious fun of a bit of library pomposity that went on before he spoke; he was totally charming and had the audience eating out of his hand.
And, now, upon returning from an ALA in Boston, I learn that Parker has died. He was 77 and, according to reports, he died at his desk in his home in Cambridge.
Below are links to some of the first tributes:
- Christian Science Monitor, In appreciation of Robert B. Parker, creator of “Spenser for Hire”
- Entertainment Weekly, In Memoriam: Robert B. Parker
- Wall Street Journal, Robert B. Parker, An Appreciation
- Sarah Weinman, Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind, Robert Parker is Dead (includes a full list of tributes)
The most recent Spenser novel, The Professional, came out in October, 2009. His next novel, in the Jesse Stone series, is coming next month.
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Random House Audio; UNABR; 2/23/10; 9780739357484; $32
Thorndike Large Print; 2/1/10; 9781410421876; hdbk; $35.95
Audio available from OverDrive
Coming in May is the fourth in his Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch western series, following Appoloosa, Resolution and Brimstone.
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Random House Audio; UNABR; 5/4/10; 9780307735478; $32