The Perspiring Writer Magazine

"Robert B. Parker died suddenly of a heart attack, sitting at his desk in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was 77."

This short blurb in my local paper was all that was mentioned of one of the greatest writers of our generation. At least, he was in my view. In contrast. the death of J. D. Salinger, author of Catcher In The Rye and a small collection of short stories, received a great deal of ink–perhaps it was justified because of his one critically acclaimed novel and his later reclusive behavior.

In contrast, Robert B. Parker pounded out over 50 novels in his hard-hitting, pugilistic fashion without any fanfare. He was not in it for the glory. It was a job-a job that he worked at much like a day laborer. It was tough work, but he was a tough kind of guy. He wasn't afraid to perspire, even to bleed, if necessary. He labored until the job was done. He rested when he could, knowing there would always be more books to write, more work to do. But he relished the fight he waged against the blank page. And he always won.

Although he was recognized mostly for his manly protagonists in his well-received Spenser and Jesse Stone mystery novels, he also penned some great Western tales, children's books, and even novels with a female as the protagonist.

He was indeed a writer's writer. Much like Hemingway, Parker didn't use flowery prose or long paragraphs to convey his thoughts. His dialogue scenes are a textbook showcase for wannabe writers wanting to learn the writing craft and the genius of brevity. 

In a rare interview, he denied being like his Spenser character, even though he had the face and build of a former boxer and answered most questions with a monosyllabic response.

His writing style was short and to the point. He echoed Hemingway in that he believed a writer should write, and not talk about writing.

He was born Robert Brown Parker in Springfield, Massachusetts on September 17, 1932 and died at his writing desk January 18, 2010. His most famous works were the Spenser novels, which were the starting point for a television series, Spenser: For Hire, on the ABC network during the late 1980s. His works incorporate considerable knowledge about the Boston metropolitan area. 

He married his beloved Joan H. Parker on August 26, 1956, whom he met as a toddler at a birthday party. (They spent their childhoods in the same neighborhood.) He dedicated nearly all of his books to her.

After earning a BA degree from Colby College in Waterville, Maine, Parker served in the US Army in Korea. In 1957, he earned his Master’s degree in English literature from Boston University and then worked in advertising and technical writing until 1962. He received a PhD degree in English literature from Boston University in 1971. His dissertation, titled “The Violent Hero, Wilderness Heritage and Urban Reality”, discussed the exploits of fictional private-eye heroes created by Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler and Ross Macdonald.

He wrote his first novel in 1971 while at Northeastern University. He became a full professor in 1976, and turned to full-time writing in 1979 with five Spenser novels to his credit.

With his wife, he created an independent film company called Pearl Productions, based in Boston. It is named after their German short-haired pointer dog, Pearl.

At the request of actress Helen Hunt, who wanted him to write a part for her to play, he created the female detective Sunny Randall. He wrote the first book, and the film version was planned for 2000, but never materialized. However, his publisher liked the character and asked him to continue with the series.

His inclusion of characters of other races and sexual persuasions lends his writings a more modern feel. For example, the Spenser series characters include Hawk and Chollo, African-American and Mexican-American, respectively, as well as Russians, Ukrainians, Chinese, a gay cop, Lee Farrell, and even a gay mob boss, Gino Fish. 

As I mentioned, aside from crime writing, Robert B. Parker also produced several great Western novels, including Appaloosa that was made into a movie using most of Parker's crisp dialogue word-for-word. In 1994, he collaborated with Japanese photographer Kasho Kumagai on a coffee table book called Spenser’s Boston, exploring the city through Spenser’s “eyes” via high quality, 4-color photos. In addition to Parker’s introduction, excerpts from several of the Spenser novels were included.

Parker received three nominations and two Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America. He also received the “Best Novel Award” in 1977, for his fourth novel in the Spenser series, Promised Land. In 1990 he shared, with wife Joan, a nomination for “Best Television Episode” for the TV series B.L. Stryker.

In 2002 he received the Grand Master Award Edgar. And in 2008 he was awarded the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award.

Personally, I believe he should have received an award for being simply the best damn perspiring writer of our generation.