Robert B. Parker

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Robert B. Parker
Born September 17, 1932 (1932-09-17) (age 76)[1]
Springfield, Massachusetts
Occupation Writer
Nationality American
Genres Crime fiction
Spouse(s) Joan H. Parker[2]
Children 2 sons
Official website

Robert B. Parker (born September 17, 1932[1]) is an acclaimed American crime writer. His most famous works are the Spenser series, which achieved a far wider audience due to being dramatized as a television series, Spenser: For Hire, on the ABC network during the late 1980s. His works incorporate considerable knowledge about the Boston metropolitan area.[3]

Contents

[edit] Biography

Parker was born in Springfield, Massachusetts.[1][4] Parker married Joan H. Parker on 26 August 1956,[1] whom he claims to have met as a toddler at a birthday party (they spent their childhoods in the same neighborhood).

Parker and his wife had two sons, David and Daniel. Originally, Parker's character Spenser was to have the first name "David", but he didn't want to omit his other son. So Parker removed the first name completely and to this day, Spenser's first name remains unknown and rarely referred to.[5]

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.[4] Parker received a PhD degree in English literature from Boston University in 1971.[1][6] 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.[1][4]

Parker wrote his first novel[6] 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.[4]

[edit] Career

Parker and his wife created an independent film company called Pearl Productions, based in Boston. It is named after their German short-haired pointer, Pearl.[6]

Parker created female detective Sunny Randall at the request of actress Helen Hunt, who wanted him to write a part for her to play.[1] He wrote the first book, and the film version was planned for 2000,[4] but never materialized.[6] However, his publisher liked the character and asked him to continue with the series.[6]

According to critic Christina Nunez, Parker's "inclusion of [characters of] other races and sexual persuasions" lends his writings a "more modern feel".[7] 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,[8] even a gay mob boss, Gino Fish.[9] The open homosexuality of both his sons gives his writing "[a] sensibility," Ms. Nunez feels, "[which] strengthens Parker's sensibility [toward gays]."

Aside from crime writing, Parker has also produced several Western novels, including Appaloosa,[10] and children's books. 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.[11]

[edit] Awards

Parker has received three nominations and two Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America. He received the first award, the "Best Novel Award" in 1977, for the fourth novel in the Spenser series, The Promised Land.[12] In 1990 he shared, with wife Joan, a nomination for "Best Television Episode" for the TV series B.L. Stryker; however, the award went to David J. Burke and Alfonse Ruggiero Jr. for Wiseguy.[13]

In 2002 he received the Grand Master Award Edgar for his collective oeuvre.[14]

In 2008 he was awarded the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award.

[edit] Spenser novels

Also see Spenser (character)

  1. The Godwulf Manuscript (1973) ISBN 0-440-12961-3
  2. God Save the Child (1974) ISBN 0-425-04301-0
  3. Mortal Stakes (1975) ISBN 0-440-15758-7
  4. Promised Land (1976) (Edgar Award, 1977, Best Novel) ISBN 0-395-24771-3
  5. The Judas Goat (1978) ISBN 0-440-14196-6
  6. Looking for Rachel Wallace (1980) ISBN 0-440-15316-6
  7. Early Autumn (1980) ISBN 0-440-12214-7
  8. A Savage Place (1981) ISBN 0-440-08094-0
  9. Ceremony (1982) ISBN 0-440-10993-0
  10. The Widening Gyre (1983) ISBN 0-440-19535-7
  11. Valediction (1984) ISBN 0-440-19246-3
  12. A Catskill Eagle (1985) ISBN 0-440-11132-3
  13. Taming a Sea Horse (1986) ISBN 0-440-18841-5
  14. Pale Kings and Princes (1987) ISBN 0-440-20004-0
  15. Crimson Joy (1988) ISBN 0-440-20343-0
  16. Playmates (1989) ISBN 0-425-12001-5
  17. Stardust (1990) ISBN 0-425-12723-0
  18. Pastime (1991) ISBN 0-425-13293-5
  19. Double Deuce (1992) ISBN 0-425-13793-7
  20. Paper Doll (1993) ISBN 0-425-14155-1
  21. Walking Shadow (1994) ISBN 0-425-14774-6
  22. Thin Air (1995) ISBN 0-425-15290-1
  23. Chance (1996) ISBN 0-425-15747-4
  24. Small Vices (1997) ISBN 0-425-16248-6
  25. Sudden Mischief (1998) ISBN 0-425-16828-X
  26. Hush Money (1999) ISBN 0-425-17401-8
  27. Hugger Mugger (2000) ISBN 0-399-14587-7
  28. Potshot (2001) ISBN 0-425-18288-6
  29. Widow's Walk (2002) ISBN 0-425-18904-X
  30. Back Story (2003) ISBN 0-425-19479-5
  31. Bad Business (2004) ISBN 0-399-15145-1
  32. Cold Service (2005) ISBN 0-399-15240-7
  33. School Days (2005) ISBN 0-399-15323-3
  34. Hundred-Dollar Baby (2006) ISBN 0-399-15376-4
  35. Now and Then (2007) ISBN 0-399-15441-8
  36. Rough Weather (2008) ISBN 0-399-15519-8
  37. Chasing the Bear: A Young Spenser Novel (2009) ISBN 0-399-24776-9
  38. The Professional (2009) ISBN 0-399-15594-5

[edit] Jesse Stone novels

Also see Jesse Stone novels

  1. Night Passage (1997) ISBN 0-425-18396-3
  2. Trouble in Paradise (1998) ISBN 0-515-12649-7
  3. Death In Paradise (2001) ISBN 0-399-14779-9
  4. Stone Cold: A Jesse Stone Novel (2003) ISBN 0-425-19874-X
  5. Sea Change (2006) ISBN 0-399-15267-9
  6. High Profile (2007) ISBN 0-425-20609-2
  7. Stranger In Paradise (2008) ISBN 0-399-15460-4
  8. Night and Day (2009) ISBN 0-399-15541-4

[edit] Sunny Randall novels

  1. Family Honor (1999) ISBN 0-399-14566-4
  2. Perish Twice (2000) ISBN 0-399-14668-7
  3. Shrink Rap (2002) ISBN 0-515-13620-4
  4. Melancholy Baby (2004) ISBN 0-399-15218-0
  5. Blue Screen (2006) ISBN 0-425-21598-9
  6. Spare Change (2007) ISBN 0-399-15425-6

[edit] Philip Marlowe novels

  1. Poodle Springs (1989). A completion of Raymond Chandler's last, unfinished, novel. ISBN 0-425-12343-X
  2. Perchance to Dream (1991). An sequel to Chandler's novel The Big Sleep. ISBN 0-425-13131-9

[edit] Virgil Cole & Everett Hitch Westerns

  1. Appaloosa (Berkley, 2006) ISBN 0-425-20432-4
  2. Resolution (2008) ISBN 0-399-15504-X
  3. Brimstone (2009) ISBN 0399155716

[edit] Other fiction

[edit] Non-fiction

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Robert B. Parker at the Internet Movie Database
  2. ^ See Discussion Page
  3. ^ Geherin, David (c1980). Sons of Sam Spade: the private-eye novel in the 70s: Robert B. Parker, Roger L. Simon, Andrew Bergman. Ungar. ISBN 0804422311. 
  4. ^ a b c d e Robert B. Parker biography from Litweb.net
  5. ^ Robert B. Parker FAQ www.bullets-and-beer.com Robert B. Parker FAQ
  6. ^ a b c d e Author Profile: Robert B. Parker from BookReporter.com
  7. ^ Barnes and Noble Parker bio page by Christina Nunez [1]
  8. ^ Parker's son, David, played Farrell in the TV adaptation of Small Vices [2]
  9. ^ See nearly the entire Spenser series for Hawk, whose prominence in the plots increases with each book; for Chollo, Stardust, Pot Shot, Cold Service features Ukrainian and Russian mobsters; and Walking Shadow; which explores Chinese tongs and includes a Chinese-American translator named Mei Ling who has a relationship with Hawk; see Chance for Gino Fish, who also crosses over into the first Jessie Stone novel
  10. ^ Adapted to film in 2008 by Ed Harris, starring Harris (who also directed and co-wrote the screenplay), Viggo Mortensen and Jeremy Irons
  11. ^ The Tennessean, 8 March 2009, Arts & Entertainment, p. 11
  12. ^ "Edgars" database search for "Grand Master" award at the Mystery Writers of America's website (accessed February 2009)
  13. ^ Robert B. Parker Award page from IMDb
  14. ^ theedgars.com database [3] accessed February 2009

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_B._Parker"
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