Spenser and Hawk are essentially the same guy, Hawk being – and the racial pun is intentional – the dark side of Spenser. And he’s become more practical than Spenser because he had to be. The practical people in this world are the ones with no options. Women are more practical than men; blacks are more practical than whites. So for Hawk, if you need to be killed, he’ll kill you. Spenser’s gonna worry about it, you know?
Anyway, I’m playing with a lot of stuff like that. I don’t do it anymore – it’s like riding a bicycle. When you’ve learned to ride a bicycle, you don’t have to worry about balancing and steering. But that was there at the beginning.
For more on this and every other topic under the sun, check out:
Dumpster Bust: Manufacturing Miracles from Mind Trash, Since 2003
Article comments
1 - randall
I just finished "Double Play";beautiful,words fail me. He writes better all the time. Lets hope he lives a long time yet.
2 - Eric Berlin
I couldn't agree more randall, thanks!
3 - James Reid
Mr. Parker: I have read just about everything you have ever written. In my next reincarnation, I want to come back as Spenser, who is to my mind a perfect human being. However, I was mildly disappointed in the ending of "Appaloosa." Neither of the two heros shows any interest in how Bragg got his money or pardon, which seems unrealistic. Also, the final showdown with Bragg and Everett had little emotional impact on me since I no longer hated Bragg as much. The end left me unsatisfied.
4 - Chuck
In the interview, Parker comments that he does not have the talent to have written "The Great Gatsby." Fair enough, but could Fitzgerald, or anyone else one could name, have the talent to have written both "Double Play" and "Appaloosa"? Parker's range, particularly in the context of "voice," is far wider than his critics give him credit for, which is easily seen when his dialogue is compared with, say, Elmore Leonard's. The one thing I would like Parker to come up with before, well, let's just say too much longer, is a truly killer premise that would result in the creation of his masterpiece.
5 - Eric Berlin
Very interesting Chuck, thanks!