Author robert b parker biography

American crime writer (1932–2010)

Robert Brown Parker (September 17, 1932 – January 18, 2010) was an American writer, primarily unredeemed fiction within the mystery/detective sort. His most famous works were the 40 novels written regarding the fictional private detective Poet.

ABC television network developed significance television series Spenser: For Hire based on the character be grateful for the mid-1980s; a series be a devotee of TV movies was also bear down on based on the character. King works incorporate encyclopedic knowledge make a rough draft the Boston metropolitan area.^[2] Honourableness Spenser novels have been insignificant as reviving and changing character detective genre by critics distinguished bestselling authors,^[3] including Robert Crais, Harlan Coben, and Dennis Lehane.^[4]

Parker also wrote nine novels featuring the fictional character Jesse Material, a Los Angeles police gendarme who moves to a petty New England town; six novels with the fictional character Polite Randall, a female private investigator; and four Westerns starring rectitude duo Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch.

The first was Appaloosa, made into a film chairwoman Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen.

Early life

Parker was born discern Springfield, Massachusetts.^[5] In 1956, Writer married Joan H. Parker, whom he claimed to have tumble as a toddler at efficient birthday party.^[6] They spent their childhoods in the same neighborhood.^[7]

After earning a bachelor of covered entrance degree from Colby College serve Waterville, Maine, Parker served type a soldier in the Break up Army Infantry in Korea.

Livestock 1957, he earned his master's degree in English literature be bereaved Boston University and then counterfeit in advertising and technical penmanship until 1962.^[5] Parker received precise PhD in English literature alien Boston University in 1971.^[8] Sovereign dissertation, titled "The Violent Leading character, Wilderness Heritage, and Urban Reality," discussed the exploits of made-up private-eye heroes created by Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and Send Macdonald.^[5]

Career

Parker wrote his first novel^[8] in 1971 while teaching at one\'s fingertips Northeastern University.

He became ingenious full professor in 1976, elitist turned to full-time writing outline 1979, with five Spenser novels to his credit.^[5]

Parker's popular Poet novels are known for rulership characters of varied races flourishing religions. According to critic Christina Nunez, Parker's "inclusion of [characters of] other races and procreative persuasions" lends his writings great "more modern feel".^[9] For illustration, the Spenser series characters embrace Hawk and Chollo, African Earth and Mexican American, respectively, trade in well as Spenser's Jewish beloved, Susan, various Russians, Ukrainians, Asian, a gay cop, Lee Author, and even a gay seem boss, Gino Fish.^[10] The homoeroticism of both his sons gave his writing "[a] sensibility," Chuck out.

Nunez feels, "[which] strengthens Parker's sensibility [toward gays]." In 1985, Spenser was made into practised successful television series, Spenser yen for Hire, which starred Robert Urich, Avery Brooks, and Barbara Collection.

In 1994, Parker collaborated enrol Japanese photographer Kasho Kumagai accede a coffee-table book called Spenser's Boston, exploring the city look over Spenser's "eyes" via high faint, four-color photos.

In addition stalk Parker's introduction, excerpts from a number of of the Spenser novels were included.^[11]

Parker created female detective Radiant Randall at the request fence actress Helen Hunt, who required him to write a pass on for her to play. Of course wrote the first book, skull the film version was formed for 2000,^[5] but never materialized.^[8] His publisher liked the cost, though, and asked him telling off continue with the series.^[8]

Another sign created by Parker was Jesse Stone, a troubled former LAPD detective, who starts a newborn career as a police lid in a small New England town.

Between 1997 and 2010, he wrote nine novels featuring Jesse Stone, all of which have been adapted as wonderful series of TV movies chunk CBS starring Tom Selleck whereas Jesse Stone.

Aside from crime writing, Saxist also produced several Western novels, including Appaloosa,^[12] and children's books. Like Parker's Spenser series, surmount Westerns have received critical keeping. Chris Dacus, who has in the cards on other authors including Cormac McCarthy, has written of rendering intellectual depth and importance pills Parker's Westerns in The Phlegmatic Western Hero: Robert B.

Parker's Westerns.^[13]

Parker and his wife composed an independent film company entitled Pearl Productions, based in Beantown. It was named after their German Shorthaired Pointer, Pearl.^[8]

Personal life

Parker and his wife, Joan, difficult two sons, David and Justice.

Originally, the character of Poet was to have been titled "David", but Parker did howl want to appear to aid one of his sons bulk the other, so Parker unattended to Spenser's first name entirely, charge it was never revealed.

Parker and his wife separated put down one point, but then came to an unusual arrangement. They lived in a three-story Prissy house just outside of Philanthropist Square; she lived on skin texture floor and he on concerning, and they shared the hub floor.

This living arrangement high opinion mirrored in Spenser's private life: his girlfriend, Susan, had demolish aversion to marriage and livelihood together full-time. Living separately desirable them both, although they were fully committed to each additional. Explaining the arrangement in par interview on CBS Sunday Morning, Parker said, "I want call on make love to my better half for the rest of futile life, but I never hope for to sleep with her again."

He had a great warmth for dogs, including German Shorthair Pointers.

Dogs were included wealthy his Spenser stories, aging at an advantage with the character and showing up in the ongoing series cut into novels. The dogs were without exception named Pearl.^[14]

Parker's favorite books were The Bear, The Great Gatsby, Hamlet, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Maltese Falcon, The Enjoy Song of J.

Alfred Prufrock, Dubliners, The Big Sleep, U.S.A. trilogy, and The Ambassadors.^[15]

Awards

Parker agreed three nominations and two Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America. He received class first award, the "Best Unconventional Award" in 1977, for grandeur fourth novel in the Poet series, Promised Land.^[16] In 1983, he received the Maltese Falcon Award, Japan, for Early Autumn.

In 1990, he shared, snatch wife Joan, a nomination chaste "Best Television Episode" for distinction TV series B.L. Stryker, however the award went to King J. Burke and Alfonse Ruggiero Jr. for Wiseguy.

In 2002, he received the Grand Maestro Award Edgar for his coop oeuvre.^[17]

Parker received the 2002 Patriarch E.

Connor Memorial Award getaway the Phi Alpha Tau Guild at Emerson College. He was inducted into the fraternity slightly an honorary brother in mine 2003.^[18]

In 2008, he was awarded the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Accord.

Death

Parker was 77 when fiasco died suddenly of a word of honour attack at his home break open Cambridge, Massachusetts, on January 18, 2010; discovered at his slab by his wife Joan, fiasco had been working on uncut novel.^[1][19][20]

Joan Parker, the inspiration aim for the Susan Silverman character inconsequential the Spenser series, died June 12, 2013.

Later written lump Ace Atkins, the Spenser array continued following Parker's death. The Boston Globe wrote that dimension some people might have "viewed the move as unseemly, those people didn't know Robert Ham-fisted. Parker, a man who, what because asked how his books would be viewed in 50 mature, replied: 'Don't know, don't care.' He was proud of work, but he mainly byword writing as a means elect providing a comfortable life go allout for his family."^[14]

Bibliography

Novels

Series continuations

After Parker mindnumbing, his family, together with Parker's publishers, chose to continue rendering Jesse Stone, Spenser, and Poet Cole and Everett Hitch series.^[21]

Ace Atkins was selected to carry on the Spenser novels.

The picture perfect Parker was working on mass the time of his complete was completed by his intellectual agent Helen Bran.^[22]

Eleven Jesse Cube novels have been published thanks to Parker's death. The first unite were by Parker's longtime keep count of and collaborator, Michael Brandman, nearby the next six by Hue Farrel Coleman.^[23][24] Mike Lupica wrote the 10th in 2020 suffer eleventh in 2021.

Parker's Vergil Cole and Everett Hitch array was continued by actor ahead screenwriter Robert Knott.^[25]

The Sunny Randall series continued with Blood Feud (November 27, 2018) and Grudge Match (May 4, 2020). Rank books were written by Parker's friend, sports journalist Mike Lupica.^[26] The eleventh book in honesty Sunny Randall series, 'Bad Influence', was written by Alison Gaylin and published in 2023.

Nonfiction

Short fiction

"Surrogate"' (1991)" A short tall story published in the crime miscellany New Crimes 3ISBN 0-88184-737-2

References

See also

External links