Everybody has them. For some, it’s birds; others, opening day at Shea; still others, the swimsuit issue.
For me, it’s getting the new Spenser novel.
Robert B. Parker was at the Lincoln Center Barnes Noble last night, doing QA and the like. If you’ve never heard him, well, just assume that he has the same speaking patterns as Spenser and you’re on the right track.
He commented about his mysteries, saying that they really weren’t very hard (which they aren’t) and noting that if they were, the children’s section was over there. I asked him about that, noting that his stories aren’t so much “whodunits” as “whatthehelldowedoaboutits” and is it the ethical dilemmas that drive his writing.
His reply? “I don’t know. Couldn’t tell you.” In that, he’s a lot like Spenser himself– he just moves forward until there’s a resolution.
He also said he doesn’t care that “you got A-Rod”, in the practiced tone of resignation that only a Red Sox fan can have. Then he saluted us with a Bronx cheer.