Word Nerd's having a little trouble confirming this (like in a newspaper), but from several reputable places in the blogosphere/twitter-verse, the news seems to be that mystery writer Robert B. Parker has died while writing at desk.
Word Nerd's only read a few of Parker's books, but her dad loves them. Moreover, she knows that Parker has been a staple in the genre for years. Spenser is an iconic character.
She'll update when she finds a link to official news story about this.
UPDATED: 12:41 p.m.
A story on NPR's blog confirms Parker's death, including a link to his publisher.
Showing posts with label Memories of the Greats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Memories of the Greats. Show all posts
19 January 2010
21 July 2009
Losing another Great
Word Nerd hasn't read any Frank McCourt herself, but they are books that are always on her reading list.
It always makes her sad to learn when authors who have been recognizable pass away.
The full story is here.
It always makes her sad to learn when authors who have been recognizable pass away.
The full story is here.
02 January 2009
Loss of a Great
The mystery genre has lost one of its great contributors with the death of Donald Westlake.
Word Nerd started reading his series about the bungling thief John Dortmunder a few years back and thoroughly enjoyed it.
The full story about Westlake can be found here.
Word Nerd started reading his series about the bungling thief John Dortmunder a few years back and thoroughly enjoyed it.
The full story about Westlake can be found here.
31 March 2008
Literary Loss
Minnesota author Jon Hassler died.
Word Nerd just now stumbled on to this news, apparently more than a week after he died.
Hassler wrote "Staggerford" and other novels set in small-town Minnesota.
The full story is here.
Word Nerd first came across Hassler in a fiction class she took in college. She enjoyed "Staggerford" and has been meaning ever since reading that one to read more of his work.
Sadly, all that's published now is all there will ever be.
Word Nerd just now stumbled on to this news, apparently more than a week after he died.
Hassler wrote "Staggerford" and other novels set in small-town Minnesota.
The full story is here.
Word Nerd first came across Hassler in a fiction class she took in college. She enjoyed "Staggerford" and has been meaning ever since reading that one to read more of his work.
Sadly, all that's published now is all there will ever be.
17 September 2007
Another great
Is there a writing equivalent of dimming the lights on Broadway in memory of a famous contributor who's passed away?
If so, the literary world should do it again today.
Epic fantasy novelist Robert Jordan has died, leaving the 12th and apparently to be final volume of his Wheel of Time series unfinished. USAToday has the story here.
Word Nerd read the early Jordan books in the series in the late 90s. She was quite a fan of the very early volumes of the story, plowing through the 800-page tomes with vigor. In high school, one of Word Nerd's good pals was also a Jordan fan, leading to intense conversations over lunch about the plot and characters. Word Nerd took one of the Jordan books with her when she traveled to Russia in fall 1997 and remembers distinctly reading it there and being distraught when two characters hooked up and not being able to gossip about this over lunch.
In subsequent years, Word Nerd stopped reading the series as they got long and seemed to be drifting farther and farther from the original plot. Word Nerd lost interest, but the books sold millions of copies and she knows there are saddened fans out there everywhere.
If so, the literary world should do it again today.
Epic fantasy novelist Robert Jordan has died, leaving the 12th and apparently to be final volume of his Wheel of Time series unfinished. USAToday has the story here.
Word Nerd read the early Jordan books in the series in the late 90s. She was quite a fan of the very early volumes of the story, plowing through the 800-page tomes with vigor. In high school, one of Word Nerd's good pals was also a Jordan fan, leading to intense conversations over lunch about the plot and characters. Word Nerd took one of the Jordan books with her when she traveled to Russia in fall 1997 and remembers distinctly reading it there and being distraught when two characters hooked up and not being able to gossip about this over lunch.
In subsequent years, Word Nerd stopped reading the series as they got long and seemed to be drifting farther and farther from the original plot. Word Nerd lost interest, but the books sold millions of copies and she knows there are saddened fans out there everywhere.
07 September 2007
Another great loss
The Associated Press is reporting that author Madeleine L'Engle died yesterday at age 88.
The story is here.
Word Nerd has always been a fan of L'Engle's works, both fiction and non-fiction. Word Nerd always wanted to meet her; based on her writings, she seemed like such a classy, faith-filled, imaginative woman.
L'Engle is the second, after Lloyd Alexander earlier this year, of beloved childhood authors that have passed away recently. It's sad to know that the world is losing these authors, that there will never be new books like them.
At least their past works will be around for future generations.
20 July 2007
HP Minus 14 hrs and 40 minutes
Yeah, Word Nerd is just the teensiest* bit excited about the release of the final Harry Potter book at midnight tonight.
*Teensiest here means: can hardly contain the excitement and anticipation.
Oshkosh, where Word Nerd is, is decking out the downtown for a huge event today. Forget Main Street. Today it's Diagon Alley.
Word Nerd is on the Harry Potter beat all day and you can join her in a special forum chatting about the boy wizard and the downtown event throughout the day. We'll hash out predictions for the book, best-loved moments, most favorite characters, and more as we anticipate midnight and finding out all about the Deathly Hallows.
*Teensiest here means: can hardly contain the excitement and anticipation.
Oshkosh, where Word Nerd is, is decking out the downtown for a huge event today. Forget Main Street. Today it's Diagon Alley.
Word Nerd is on the Harry Potter beat all day and you can join her in a special forum chatting about the boy wizard and the downtown event throughout the day. We'll hash out predictions for the book, best-loved moments, most favorite characters, and more as we anticipate midnight and finding out all about the Deathly Hallows.
22 May 2007
Losing one of the greats
Children's fantasy author Lloyd Alexander died on May 17, 2007.
Alexander, 83, was the author of the Prydain Chronicles. The fifth book in that series, The High King won a Newberry Medal in 1969. In 1966, the second book in the series, The Black Cauldron, was a runner-up for the Newberry Medal.
Alexander's last book, The Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio, is scheduled to be published in August.
Word Nerd first stumbled across The Black Cauldron in third grade thanks to one of those Scholastic book order forms. Not realizing that book was a sequel, she, at the time, didn't get it and gave up on reading it, until the following year when she found the first book, The Book of Three.
After that, she was hooked on the tale of Taran, the apprentice pig-keeper, and his adventures with Hen Wen, the pig, Fflewder Fflam, the bard, and Princess Eilonwy. These characters and books were some of Word Nerd's early inspiration for wanting to be a writer.
It's too bad that the literary world doesn't have a gesture to honor one of its own, the way Broadway dims the lights of theatres. Lloyd Alexander would deserve it.
Alexander, 83, was the author of the Prydain Chronicles. The fifth book in that series, The High King won a Newberry Medal in 1969. In 1966, the second book in the series, The Black Cauldron, was a runner-up for the Newberry Medal.
Alexander's last book, The Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio, is scheduled to be published in August.
Word Nerd first stumbled across The Black Cauldron in third grade thanks to one of those Scholastic book order forms. Not realizing that book was a sequel, she, at the time, didn't get it and gave up on reading it, until the following year when she found the first book, The Book of Three.
After that, she was hooked on the tale of Taran, the apprentice pig-keeper, and his adventures with Hen Wen, the pig, Fflewder Fflam, the bard, and Princess Eilonwy. These characters and books were some of Word Nerd's early inspiration for wanting to be a writer.
It's too bad that the literary world doesn't have a gesture to honor one of its own, the way Broadway dims the lights of theatres. Lloyd Alexander would deserve it.
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