The Getaway Car
A Donald Westlake Nonfiction Miscellany
-
- $11.99
-
- $11.99
Publisher Description
"This is a book for everyone, anyone who likes mystery novels or good writing or wit and passion and intelligence."—The New York Times
Over the course of a fifty-year career, Donald E. Westlake published nearly one hundred books, including two long-running series starring the hard-hitting Parker and the hapless John Dortmunder. With The Getaway Car, we get our first glimpse of another side of Westlake the writer: what he did when he wasn't busy making stuff up.
Mixing previously published pieces, many little seen, with never-before-published material found in Westlake's working files, this compendium offers a clear picture of the man behind the books—including his thoughts on his own work and that of his peers, mentors, and influences. It opens with revealing (and funny) fragments from an unpublished autobiography, then goes on to offer an extended history of private eye fiction, a conversation among Westlake's numerous pen names, letters to friends and colleagues, interviews, appreciations of fellow writers, and much, much more. There's even a recipe for Sloth à la Dortmunder. Really.
"A must-have for Westlake fans."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"This book doesn't disappoint…Westlake was a hugely entertaining and witty writer. Whether he is writing a letter to his editor or about the history of his genre, he remains true to his definition of what makes a great writer: 'passion, plus craft.'"—The Guardian
"[A] valuable collection."—Toronto Star
Includes a foreword by Lawrence Block
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Donald Westlake (1933 2008) didn't have an inflated opinion of his own work, as suggested by several of the delightful and revealing selections chosen by editor Stahl. Speaking as Timothy J. Culver, one of his alter egos, he says: "I write what other people want me to write. I'm a hack, I'm making a living." However, Westlake worked diligently at his craft and was employed as an associate editor at the Scott Meredith Literary Agency, which he joined in 1958. He wrote his first short stories there (for $50 each) and quit the agency after he completed his first "sex novel" for $600. Westlake's outpouring of half-a-million words in 1959 resulted in 46 short stories and novelettes, 27 of which were published. The author's quick wit is displayed throughout this collection, whether discussing his own fiction or the work of other writers, such as George V. Higgins and Rex Stout. He also touches on his relationship with films and filmmaking, and with peers such as Lawrence Block and John D. MacDonald. Block contributes an insightful foreword, and Westlake's wife, Abby Adams, offers her perspective on living with Westlake's various selves, as exemplified by his multiple characters and aliases. This is a must-have for Westlake fans.
