RARA-AVIS: Young Man with a Horn

From: Robison Michael R CNIN ( Robison_M@crane.navy.mil)
Date: 24 Sep 2002


Todd:
> Yes, it was inspired by Beiderbecke's life.

Then Al: Not according to the author. "The inspiration for the writing of this book
[Young Man With a Horn] has been the music, but NOT the life, of a great musician, Leon (Bix) Beiderbecke, who died in the year 1931." - attributed to Dorothy Baker on the inside page of my 1962 Corgi edition.

********* Well, it came in the mail yesterday, and I'm hot to read it. After Faulkner, O'Hara, Gardner, and Whitfield, I thought I'd be ready to move on to some of the cool 40's titles, but I keep finding more 30's stuff to read. I just finished West's MISS LONELYHEARTS, and since DAY OF THE LOCUSTS came in the same volume, I plowed into it. At home I started Paul Cain's FAST ONE last night, and I've got two Graham Greene's to read along with Dorothy Baker's YOUNG MAN WITH A HORN. And I'd still like to get ahold of Caldwell's TOBACCO ROAD and Latimer's MURDER IN THE MADHOUSE. WAHOOOOO! YEAH! Great stuff.

For a while I only bought used if I couldn't find new, but with the trade paperback plague putting TOBACCO ROAD at $14, I think I'll buy it from Abebooks for $1.95. Even with shipping, the difference is still enough to buy a 6-pack of good beer.

On a more contemporary note, someone somewhere recommended John Wessel as being sorta noir, so I picked up something by him at the smelly Caveat Emptor used book store in Bloomington. I can't remember the title, but the blurb on the back made it sound pretty tough.

miker

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