<-----------Original Message----------->
>Date: Tue, 07 Jan 2003 23:11:22 -0800
>From: Brian Thornton <
tieresias@worldnet.att.net>
>Subject: Re: RARA-AVIS: The Greatest of Them
All?
>
>At 10:04 AM 1/2/03 -0500, you wrote:
> >>The same sort of thing that can be said
about Edward Kennedy (that during
> >>his 40 years in the U.S. Senate, he's had a
greater effect on American
> >>society than either of his more famous, but
shorter-lived brothers) might
> >>well be said of Pronzini:
>
>I just had to address this. Teddy Kennedy proves the
point that being
>prolific or long-lived is not necessarily better than
having a short,
>heavier impact. I'll take either Jack OR Bobby any
DAY over place-holder
>Teddy in the "left a real legacy"
department.
I'm certainly not here to act as an apologist for, nor a
defender of, Teddy Kennedy -- nor to turn this list
"political" -- nor do I have any idea of your age/background,
Brian -- but I am old enough (graduated High School circa
1961) to recall vividly the election of JFK ... and the
unjust assassinations of he and his brother, and while I tend
to camp to the left of dead center, politically, I can
recall/report that neither was nearly as
"effective" (nor, actually, as 'popular') in life, as they
became in death.
A sad commentary; but truly the American Way.
Even so, Teddy is certainly not half-the-man of either
(though eligible for sainthood, given his/their father) --
again, I recall buying off the newsstand when it was
published, the National Lampoon collection containing a
full-page "ad":
It consisted of a VW Bug floating serenely in the middle of
pond, with the caption: "If Ted Kennedy had been driving one
of these ... he'd be President today."
Okay, he's a sleeze. But that doesn't negate the original
statement the author of the piece made:
> >>The same sort of thing that can be said
about Edward Kennedy (that during
> >>his 40 years in the U.S. Senate, he's had a
greater effect on American
> >>society than either of his more famous, but
shorter-lived brothers) might
> >>well be said of Pronzini:
Nowhere did he, nor am I, now, say(ing) that he was "better"
than his brothers. "Effective" is not a synonym for "Better",
in my dictionary. Having, at best, attained
lower-middle-class status during my working career, I've been
'managing' on SS Disability past the past five years -- and I
can vouch for the fact that I can do so now (couldn't have,
then) has a lot more to do with legislation that Ted Kennedy
ramrodded through, quite probably by suspect methods, than
anything John or Bobby did during their brief lives.
It doesn't make him Better; it _does_ make him much more
"Effective", at least in terms of the article writers'
thesis...
(Doesn't mean I'd vote for him. Nor go out of my way to share
a meal with him....)
I've read a little Pronzini fiction whilst waiting to start
the Nameless canon, but I'm more familiar with him as an
anthologist ... and as the husband of the Mother of the Girl
Dicks sub-genre.
I doubt, certainly, that he is in a league with the Big
Three, quality-wise. But, based on the accuracy -- to me --
of the author's analogy to the Kennedy's -- I'm willing to
reserve judgement on Pronzini's comparable "effectiveness" --
until I've read the 28 (29?) books for myself...
Which I won't get to, if I keep rambling.....
-- Bill Bowers
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