RARA-AVIS: Work and Insobriety

From: billha@ionet.net
Date: 15 Apr 2001


Perhaps something can be made of this exchange:
> (Buy me many drinks and I will continue to discuss traditional/cosy
> >> detection, sf, romance, the Western, etc etc etc, at boring length, deep
> >> into the night.)
>
> >So is alcohol the coffee of the detective class?
>
> Actually, Bill, this is merely how you can detect the presence of an
> (ex-)academic on the list.
>
> Marianne
------ Right. Academics talk, and drink is a good lubricant.

How about a variation on the work theme? Think of instances where the PI or noir protagonist is, shall we say, less than sober--through his/her own intakes or forced intakes--and STILL does a job of "work." Maybe even graceful work, inspite of a chemical condition. [sounding like a social worker here]

Believe Marlowe, in drugged condition, effectively using a bed spring in Farewell, My Lovely, would qualify. Believe Pelecanos has some protagonists who perform in various states of high...but won't hazard naming scenes, because I can't remember that aspect as well as the scenes themselves (being carried away with the deployment of participants at the time).

Bill Hagen billha@ionet.net

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