> What were they all like? I've seen Jo Hammett on TV
and she seemed very
> pleasant. How old is the granddaughter?
They were all very nice ... and surprisingly knowledgable
about the genre. I was at the signing table after the event
talking with Richard Layman about the New Black Mask issue I
had a story in when Loren Estleman's name came up
(he had the cover story in the issue). I didn't think Jo
Hammett was listening, but she jumped right in and said, "I
like his stuff."
I'm guessing the graddaughter is in her late 40's or early
50's, but it's a dangerous game guessing a woman's age! I
note with interest that as co-editor Layman let the Library
of Congress put his birth year on the
Cataloging-in-Publication data, but Ms. Rivett did not.
> : - There are about 600 more letters that didn't
make it into the book.
>
> 600! I hope they were very dull.
Well, they talked of doing other volumes of letters. It seems
that Hammett wrote a ton when he was in the Aleutians and
they had to be very selective.
BTW, Jo Hammett is apparently writing a book about her father
with Layman's help. This might be the next thing to make it
to print.
> Who was Peggy O'Toole? I don't think I've heard of
her before. I wonder
> how closely Miss O'Shaughnessy was modeled on her.
Might not be something
> you wanted to brag about.
She worked with Hammett at Samuels Jewelers when Hammett was
writing ad copy there. There's a picture of her in the book
and she looks "flapperish", but attractive. Can't say how
closely O'Shaughnessy was modeled after her, but it's clear
that Hammett enjoyed a similar relationship to O'Toole that
Spade did to O'Shaughnessy. To quote from one of his letters
to her:
"After several carful subsequent inspections, I've decided
that you were--peculiarly--wrong in assuming that I think you
lovelier now because I don't see you as often as I did. You
are lovelier. If it were a glandular delusion, it would work
the other way round: I'm not a Chipman. I love you more when
I'm with you than when I'm away; and more when I'm touching
you than when I'm merely looking at you; and most of all when
I'm tasting you--but that's not happened often enough to be
talked about very much."
!!!
he continues:
"So you must be actually improving; perhaps the doubtless
considerable spiritual benefits of being loved by me are
showing themselves physically. I'v always known I had a good
effect on you."
Sounds a little like Travis McGee here ...
>
> Thanks for the report. I'm looking forward to
picking up the Hammett
> letters.
You're certainly welcome. There's an exhibit of letters and
other Hammett stuff at the San Francisco Public library. If
there's anything worth reporting, I'll write again after I
check it out.
--Mark
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