--- In
rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, "Dave Zeltserman"
<dz@...> wrote:
>
> I'm not sure the "willie principle" holds up if you
take a hard look
> at the noir books out there.
No, it doesn't hold, but it is a prominent factor in a number
of classic works. Some of my favorite willie-driven noirs are
Gil Brewer's _13 French St._, Charles Williams's _The Hot
Spot_, Block's
_Girl with the Long Green Heart_ and Kent Harrington's _Dark
Ride_. But I do agree that many noir writers have not made
much or any use of the Principle. Among contemporaries,
neither Ellroy nor Starr have used it, that I remember.
Neither has Westlake. Perhaps it's considered a bit worn out,
no? Or perhaps the contemporary psyche is obsessed with other
things.
Best,
mrt
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