Department of Book Reports: How I Met SeattleTammy

When I encounter one of my fifteen readers, I am often asked, "Say, SeattleDan, is it true that you met SeattleTammy in a bookstore?".

Well, it is true. In fact there is video (in two parts) of that meeting:





Rest assured, I returned and, dear reader, I married her.

Admittedly, Howard Hawks used the footage for his film The Big Sleep, and cast your usual Hollywood type actors to fill in for us. My favorite story behind the film was of William Faulkner calling Raymond Chandler while writing the screenplay (which he did with Leigh Brackett) to ask him who had killed one of the characters from the book. Chandler didn't know. Adding to the hilarity of the story is that the phone call came late at night, and both Big Bill and Ray were known to have a few nightcaps now and again.

Chandler remains one of the greats of the American mystery novel, along side Dashiell Hammett and Ross McDonald. Chandler's character, the detective Philip Marlowe, can take his place among the other unforgettable characters, like Ahab, Robert Jordan and Huckleberry Finn. If you have never read him, do yourself a favor and get a copy of The Big Sleep (Vingage Books $13.95, used copies everywhere).

démocommié™™™™™©®ç åü courant is still waiting for me to ship him his copy of Ben Hur, the 1863 edition with the duplicated line on page 116.

Your local Fine Independent Bookstore would love to show you more! Jackson Street Books may be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and opening soon.

What's on your night stand?