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Jonathan Lowe: Conversation With Author Lawrence Block |
John Keller is a hit man who
collects stamps. Odd, you might say, for a man you might associate
with being a sociopath. But is Keller really without scruples? In HIT
AND RUN by award winning mystery writer Lawrence Block, the case is
made for a hit man possessing endearing qualities. For the purposes of
reader identification, this is a useful presumption, too, since it
would be more difficult to root for someone who might slit your throat
for no good reason. Keller usually has a good reason, and not just
because he's being paid. The victims usually "deserve" what they get.
That is, they are usually killers themselves. In this latest
installment, Keller has been set up by his employer to take the fall
for a political murder he didn't do, and must disappear before the
police find him. He eventually travels to New Orleans, where he
attempts to live a normal life with a construction job and even a
girlfriend. With his stamp collection presumably stolen and his
intriguing secretary "Dot" out of the loop, Keller bides his time
until the expected moment of revenge presents itself, when his old
life may (or may not) resume. Has Keller finally retired, as he
intended? Judge for yourself. Your guess is as good as mine. The plot
is not the important thing here. In fact, there's not much plot at
all. The attraction is in hearing about the day to day mundane
activities of a man with a job we wouldn't consider doing. Unless we
were sociopathic. Block walks that tightrope even more believably with
the talents of narrator and actor Richard Poe, who gives the
understated performance required by the text, and who crosses into
dramatic accented speech only at those moments involving
confrontation, whether droll or action oriented. Poe is good, and he
has Keller's mindset down pat, and that conveys to the audience. Is
there a John Keller out there somewhere in real life? Perhaps, but
he's certainly not the norm. You wouldn't be as curious about him if
he was typical, either. (Recorded Books; 8.5 hours unabridged)
Jonathan Lowe: In your last Keller mystery, he again was more
concerned with his stamp collection, and saw money from this "job" as
a means to buy more rare stamps. The tension came from a third party,
another hit man who wanted to eliminate Keller in order to score more
work for himself. As Woody Allen might say, it's a great job--you get
paid well, travel, meet interesting people, and you're your own boss.
My question is, can they sleep at night unless they're sociopathic?
Lawrence Block: Well, sociopath is a term we've coined to label a
person who can sleep at night after all that. I've known a couple of
them over the years. Nobody quite like Keller, however. And he doesn't
seem sociopathic to me. Just your basic urban lonely guy.
Lowe: But not one Steve Martin might play in the movies. Or would he?
About your own films, I know Whoopie Goldberg played Rhodenbarr from
"Burglar in the Closet," which was filmed as BURGLAR. Then there was
EIGHT MILLION WAYS TO DIE, and NIGHTMARE HONEYMOON. What's up with the
Keller movie?
Block: "Hit Man" is in the works as a film, to be called KELLER, with
Jeff Bridges slated to star. I've seen the screenplay, and I have to
say I like it.
Lowe: About Keller's obsession with stamps, I've heard you collect
them yourself.
Block: I collect what Keller collects, too. Worldwide before 1940.
Lowe: You must enjoy stamp art, since artists wandered into "Hit
List," and talk about artists like Mondrian, as in the novel from your
burglar series "The Burglar Who Painted Like Mondrian."
Block: I do. My wife's an artist, and I painted a Mondrian of my own
over 20 years ago, figuring I'd never be able to own an original, and
how hard could it be? That's what gave me the idea for that book.
Lowe: If you could compose a hit list of other writers you'd like to
eliminate from the competition, who would they be?
Block: Oh, that wouldn't work. The fellows I'm apt to be envious of
are ones I wouldn't dream of eliminating, because then I'd have
nothing to read.
Lowe: Any thoughts on the future of crime writing? How about a crime
writer who's a criminal?
Block: Well, we all are. I thought you knew that.
Lowe: I do. And by the way, thanks for your time, it was nice talking
to you. Now please just wait right there, and I'll be over with a
silenced 9 mm.
Block: I'll look forward to it. But do me a favor. When you leave your
house, don't look behind you.
(Lawrence Block's funny author website is LawrenceBlock.com; Postal
employee Jonathan Lowe is author of Postmarked for Death, and his
anti-TV author website is JustSayNoWay.com) |
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