Cole Parker

Sent me your email address if you'd like, Jason. We can discuss this. colepark@gmail.com

If that's all it takes to get you here more often, I'll do more of that! Always good to hear from you. C

Awwww, gee!

I'm an optimist, as people reading my stories certainly understand. My feeling is that love can conquer early childhood training and brainwashing. I won't give up that tenet easily. I think love is an extremely powerful emotion and makes life worth living. Happy Thnanksgiving, everyone, and don't eat too much. And exploding stomach is nothing to sneeze at. C

And captivating, too.

The fact you've been relegated to a waiting list suggests others are enjoying these as well. No line, now wait: no quality.

I lived in Indianapolis from ages 5 to 10, in the mid to late '40's. We had a 6-digit phone number which I can still remember: Broadway 8979, or BR 8979. It's quite possible we had a shorter phone number earlier than that and I only remember the latter number. I didn't use the phone much when that young. I think today's kids who have cellphones probably use them often to speak to friends. Technology has changed the world we live in.

Hah! I wish. I bought them all. I don't regret it. C

That was really a mouthful.

Does anyone remember back when—really way, way back —when telephones were a relatively new item and still not in every home, and when many of us had party lines; private lines weren't available yet? I do. We had a phone that when you picked it up off the cradle, there would often be someone else, some stranger, talking to another stranger. You could listen to them, or hang back up and wait till the line was free if you wanted to call someone; that call, of course, could be listened to by others as well. I can't be the only one here who can remember that.

Yes, and a series. A good one, and they should be L.A. library. Read them in order. You'll be hooked.

The Louise Penny books are marvelous. But aren't from the Golden Age, so perhaps I shouldn't mention it.

So, so good to hear from you, Mike. You've been missed; that goes without saying. Sounded like a horrible accident. We're all pulling for a complete recovery, and for your return to full capacity ASAP. C

Here is the address of Wolfe’s house on W. 35th street from Stout himself (well, the addresses) 506 in Over My Dead Body, chapter 12 618 in Too Many Clients, chapter 4 902 in Murder by the Book, chapter 7 909 in "Before I Die", chapter 10 914 in Too Many Women, chapter 24 918 in The Red Box, chapter 3 919 in The Silent Speaker, chapter 12 922 in The Silent Speaker, chapter 2 924 in "Man Alive", chapter 9 938 in Death of a Doxy, chapter 4

I don't know NYC from fairy dust, but have read in several places it being said that Wolfe's address would be somewhere in the East River. I won't argue the point, however, as I'm not even sure where the Hudson and the East are with regards to Manhattan.

I've read that Wolfe's house on 34th street would actually be somewhere out in the East River. As I know nothing of NYC, I don't know whether he made up the bulk of the streets Archie mentions or not.

Unlike you guys who are way ahead of me, I had to change every clock and appliance in the house by hand. Amazing how many there are, and how some are nigh on inaccessible. My body is also having more trouble dealing with this hour change. The worst, however, is the dog. He insists we're an hour late feeding him.

So said the world's greatest cook!

I've read all the Wolfe books many times over. I have them all, but unfortunately, in paperback, and many are suffering from old age, rather like me. They're wonderful books, if a little dated now, and I still find them captivating. Stout died six months after A Family Affair debuted.

Spring forward, fall back. Be warned. Time to meddle with you clock.

As is everything Alan sets his pen to.

Well, I can't help but think the competition for 'best male member' must have been lots of fun with the comparisons and all.

Great news, John. Thanks for keeping us up ;to date. C

I miss him, too. We've lost so many wonderful people. Sigh.

I wish! I get many, many more ideas that are stupid and nuts than ones that can be made to work. What I dislike is getting halfway through a story and only then realizing how vapid it is. But, glad you enjoyed this one.