Robert B. Parker
photo from Manchester Library
Born	Robert Brown Parker (1932-09-17)September 17, 1932 Springfield, Massachusetts, United States
Died	January 18, 2010(2010-01-18) (aged 77)[1] Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Occupation	Novelist
Nationality	American
Period	1974–2010
Genres	Detective fiction, Western fiction
Spouse(s)	Joan Hall Parker (1956 – his death)[2]
Children	2 sons
Influences Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Ross Macdonald, Rex Stout
Influenced Colin Bateman,[3] Harlan Coben, Robert Crais, Dennis Lehane, Peter David,[4] Jay Faerber[5][6]
www.robertbparker.net

Robert Brown Parker (September 17, 1932 – January 18, 2010) was an American crime writer. His most famous works were the novels about the private detective Spenser. ABC television network developed the television series Spenser: For Hire based on the character in the late 1980s; a series of TV movies based on the character were also produced. His works incorporate encyclopedic knowledge of the Boston metropolitan area.^[7] Parker was 77 when he died of a heart attack at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts; discovered at his desk by his wife Joan, he had been working on a novel.^[1][8][9] The Spenser novels have been cited by critics and bestselling authors such as Robert Crais, Harlan Coben and Dennis Lehane^[10] as not only influencing their own work but reviving and changing the detective genre.^[11]

  Early life

Parker was born in Springfield, Massachusetts.^[12] In 1956 Parker married Joan H. Parker, whom he claimed to have met as a toddler at a birthday party.^[13] They spent their childhoods in the same neighborhood.^[14]

After earning a BA degree from Colby College in Waterville, Maine, Parker served as a soldier in the US Army Infantry in the Korean War. In 1957, he earned his Master's degree in English literature from Boston University and then worked in advertising and technical writing until 1962.^[12] Parker received a PhD in English literature from Boston University in 1971.^[15] His dissertation, titled "The Violent Hero, Wilderness Heritage and Urban Reality," discussed the exploits of fictional private-eye heroes created by Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and Ross Macdonald.^[12]

  Career

Parker wrote his first novel^[15] in 1971 while at Northeastern University. He became a full professor in 1976, and turned to full-time writing in 1979 with five Spenser novels to his credit.^[12]

Parker's popular Spenser novels are known for his characters of varied races and religions. According to critic Christina Nunez, Parker's "inclusion of [characters of] other races and sexual persuasions" lends his writings a "more modern feel".^[16] For example, the Spenser series characters include Hawk and Chollo, African-American and Mexican-American, respectively, as well as Spenser's Jewish girlfiend, Susan, various Russians, Ukrainians, Chinese, a gay cop, Lee Farrell, and even a gay mob boss, Gino Fish.^[17] The homosexuality of both his sons gives his writing "[a] sensibility," Ms. Nunez feels, "[which] strengthens Parker's sensibility [toward gays]." In 1985 Spenser was made into a successful television series, Spenser for Hire which starred Robert Urich, Avery Brooks and Barbara Stock.

Parker created female detective Sunny Randall at the request of actress Helen Hunt, who wanted him to write a part for her to play. He wrote the first book, and the film version was planned for 2000,^[12] but never materialized.^[15] However, his publisher liked the character and asked him to continue with the series.^[15]

Another figure created by Parker is Jesse Stone, a troubled former LAPD detective, who starts a new career as a police chief in a small New England town. Between 1997 and 2010, he wrote nine novels featuring Jesse Stone, many of which have been adapted as TV movies by CBS starring Tom Selleck as Jesse Stone.

Aside from crime writing, Parker also produced several Western novels, including Appaloosa,^[18] and children's books. In 1994 he collaborated with Japanese photographer Kasho Kumagai on a coffee table book called Spenser's Boston, exploring the city through Spenser's "eyes" via high quality, 4-color photos. In addition to Parker's introduction, excerpts from several of the Spenser novels were included.^[19]

Parker and his wife created an independent film company called Pearl Productions, based in Boston. It is named after their German short-haired pointer, Pearl.^[15]

  Personal life

Parker and his wife had two sons, David and Daniel. Originally, the character of Spenser was to have been called "David," but Parker didn't want to appear to favor one of his sons over the other. Parker therefore omitted Spenser's first name entirely, and, to this day, the first name of the fictional Spenser remains unknown.^[20]

Parker and his wife Joan separated at one point but then came to an unusual arrangement: she lived on one floor of a large townhouse, he on another, and they shared the others. This living arrangement is mirrored in Spenser's private life: his girlfriend, Susan, had an aversion to marriage and living together full-time. Living separately suited them both, although they were fully committed to each other.

  Awards

Parker received three nominations and two Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America. He received the first award, the "Best Novel Award" in 1977, for the fourth novel in the Spenser series, Promised Land.^[21] In 1990 he shared, with wife Joan, a nomination for "Best Television Episode" for the TV series B.L. Stryker; however, the award went to David J. Burke and Alfonse Ruggiero Jr. for Wiseguy.

In 2002 he received the Grand Master Award Edgar for his collective oeuvre.^[22]

In 2008 he was awarded the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award.

  Death

Parker died suddenly of a heart attack, sitting at his desk in Cambridge, Massachusetts on January 18, 2010. He was 77.^[1][8][23]

  Bibliography

  Novels

In April 2011, the Parker Estate—his widow Joan, and sons Dan & David—decided together with Parker's publishers, to continue two series of his books.^[24][25]

• New Jesse Stone novels will be written by longtime friend and collaborator, Michael Brandman.
• New Spenser novels will be written by journalist/writer Ace Atkins.

  Non-fiction

• Sports Illustrated Training with Weights (with John R. Marsh) (1974) ISBN 1-56800-032-4
• Three Weeks in Spring (with Joan H. Parker) (1982) ISBN 0-395-26282-8
• A Year At The Races (with Joan H. Parker) (1990) ISBN 0-670-82678-2
• Spenser's Boston (with Kasho Kumagai) (1994) ISBN 1-883402-50-6 ISBN 978-1883402501

  Short fiction

"Surrogate"' (1991)" A short story published in the crime magazine New Crimes 3 ISBN 0-88184-737-2

  References

  External links

• Official site of author
• Spenser at Yahoo! A Yahoo! discussion group for fans of Robert B. Parker
• Robert B. Parker at Internet Book List/Internet Book List :: Home
• Robert B Parker - Daily Telegraph obituary
• "Looking for Robert B. Parker: A Fond Farewell to the Man Who Saved P.I. Fiction," Part I and Part II - The Rap Sheet