Jpmcdonald’s Comments (group member since May 19, 2011)

Jpmcdonald’s comments from the Ask Bestselling Author Lawrence Block a Question group.

Okay. Pleasure speaking with you, old sport. I'll take the imposition of my schmoozing elsewhere.:-)
--
JM

Many thanks for the reply, Mr. Lawrence Block. :-)

Finally found that line of dialog (from *A Diet of Treacle*) in my Hard Case Crime edition, page 95--"Your customers will dig it. You never get beat stuff from the Mau-Mau." Heh. I saw that and thought, hey! There it is, the true derivation of the term 'beat', which would be anything like the catnip adulterated 'tea'. That is "beat". Who knew?

So you got your New York reefer peddling 'hipsters' (like Joe and Shank) getting high on the true 'boo' while thanks to them, those who are not so hip, the ardent, arty 'boho' types with the bongos, the berets and tams, sandals, striped sweaters and leotards from NYU, these poor schmucks are being sold the 'beat stuff' with the catnip: Hence, they are the 'beatniks'; pretty much staying in a 'near-earth' orbit, like, as you say, the Sputnik. ;-)

Well, anyway. Till I read your novel I never made the connection: the Italian/Sicilian tradition of the espresso house, where in the old country the village elders and the Mafiosi would come to talk, do business, survey the scene on the piazza--never saw that as being originally at one with the coffee houses of the Village. Hence one hears your character, "Joe Milani" grousing about having to pay a grossly inflated price for a cup of espresso, ever since the coffee house shtick got all uptown and chic, stepped on, adulterated, or in other words, 'beat'.

According to my edition, "A Diet of Treacle" was published in 1961, but is that the time setting for the novel or were you projecting it back somewhat into the 50s or late 40s? It would seem to allow for that. It has that late 40's sort of be-bop feel to it.
--
JM

Can't help wondering which Bleeker Street coffee house you may have had in mind for those opening pages in *A Diet of Treacle*? It's probably about the most authentic rendering of the scene as I recall it from those days. And it's interesting to note, if I correctly recall, that the word 'beat' in your novel occurs only as an adjective for pot that had been 'stepped on' with catnip. Hah! Not exactly the Hollywood 'beat' image, is it? ;-)

Swell to find you here, Mr. Lawrence Block.
--
JM