book cover of The Red Hot Typewriter
 

The Red Hot Typewriter

(2000)
The Life and Times of John D. MacDonald
A non fiction book by

 
 
Library Journal
Floridians and snow birds who aren't already fans of the writing of John D. MacDonald will race to the shelves for his works after reading this fascinating history of the man who has been called a very good writer, not just a good mystery writer. Drawing on extensive research, Merrill (Univ. of West Florida) offers a succinct biography of the man who invented Travis McGee. Readers learn of MacDonald's early works, published as paperbacks at a time when the government was attempting to label all paperbacks as pornography; MacDonald's respect for the untarnished environment of Florida; and his life as an active member of a Sarasota writer's group that met for loud storytelling, serious drinking, and sometimes heated rounds of liar's poker. Through letters to such well-recognized people as Stephen King, Elmore Leonard, and Dan Rowan, readers get a glimpse of how Travis McGee developed and how MacDonald, after putting his character in movies and on television, decided that McGee was bound by the printed page. There is also some discussion of MacDonald's respectful treatment of sex and women in his short stories and novels. This solid appreciation of one of America's favorite popular authors is highly recommended.--Joyce Sparrow, Juvenile Welfare Board Lib., Pinellas Park, FL Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews
The life, career, and era of mystery writer MacDonald have been painstakingly researched and presented by journalist Merrill (ESKY: The Early Years at Esquire, 1995).



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