Robert B. Parker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert B. Parker
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Parker in 2006
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| Born | Robert Brown Parker September 17, 1932 Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | January 18, 2010 (aged 77) Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Period | 1974–2010 |
| Genre | Detective fiction, Western fiction |
| Spouse | Joan Hall Parker (m. 1956) |
| Children | 2 |
Robert Brown Parker (September 17, 1932 – January 18, 2010) was a famous American writer. He was best known for his exciting mystery and detective stories. His most popular character was a private detective named Spenser. Parker wrote 40 novels about Spenser! These books were so popular that they even became a TV show called Spenser: For Hire. Critics say Parker's Spenser novels helped change detective stories forever.
Parker also created other popular characters. These include Jesse Stone, a police officer who moves to a small town, and Sunny Randall, a female private investigator. He also wrote Western novels, like Appaloosa, which was made into a movie.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Robert Parker was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1956, he married Joan H. Parker. They had known each other since they were very young.
Parker went to Colby College and earned a degree. After college, he served as a soldier in the U.S. Army in Korea. Later, he earned his master's degree and a PhD in English literature from Boston University. His studies focused on fictional detectives.
Writing Career
Parker wrote his first novel in 1971 while teaching at Northeastern University. By 1979, he had written five Spenser novels and decided to become a full-time writer.
Spenser Novels
Parker's popular Spenser novels are known for their interesting characters from different backgrounds. He included characters of various races and religions, which made his stories feel more modern. For example, the Spenser series features characters like Hawk and Chollo, who are African-American and Mexican-American. Spenser's girlfriend, Susan, is Jewish. There are also Russian, Ukrainian, and Chinese characters, and even a gay police officer and a gay mob boss.
In 1985, the Spenser books became a successful TV series called Spenser for Hire. It starred Robert Urich, Avery Brooks, and Barbara Stock.
Other Characters
Parker created the female detective Sunny Randall because actress Helen Hunt asked him to write a part for her. He wrote the first book, and a movie was planned but never made. However, his publisher liked Sunny Randall, so Parker continued the series.
Another character Parker created was Jesse Stone. Jesse was a troubled former police detective from Los Angeles. He moved to a small New England town to become a police chief. Parker wrote nine novels about Jesse Stone. All of these books were made into TV movies by CBS, starring Tom Selleck as Jesse Stone.
Westerns and Film Work
Besides his crime novels, Parker also wrote several Western novels. These included Appaloosa, which became a movie starring Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen. He also wrote some children's books.
Parker and his wife started their own film company called Pearl Productions in Boston. They named it after their German short-haired pointer dog, Pearl.
Personal Life
Robert Parker and his wife, Joan, had two sons, David and Daniel. Parker loved dogs, especially German Shorthair Pointers. He often included dogs named Pearl in his Spenser stories. These dogs even aged along with the characters in the books.
Parker and his wife lived in a large Victorian house near Harvard Square. He enjoyed reading many classic books, including The Great Gatsby and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Awards and Recognition
Parker received several important awards for his writing. He won two Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America. In 1977, he won the "Best Novel Award" for Promised Land, which was the fourth Spenser novel. In 1983, he received the Maltese Falcon Award in Japan for Early Autumn.
In 2002, he received the Grand Master Award Edgar for all his amazing work. He also received the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.
Death
Robert Parker passed away suddenly from a heart attack on January 18, 2010, at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was 77 years old. His wife, Joan, found him at his desk, still working on a novel.
Joan Parker, who was the inspiration for the character Susan Silverman in the Spenser series, passed away in 2013. After Parker's death, other authors continued to write the Spenser series.
