Browsing Around -

Even more on the
Philip Marlowe Controversy . . .

with Ace Atkins commenting. I don't have a very crisp residual image in my mind of what Philip Marlowe must resemble. Bogart was always just Bogart to me; I thought Powers Boothe did a pretty good job of it.

Who or what is Philip Marlowe anyway? I think he is best summed up by the famous "Mean Streets" quote, which may define a formula or a sensibility. Certainly, I have a clearer residual image of Jim Rockford, even though I never paid much serious or active attention to each episodic story. I was hooked on his telephone answering machine messages. Yes, I was addicted to them. Each week I tuned in just to hear them.

Does Philip Marlowe deserve to live on?
If enough people want him to survive, he will.

# Jo Nesbo, the Norwegian crime
writer, comments on Anders Breivik.

# SI Rosenbaum writes about the
late comics genius, Harvey Pekar.

# Much Buzz:  Telegraph Avenue
by Michael Chabon reviewed
by Jess Walter at SFGate.

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