Thanks to reader Colin, we can now read and enjoy this in-depth interview with Donald Westlake from the Fall 1988 issue of The Armchair Detective.
The interview was conducted by the late mystery writer William L. DeAndrea, who had previously expressed his admiration by penning an introduction to a library-oriented edition of The Score.
At sixteen pages, it’s quite possible that it’s the most extensive Westlake interview ever published. So while it hits on some material that will be familiar to readers of this site (the origin of Parker, the Smith Corona typewriter), it also covers a lot of ground that will likely be new to you.
Topics include:
- Westlake movie projects, filmed and unfilmed.
- How did The Stepfather end up so good?
- Comfort Station, Up Your Banners, Under an English Heaven, and other lesser-known works.
- The Tucker Coe novels.
- The non-existent Parker novel Child Heist.
…and much, much more.
Don’t be intimidated by the length. You’ll find the whole thing fascinating. This is a reasonably major find, and I’m mighty pleased to be presenting it. Thanks again to Colin.
“The Many Faces of Donald E. Westlake” by William L. DeAndrea
(The PDF is pretty big, so you’re likely better off downloading it rather than trying to read it in the viewer.)
Thanks for this! I have a copy of the original magazine in a box somewhere, but it’s a needle in a haystack, so this pdf is welcome news indeed! Much appreciated!!
Hello! I visit this site frequently since I started reading the Parker books, and I just stumbled into this post.
The pdf is no longer available for download or view… what a pain!
You think you can upload it again or please send it to my email address? Would really appreciate so.
Thank you and Warm Regards,
Sebastian, from Argentina
Darn it, the place I posted it seems to have gone under. Probably a few other documents I need to repost as well.
If you see this, can you send me an e-mail? Contact info in the sidebar.