101 Books, Number 23

Favorite Books from Throughout My Life

24: Eight Million Ways to Die, 1982, by Lawrence Block (1938–)

I saw the movie first* (I know:

That is lazy way to go),

But once I saw it, I was hooked—

And with L. Block, well, I was booked.

I loved his Matthew Scudder tales—

An alcoholic P. I. fails

At times to stay away from booze—

But will not quit or lose.

His other works I read a bit—

But never got too hooked on it.

But Matthew Scudder? I’m a fan.

And read them all—that was my plan.**

I met Block at a signing once—

He acted kind of like a dunce—

So arrogant, dismissive, Yo.

I smiled when it was time to go.

But in those Scudder pages, man,

He leads the mystery caravan.

Who cares—if he can do such work—

If he can sometimes be a jerk?***

*1986. With Jeff Bridges and Andy Garcia; screenplay by Oliver Stone (among others); dir. By Hal Ashby

**And I’ve so far succeeded.

**As I can be!