Friday, October 09, 2009

Stuart Kaminsky, R. I. P.

Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind: Stuart Kaminsky, R.I.P.: "Stuart Kaminsky, a former Grandmaster of the Mystery Writers of America and author of dozens of critically acclaimed and well-regarded detective novels, passed away earlier today. He was 75."

I read and enjoyed a lot of Kaminsky's novels. He was a guest at ClueFest years ago in Dallas, in Motel Hell, and was a good sport about it all. I'm very sad to hear this news.

9 comments:

Max Allan Collins said...

A very warm, witty, wonderful guy and a terrific writer. Among his many accomplishments was writing the English dialogue for ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA. I had the privilege of seeing the uncut version of it in a Chicago theater with Stu, who occasionally whispered inside tidbits. An unforgettable experience.

He was a friend and one of my favorites among my talented writer friends, both as a person and as a storyteller. His Russian novels are my favorite of his work.

We had once developed a novel idea for his Toby Peters character and my Nate Heller. Somehow it fell through the cracks -- and I could not regret it more. Bless you, Stu.

Cap'n Bob said...

A shame. I'm shocked to read that he ws 75. I would have thought he was much younger. RIP.

Bud Webster said...

Oh, this is sad. I'm a big Kaminsky fan, I think I've read mpost, if not all of the fiction he did (barring a few short stories I may have missed). I'll miss Toby, and Rostnikov, and Abe.

Anonymous said...

Wow, that's a shocker. I remember him from back in the days I was doing the fanzine.

His Rostnikov books were my favorite, but Abe Lieberman wasn't far behind.

Jeff

jimkitt said...

Oh I am really sorry to read from you about the passing of Stuart Kaminsky. His Toby Peters character was one of my favorites. He could evoke the forties and Toby's hand to mouth existence to a tee. His repartee with his brother and his office co-tenant Sheldon the dentist was great. I am sorry there will be no more from Toby, but his output will leave me much to enjoy for a long time.

Benjie said...

Sad to hear the news. I didn't discover Toby Peters until about fifteen years ago, and what with all the rest of my reading, still have a stack to go. But I can see another void in the reading spaces.

Richard Robinson said...

Oh my, so sorry Kaminsky won't be writing any more books, I'm a fan of his Rostnikov books, I just reviewed one Forgotten Friday maybe 3 weeks ago. Now I'll take out another to re-read, probably my favorite, A COLD RED SUNRISE, or maybe I'll try the as-yet unread by me MURDER ON THE TRANS-SIBERIAN EXPRESS, which I somehow missed. Plus I've not tried the Toby Peters books, and like Benjie, I have a stack of them.

This is a real loss.

r2 said...

He was a professor of mine at Northwestern. He was kind, unassuming, but had a real passion and knowledge of the crime and mystery genre. I remember one day he stayed after class and we had a long conversation about "Dirty Harry" movies.

His books were tremendous. What a great writer. I always wanted to write to him to tell him I got a couple of short stories published. I didn't have the chance.

He will be greatly missed.

Randy Rohn

Peter Rozovsky said...

I never met Stuart Kaminsky or worked with him, but there was something admirably workmanlike and professional in his caeer, and I mean that in no sense as a putdown. He studied and taught film; he wrote novels set in the world in movies. He lived in Chicago and set novels there, and did the same to great effect when he moved to Sarasota.

What admirably imaginative and commendably practical use of the circumstances of one's life!
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