Some of you may know that Jameson Parker—late of the immensely popular television series Simon and Simon as well as many movies on screens both large and small—turned his back on Hollywood to become a writer.
It was an extraordinary step—one with little precedent in TinselTown.
The old joke says it all. The teller of the tale is at a circus parade and is shocked to see an old friend, a once-prosperous actor, following the elephants and scooping up the deposits they make along the route. Appalled, he rushes up to the man and says, “Jack, you shouldn’t be doing this. Tell you what. I’ll make a place in my office for you. Regular hours. Decent salary. Dignity in the workplace.” Jack’s response: “What? And leave show business?”
Well, Jameson did it.
He left show business, and Hollywood’s loss is the literary world’s gain, for when it comes to words, Mr. Parker has a gift. (Those of you who know him know he has the gift of gab as well, but I was thinking of words on the page.)
He has written a remarkable series of novels and stories. I recommend, in particular…
An Accidental Cowboy. This is an extraordinary account of a man putting himself back together after a shocking assault—restoring himself through sheer physical process in much the same way that Hemingway’s Nick Adams attempts to heal the psychological and emotional wounds of war.
The Horseman at Midnight. A deeply moving story best described as Cormac McCarthy in Steinbeck country. Read it. You’ll thank me for introducing it to you.
“Teaching the Bear To Read.” Quite simply one of the finest short stories ever written.
And today Jameson makes his latest contribution to the literary world: Dancing with the Dead.
Bold. Original. Profoundly moving.
This new novella is the tale of two people from vastly different backgrounds, two survivors caught up in historic forces beyond their control. Stripped of everything that made them who they are, they come together in courage and common humanity. They, like Faulkner’s Dilsey, endure. And so will their story, the most unconventional, unexpected love story of this or any other year.
Do yourselves a favor and buy a copy now. Published by Bear Manor Media, it’s available at Amazon and most of the other usual suspects.
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In the spirit of Dan’s modest self-promotion in his blog “The Ruling Class,” I would like to commend him here for this, quite the most brilliant blog he has ever written or will ever write, a paradigm, I sincerely hope, for all his future blogs.
On a more serious note, “The Ruling Class” is a small taste of the insider information that only Dan has, and of how wittily and gracefully he can tell those tales. I have been encouraging him by word and deed to gather them all into a book, an insider’s journey through the duplicitous, back-stabbing, but oh-so-entertaining halls of Hollywood. He claims he is working on just such a tome. For those millions of us who would be entranced, I hope he finishes it sooner rather than later. Then he can start work on volume two…
Jameson Parker
Bless you, Jameson. Now if I could just find some way to “modestly promote” your comment!