Sunday, November 15: The A.D.D. Detective
The NEWSMAN– STODGHILL SAYS SO
by Leigh Lundin
This week, most of us have touched upon Dick Stodghill, and I especially like Steve’s commentary. Dick was a friend of new writers, a friend of CB, a friend of mine. One of my regrets missing Bouchercon this year was missing a chance to visit Dick and Jackie.
Dick was a newsman and remained a writer. He was 84 years old but had a more lively view of the world than men half his age. He was wry, hated injustice, loved people, and despised political fools.
Some might have thought him as hard-boiled as his characters and his articles about WW-II, but his soft spots were Jackie and little hamsters, one named Maisie. I teased him a lot about his age and that hamsters were earmuffs and inferior gerbils, but I also shared my story of having a dying hamster on my hands when no vet would return my call.
Dick was a warrior who hated war. He wrote vociferously about his battle experiences but never let them define him. I didn’t have the opportunity to ask if he’d read ArmyOfDude.com, but I had the feeling Dick held more in common with 24-year-old Alex than those who preach war. ArmyOfDude recently posted In Flanders Fields and reminded me of Dick’s comment when James posted the same poem on Memorial Day. Both Dick and Alex declined to respond in kind to those who lashed out at them.
If you post comments, Rob and I’ll ensure Dick’s wife, Jackie, sees them. I believe Rob plans to write about Dick this coming Wednesday. I dislike facile emotionality, perhaps because my own emotions run close to the surface, but I’m going to miss Dick, as are the rest of us.
News Clippings
In keeping with the criminal– or criminally odd– news spirit, following are a few items I found interesting. I catch myself wondering what Dick would say.
Lotteries are a cynical tax on the poor, but in Hungary, after winning the lottery, a town’s entire police force quit.
It wasn’t me, I swear, but a student returns library books 51 years overdue with fines.
Ron Ryba sets out to find his son, but finds a mystery instead.
When I was a little kid, I found an antique decagonal wedding ring in our back yard. This little tyke found two.
Peggy Wang says she’s never before paid to suck on balls, so they’d better be the most enjoyable balls she ever put in her mouth.
No article is complete without some touch of Florida weirdnesss. In Tampa, a schlep who ran out of cellular minutes desperately needed a phone sex fix. It was an emergency, right? So he rang 911.
It’s in the Florida water, folks.
Stodghill says so.
What a wonderful and well-deserved tribute to a wonderful writer and outstanding man.
Thanks, Leigh.
It says a lot about Dick that one of his favorite books was ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT.
Hi Leigh,
We at Women of Mystery will be remembering the many wonderful facets of Dick Stodghill on Tuesday.
However, we didn’t know about Mazie.
Dick was a wonderful voice in our world of mystery and he will be missed.
Thank you Terrie, Jon, and James.
Terrie, I look forward to your Tuesday article!
Thanks! Now I’ll think about Dick when I see my niece and nephew’s pet hampsters. I like to think that would have made him smile! As I posted somewhere I went back and read a bunch of his postings here and at The Mystery Place. Wonderful!
A very respectful article, for a man who deserved respect. My condolences to his family.
I’d like to add my sincere condolences to Dick’s family. As I said at another forum the other day, he will be missed by all who knew him or read his stories.
Once I’d written an article on CB about my husband saying sitting around reading so I could write a review wasn’t really working. On his own web site, Dick made mention of that and called my husband a clod for saying that to me. I laughed and laughed. Only another writer understands — and Dick missed nothing. Gosh, I miss him.