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Is Patricia Cornwell's Life More Interesting Than Her Best-Sellers?
New York, 7:52 AM
Sun Nov 29
17 posts in the last 24 hours
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Is Patricia Cornwell's Life More Interesting Than Her Best-Sellers? |
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12/03/08
Yes, she talks about coming to terms with it - but in the way you might talk about coming to terms with having cancer, or losing a leg. I remember gay people talking that way in the 80's, I guess, but it seems like such a long time ago and it was kind of a shock to see that now. I guess she's older, so she grew up in that time, but still... it made me sad.
12/02/08
12/02/08
I agree with @MOJITOBABY, the editing took a turn for the worse recently and they're not as much fun. But the early ones still are.
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1. GIANT font denoting author
2. Tiny picture of a sailboat in the middle of the cover, or a knife, or a single flower
3. Cutout covers that show something intriguing lurking behind the front cover
4. Very tall letters with shadows behind them
5. Jackie Collins
6. Picture of shoes or engagement rings or mention of a designer
7. A dragon
Since her books probably meet some of those criteria, I have not read them. Her life sounds interesting, though, and good for her for making her way in the world.
12/02/08
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I can think of some great books you're missing out on with that one, like the His Dark Materials books, otherwise I think your list is spot on.
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12/02/08
I still use my ex-husband's last name, even though we've been divorced for several years, because most of the things I've written are in that name. It's easier professionally for a writer to have all of your work written under one name instead of switching back and forth from maiden to married or whatever.
12/02/08
12/02/08
Ms. Cornwell does sound interesting though. Maybe I'll try again.
P.S.: My current favorite author is Lee Child. Great read on a long plane ride.
12/02/08
PS: Check out Denise Mina - really awesome Scottish writer!
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12/02/08
I grew up in the one town over from Patricia, and she and my aunt were college roomies. She's one fabulous lady. Brava Scarpetta!
12/02/08
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12/02/08
Those books were my way of dealing with some tough times, and now it sounds like they were Cornwell's way, too.
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12/02/08
I also like the cookbook based on all the meals prepared in the Scarpetta books.
Yes, I used to be a weirdo fan girl.
12/02/08
12/02/08
Her books are all a bit over the top these days.
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12/02/08
I agree that the books went kind of downhill - but I'm still a devout reader. It just seems like Kay Scarpetta developed a bit of a persecution complex - which I guess is understandable because everyone really DOES seem out to get her. I also wasn't crazy about what PC did with the Marino character. He was always a jerk and a slob, but somewhat lovable, but in the later books, I found myself hating him.
Fan girl say what? WHAT?!
12/02/08
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12/02/08
...on the other hand, if Tom Cruise is cruising gay bars at night, taking advantage of a lifestyle he neither worked for, nor supports then I think anyone in that life has every right to expose him. That's what happened to Ellen. People forget, though she may be a gay poster child now, Ellen was outed. Michael Musto didn't care for her public avoidance while making out with girls in bars and took her to task for it.
But in this case, if they'd still be married when she had the same sex affair he's have a right to a pound of flesh, but since they were divorced it was none of his business. She knew she was gay, ended a false marriage and moved on. She did the right thing. Granted, he's got a right to a certain amount of anger losing a decade of his life to something that wasn't real because I don't think she just woke up "gay" one day, but if he really loved her he would have tried to understand that finally accepting who she was took time. But given his was a teacher boning his students to begin with, such maturity might be beyond him.
12/02/08
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12/02/08
If you are a private person & someone writes it in an article, publishes a pic, whatever, they have the right, I suppose, but it seems really disingenuous.
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12/02/08
My only thing....calling someone out for hypocrisy or some such, may be satisfying, but it's tricky.
Let he who cast the first stone, is sorta how I take it. Musto can out Ellen, sure. He can put her to task for being closeted, but who's to say that some day, he's diagnosed with mental illness or some sort of life-threatening disease? Does he want everyone to know? Would it be fair if Perez Hilton posted a story about it on his blog?
At least that's kinda how I think about it.
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12/02/08
I, by no means, think being gay or being ill are the same. My thought was, what is something that is individually very private?
I think it is, however, extremely tricky for someone to judge hypocrisy. It makes me supremely uncomfortable to think that my judgment is somehow the "word" and therefore, I have the right to judge someone's actions.
This is my problem with Musto or anyone outing someone else. (and by outing, again, I stated above, it could be something else besides one's sexuality)
12/02/08
12/02/08
The thing about Luther or Michael Peters, is that they were/are gay, and it was clear in their lives, but that fact is just omitted.
I'll stop and you & we should IM or something, but it seems to me that it's still tricky. The benefits of going to a gay bar shouldn't be stripped from someone who is not out. I think about any minority, in that case, and think that logic is flawed. You cannot say, well, since you don't embrace your race, you cannot go to this club. While it's contradictory, and the person has issues, it's still weird to me.
I totally see your point, 100%.
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shudder
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12/02/08
@PilgrimSoul: I get the first-middle name treatment. Although that rarely happens anymore.
The last time my mom got mad at me was when I hadn't emptied out my voicemail and she couldn't leave me a message. I got an "I'M SO MAD AT YOU RIGHT NOW I CAN'T SEE STRAIGHT!!!" email.
12/02/08
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But, I also get, hey, rosasparks, you can have the last beer.
Depends on the situation.
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And yes, we also both call our fathers "Daddy." I think it's pretty clear who runs the household in each case.
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In fact, the other day, someone asked me if I was minisparks' mother & I was like, huh? First of all, they weren't looking closely (we're kinda twins) and second of all, I'm her mama.
12/02/08
Meh. To each his or her own.
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Now, if I'm kidding with my mom, I'll call her "ma!" which she hates, or if I'm pissed I'll call her "Mother". But I have never, ever, ever! called her by her first name. How disrespectful!
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What a coincidence...she married a guy with the same last name (cue North Carolina joke). That's gotta be convenient with the SSN, license, and all that.
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Cornwell is her married name. Her maiden name is Daniels (see below - she is a friend of my aunts). She just didn't change her name after the divorce - I'm guessing cause she was already published under "Cornwell".
12/02/08