< P > F o r s o m e w h o m i g h t n e v e r h a v e h e a r d o f Z a n e G r e y s R i d e r s o f t h e P u r p l e S a g e , i t w a s m a d e i n t o a 1 9 9 6 m o v i e f o r t e l e v i s i o n w i t h E d H a r r i s a n d A m y M a d i g a n . A s a c h i l d I w a s a p u n s t e r w h o l o v e d W e s t e r n s . A s y o u c a n s e e , m y c h a r a c t e r h a s n ' t c h a n g e d . T h e m o v i e r e t a i n s t h e s t o r y s e n i g m a t i c q u a l i t y w i t h o u t s a c r i f i c i n g t h e g r i t t i n e s s y o u e x p e c t o f t h e W e s t e r n n o v e l . < / P > < P > Z a n e G r e y d i e d i n 1 9 3 9 , t h r e e y e a r s a f t e r L a r r y M c M u r t r y w a s b o r n . H a v i n g p e n n e d o v e r 8 0 n o v e l s , G r e y s a r e c o n s i d e r e d s o m e o f t h e b e s t W e s t e r n s e v e r w r i t t e n . M y n e u r o t i c a u n t w h o r e a d o n l y W e s t e r n s h a d b o o k c a s e s f u l l o f h e r f a v o r i t e s , L o u i s L A m o u r a n d L a r r y M c M u r t r y . A p r a c t i c i n g p s y c h i a t r i s t u n t i l h e r e a r l y n i n e t i e s , s h e s a i d W e s t e r n s h e l p e d h e r r e l a x a n d f o r g e t h e r s e l f - a b s o r b e d n e u r o t i c p a t i e n t s . < / P > < P > S o w h o c a r e s ? W e s t e r n s a r e o u t . F o r e n s i c s a r e i n . E r , c l o s e y o u r e y e s a n d t r y n o t t o l a u g h . E n v i s i o n L a w a n d O r d e r s D e n n i s F a r i n a i n c h a p s a n d a b a d g e , a c o u r t r o o m w i t h S a m W a t e r s t o n i n L u c c e s e W e s t e r n b o o t s , f a c i n g d o w n S p e n c e r T r a c y i n a d u s t y p a i r o f L a r e d o B a s i c s . M o v e C S I M i a m i t o D o d g e , a n d p u t D a v i d C a r u s o s r e d h a i r u n d e r a b i g w h i t e S t e t s o n . T h e o l d c l i c h , t h e r e s n o t h i n g n e w u n d e r t h e s u n , i s n o n e t h e l e s s v a l i d . < / P > < P > W h i l e t h e p u r p l e s a g e h a s r i d d e n i n t o t h e s u n s e t , t h e d i g i t a l a g e i s t h i s g e n e r a t i o n s z e i t g e i s t i n n e w c l o t h e s . F o r g i v e m e i f s o m e t i m e s I c a n t r e s i s t u s i n g o n e w o r d i n s t e a d o f t h e t h r e e o r f o u r i t t a k e s t o s a y t h e s a m e t h i n g . T h e e x p e r t s t e l l w r i t e r s w e m u s t w r i t e t o p l e a s e o u r r e a d e r s o r w e w o n t h a v e a n y r e a d e r s . T o b e h o n e s t , I a l w a y s w a n t t o w r i t e t o p l e a s e < I > m e < / I > . I t e l l m y s e l f , I f r e a d e r s d o n t k n o w w h a t t h e w o r d m e a n s , l e t t h e m l o o k i t u p t h e w a y I d o . N o t . < / P > < P > T h e r e ' s i s a h a p p y m e d i u m b e t w e e n d u m b i n g d o w n t o t h e l o w e s t c o m m o n d e n o m i n a t o r a n d , w h e n t h e e g o g e t s i n t h e w a y , d e l i b e r a t e l y t r y i n g t o i m p r e s s t h e e l i t i s t s . I n m y e x p e r i e n c e , n o t a l l P h D s c a n s p e l l , a n d m a n y g r a d u a t e s o f u r b a n p u b l i c s c h o o l s b e c o m e g r e a t w r i t e r s . F . S c o t t F i t z g e r a l d f l u n k e d o u t o f P r i n c e t o n . E r n e s t H e m i n g w a y h a d o t h e r t h i n g s t o d o . P r a i r i e H o m e C o m p a n i o n s G a r r i s o n K e i l l o r o f r a d i o a n d p r i n t i s e s p e c i a l l y i n s i g h t f u l a n d e a r t h y w h e n t a l k i n g a b o u t w r i t e r s . < / P > < P > W r i t e r s a r e v a c u u m c l e a n e r s w h o s u c k u p o t h e r p e o p l e s l i v e s a n d w e a v e t h e m i n t o s t o r i e s l i k e a s p a r r o w b u i l d s a n e s t f r o m s c r a p s . < / P > < P > W i s h I h a d s a i d t h a t . A n i n s a t i a b l e s t o r y t e l l e r o f f i c t i o n a n d n o n - f i c t i o n , I t h i n k t h e w r i t e r s h a p p y m e d i u m i s s i m p l i c i t y i n o n e s o w n s t y l e , i n o n e s o w n l a n g u a g e p l a i n A m e r i c a n E n g l i s h . T h e r e s s o m u c h m o r e t o s a y , b u t w h y b e p r o l i x . Y i k e s ! G o o d s c r a p h u n t i n g , a n d h a p p y n e s t b u i l d i n g . < / P > < P > S i m p l i c i t y - C o u r a g e - H u m o r - S o u l < / P >
Author: Susan Scharfman
Author Bio:
Susan Scharfman
A writer since childhood, Susan Scharfman's working life began with several years at CBS News before entering the Foreign Service of the United States. As a Foreign Service officer she served at embassies and USAID missions within Europe, Asia and Africa, as well as in the agency's Washington, D.C. press office. Now a private citizen and novelist, she is researching her next book, and is a writer/editor.
This article can be searched using: Writers of The Digital Age, Culture & Art, Editing & Writing Services, online editing service
St. Francis of Assisi
The St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Community
is a growing parish in the Evergreen area of San Jose, California with a very active lay leadership.
Princeton Online, Community Website for Princeton New Jersey
Princeton, New Jersey: Premier community Web site for Princeton, New Jersey, featuring content from municipal government, more than 120 non-profit groups and 125 local businesses. Includes online forums, free classifieds and FamilyWorks.
Art of Cherie Salerno's
Cherie Salerno: artist, Fantasy Painter, Art Institude of Chicago, Mixed media.
