Raymond Chandler died fifty years ago this week. The Telegraph has a story. I happen to be reading The Notebooks of Raymond Chandler. My favorite entry in the book so far is a parody of Hemingway called "Beer in the Sergeant Major's Hat (or the Sun Also Sneezes)." It's hysterical. Here's a sample paragrph: "Hank drank the alcohol and water. It had a warm sweetish taste. It was warm all the way down. It was warm as hell. It was warmer than whiskey. It was warmer than that Asti Spumonte they had that time in Capozzo when Hank was with Arditi. They had been carp fishing with landing nets. It had been a good day. After the fourth bottle of Asti Spumonte Hank fell into the river and came out with his hair full of carp. Old Peguzzi lauged until his boots rattled on the hard gray rock. And afterward Peguzzi got gonorrhea on the Piave. It was a hell of a war."

John Dufresne