Last night on Coast to Coast AM with Art Bell there was this amazing New Yorker guy on telling interesting stories about his adventures as a US Environmental Prosecuter.  He shared interesting tid bits and an insiders prospective on what it’s like when going up against a court room full of suits from Exxon. He says he is like an Erin Brockovich with a law degree. His NYC law firm now works with her former employer on high profile enviromental cases on the east coast. 

I always knew that Elmore’s characters were real, both in their thinking and in their actions, especially the criminal minds from the earlier Detroit story’s. I still wonder where he hangs out and who he knows to be able get it down for his books. LOL

In Elmore’s imaginary universe all lawyers are assholes. Maybe fun to watch if you don’t take them seriously. Spammers are assholes, too. The first link is OK but the second immediately gave me a spam-migraine. There are better ways to introduce one’s discoveries to the Forum. Also, your handle is too long for convenient use.

I welcome you, wonpapachongtongs, to the forum.  I appreciated the Elmore part of your thread and post but I edited the last part which was way off topic and an advertisement for another writer.  I don’t want to inhibit anybody but I would like them to discuss Elmore Leonard’s work.  There are threads that deal with “favorite writers” and things like that, but I want to keep it to a minimum.

I will address your question when I get a chance.

Actually, why can’t Elmore do us a lawyer who’s a likeable guy? It’s never too late. The kind of guy, more or less alcoholic, with a serious shrew for a wife who he puts up with for some reason (she earns more than he does & he needs the money perhaps), hates criminals because they lie & complain & don’t pay the fee on time or ever, maybe he could have some kind of scam on the side, like embezzling whatever system it is that pays public defenders (he knows all the scams all the other attorneys & judges in town are into so this doesn’t bother his ‘conscience’),(hates smileys. Who the fuck ordered that?) is always 6 months behind on his bar-bill at the country-club which he only goes to because it’s the only place he can smoke, could be played by Harry Dean Stanton etc etc; what do you all think?

Jim O’Boyle in Fifty-Two Pickup wasn’t an asshole, nor was Carolyn Wilder in City Primeval.  Carolyn made some poor choices but she wasn’t a bad person.

djones - 24 April 2007 02:09 PM

Actually, why can’t Elmore do us a lawyer who’s a likeable guy? It’s never too late. The kind of guy, more or less alcoholic, with a serious shrew for a wife who he puts up with for some reason (she earns more than he does & he needs the money perhaps), hates criminals because they lie & complain & don’t pay the fee on time or ever, maybe he could have some kind of scam on the side, like embezzling whatever system it is that pays public defenders (he knows all the scams all the other attorneys & judges in town are into so this doesn’t bother his ‘conscience’),(hates smileys. Who the fuck ordered that?) is always 6 months behind on his bar-bill at the country-club which he only goes to because it’s the only place he can smoke, could be played by Harry Dean Stanton etc etc; what do you all think?

I like this guy, I’d like to see what he gets into.

The lawyer defending Stick at the beginning of SWAG wasn’t an asshole and I always wanted to see more of him.

Gregg Sutter - 24 April 2007 01:39 PM

I welcome you, wonpapachongtongs, to the forum.  I appreciated the Elmore part of your thread and post but I edited the last part which was way off topic and an advertisement for another writer.  I don’t want to inhibit anybody but I would like them to discuss Elmore Leonard’s work.  There are threads that deal with “favorite writers” and things like that, but I want to keep it to a minimum.

I did’nt post under the wrong thread. I started a new one so I would be sure to be on topic

Can I presume that you live west of the Mississippi Mr. Administrator? Why not just go and delete the whole $*$# thread. The post I wrote makes no sense anymore. I just went and wasted a lot of time.

Let me ask you a question. Can you even tell the difference between fiction and non fiction? How does a non fiction true story, a one off, conflict with the work of a top notch crime writers fiction? His true life experience is what I suggested as being interesting to Elmore book readers. His story in his own words was as bizarre as any book Leonard has ever written. The cops did’nt even believe him when he first went to them. Why did you go and nix my link to where you could subscribe and listen to his story in interview? 

The guy I spoke of is not a writer. He had an experience with some real criminal minds, characters so out of touch with reality you wonder how anybody can be so stupid and self centered. The type of person most of us will only be introduced to in an Elmore story. These characters who kidnapped him are not only real but just as out of touch as any off beat in any of Elmore’s books. The point of my original post does not discuss an other authors work or give an endorsement but lends credence to the accuracy and confirmation that the characters in Elmore’s books are real people. Where is your common sense? I thought this point was obvious.

So lawyers who are humanitarians are ass holes now? Some real Ahole really stuck their foot in their mouth for dissing Erin Brockovich. If you ever watch the movie you’ll hang your head in shame. Without a law degree or any experience she managed to win the largest law suite in history against a corporation who had caused suffering and death on innocent family’s. The guy I am referring to is currently working on a case and trying to win a settlement for people on Staten Island who are up against a similar situation there.

Where’s a genuine moderator when you need one anyway?

My SPAM guard wasn’t working the other day and someone linked other sites not related to Elmore Leonard.  SPAM

I hope that my SPAM guard works this week.  SPAM

I hate when websites about one subject get linked with other sites.  SPAM

I also hate when SPAM is attacking other people.

Real SPAM attacks the heart. 

SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM!!!

Your first and only post is a link to another author.  Show a little respect.  You SPAM SPAM SPAM.

Robb - 25 April 2007 01:46 PM

I also hate when SPAM is attacking other people.

Real SPAM attacks the heart. 

SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM!!!

Show a little respect.  You SPAM SPAM SPAM.

SPAM SPAM
Thank you ma’m

Talk about showing respect??

A newbie comes in to share something he feels that other like minded people would appreciate. A real life threatening but funny true story that reads like Leonard fiction.  He gets misquoted, misunderstood and flamed on his ass right out the side door.

Slow down and check out where I’m coming from.

After the kidnappers found out he was a US prosecutor they started asking him personal questions on free legal advise.

They also suggested that if they had met under different circumstances that he could have possibly joined up with their gang.

When they found out it was his birthday they offered him up one of the 16 yr. old hookers who lived there, where they pimped them out of, and was the crash pad where they were holding him.

One gang member who lived elsewhere had a straight job and was engaged.

While holding guns to his head they threatened to not only kill him but break every bone in his fathers body.

He bonded with his captors and it saved his life.

Are we starting to see my point yet gentleman?

And BTW, recognizing a west of the Mississippi mind set and correcting someone’s inability to interpret with common sense is not disrespectful.

I saw ‘Erin Brockovich’.  I didn’t find Erin’s hair very plausible.

djones - 25 April 2007 03:30 PM

I saw ‘Erin Brockovich’.  I didn’t find Erin’s hair very plausible.

Most real men were checking out her vivatious Ta Tas jonesy. LOL

[quote author=“wonpapachongtongs” date=“1177532069]
The guy I spoke of is not a writer.

But he does have a book out about this experience, doesn’t he?

[quote author=“wonpapachongtongs” date=“1177532069]
Can I presume that you live west of the Mississippi Mr. Administrator?

A lot of us on this board aren’t even in the USA so we have no idea what this means.

JohnMcFetridge - 25 April 2007 03:49 PM

[quote author=“wonpapachongtongs” date=“1177532069]
The guy I spoke of is not a writer
But he does have a book out about this experience, doesn’t he?

Yes. A one and only. He dosen’t write for a living.

Lets just forget the frigging book all together and refere to what I’m saying as his story. He just so happened to have written about his experience as well. Is it OK to suggest that you listen to his story in his own words? That’s something any body on this forum is going to appreciate. He never has or ever will write any fiction. Therefore what’s your point?

[quote author=“wonpapachongtongs” date=“1177532069]
Can I presume that you live west of the Mississippi Mr. Administrator?

A lot of us on this board aren’t even in the USA so we have no idea what this means.

If you listen to his interview you can conclude that everything about this guys character is opposite to some body left of The Mississippi, except Iowa and Texas. Texas comes in as a different country as far as perimeters go.

I’m from Toronto BTW

The Brockovich story took place in California. I’m going to stick my neck out and say she wasn’t an exception to the rule in my statement about the left coast. I’m going to say she was not a native. She was from somewhere else.

wonpapachongtongs - 25 April 2007 03:21 PM

He bonded with his captors and it saved his life.

Are we starting to see my point yet gentleman?

And BTW, recognizing a west of the Mississippi mind set and correcting someone’s inability to interpret with common sense is not disrespectful.

Yeah, I remember when this guy’s book came out a few people mentioned it was “Elmore Leonard-like” and it does show, once again, how plausible everything in EL’s novels are.

I also live in Toronto, but I have no idea what this east/west of the Mississippi mind set is, but we don’t need to discuss it here.

I am trying to decide if this guy is really djones or djust a troll.  Everybody knows that this region-bashing stuff is bad news, unless, of course, it is applied to the South.

Wait a minute. You think this Wonpapa guy is me? I suppose it’s possible. Only, there’s no way I’d spell like that. Not even if I was paid. Not even under torture.

I have spent quite a lot of time west of the Mississippi, though. Can’t remember a thing about it. I think I was drinking heavily at the time.