The Book, Cat, & Cat Book Lovers Almanac

of historical trivia regarding books, cats, and other animals. Actually this blog has evolved so that it is described better as a blog about cats in history and culture. And we take as a theme the advice of Aldous Huxley: If you want to be a writer, get some cats. Don't forget to see the archived articles linked at the bottom of the page.

July 23, 2020

July 23, 1888

The man who wrote,

The Big Sleep (1939),
Farewell, My Lovely (1940),
The Little Sister (1949), and 

The Long Goodbye (1953),

Dashiell Hammett,  (July 23, 1888 to March 26, 1959) has been labeled a serious writer, not just a detective novelist.


I am not sure of the distinction. Nor was Taki, his black Persian cat. Here is author and cat




Chandler lost Taki after almost twenty years, just before Christmas, 1951.  He wrote to a friend on January 9, 1951, "Thanks for the letter and Christmas card. I didn't send any this year.We were a bit broken up over the death of our black Persian cat. When I say broken up I am being conventional. For us it was tragedy." 

They  got another Persian, another black one, within the year. Chandler named it, also, Taki. Probably just as hard-boiled as the original Taki.


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