POI: Joseph Brewer

[truthspider]

There was one more thing along with the revelations in The Last Happy Hour that cinched it for me. Couldn't think of it at first. It was the operating table. How many people keep an operating table in their kitchen? How many doctors keep an operating table in their kitchen? Just another coincidence that there are chopped up bodies down the road?

You are forgetting about Ms. Frankenstein (9098) with the matching leg surgeries.
Im on a roll tonight....:great:

 

[twocuriouscats]

Usually I give up and let someone else have the last word, but my daughter was in a car wreck this afternoon and my adrenaline is still pumping so I will give it a shot. People who read a lot of fiction and English majors, as I was at one time, know that most writers borrow a lot of their material from things they see and experience in real life. As I believe Hackett Sr. did.

I agree Redbird, and I hope your daughter is ok. Wishing your family peace and strength.

 

[Redbird]

You can rationalize one detail, i.e. my kid likes lobster, but like lawyers say during those trials, it's when you lay these facts out brick by brick...it all adds up.

 

[truthspider]

You can rationalize one detail, i.e. my kid likes lobster, but like lawyers say during those trials, it's when you lay these facts out brick by brick...it all adds up.

each brick I found caused me to dig deeper, and I have dug up enough bricks to know there is a house buried down there somewhere...:fence:

 

[Dwntwnslim]

If most writers borrow material from things they see and experience in real life, does that mean what took place in “2001: A Space Odyssey” actually happened to Arthur C. Clarke?

 

[John Carter]

I'm a firm believer in reading more.

Here's one of the things that I read from the ws rules:

"Abuse / Flaming / Derogatory Comments:

Abusive Comments, Flaming, or derogatory insults or comments are strictly against the rules. If you disagree with another member’s point of view, do so in a mature and civil manner. If someone posts to discuss their personal problems or seeks help from other forums members, please do not respond unless you have something positive or helpful to add. If you find yourself being flamed or insulted by another member, please do not dignify that person with a response. Notify a moderator and let us handle it."

I would ask, with respect, rather than trying to silence another member, respond in a thoughtful fashion to their post. Or, don't respond. Or, put them on ignore.

I've also read through this thread, and I don't see a response from you that addresses dwntwnslim's question.

If you don't have any kind of rational response that deals with the topic at hand, there might be more productive ways to deal with that lack.

I will say, it's common, normal, and rational for an author to draw on their life experiences when creating a fictional work. That's the exception, rather than the rule.

This does not, however, mean that one can take a work of fiction as proof that events described in said work of fiction actually transpired in real life.

I think it would be a very good thing for all of us to draw on reality, rather than fantasy, while sleuthing.

Just sayin'.

 

[Dwntwnslim]

<modsnip>

I will eliminate the analogy to make my question easier to understand.

Is it your opinion that works of fiction should be viewed as fact?

 

[truthspider]

I will eliminate the analogy to make my question easier to understand.

Is it your opinion that works of fiction should be viewed as fact?

I don't treat this subject matter lightly and I refuse to simplify my analysis, you should not be asking me such an overly simplified question as it will degrade the integrity of my research. If you read the first post on the book thread you wouldn't have asked. <modsnip>



"The Last Happy Hour
I'm starting this thread for people who have read or are interested in reading the book, "The Last Happy Hour" by Charles Joseph Hackett. The author was a World War II veteran, Hospital Administrator, and father to our curious doctor of interest.

The book is a semi-autobiographical work predominantly focusing on the conversations between three US Army lieutenants: Henderson, Rhatigan, and our nameless narrator (Charles J. Hackett). The book opens with a short dedication to the author's only child, "To Peter". The narrator refers to his only child as "Paul", and though the book primarily focuses on the war time discussions, he does manage to mention his son on a few occasions.

When I reached page 8, I knew I would have to finish this book. Page eight dives right into the inability to convert "*advertiser censored*" with pious argument. (needle scratches record) Truthspider are you saying that the father of a potential suspect in the case of serial murder of sex workers wrote a book that discusses converting *advertiser censored*? Yes reader, that is correct. Maybe the topic of converting *advertiser censored* is more popular than I think it is, maybe you and your family discuss this topic at the dinner table or at the ball game, but my family never discussed converting *advertiser censored*, nor do I recall anyone I know discussing the specific idea that religion can't convert a *advertiser censored*. I can't say that I was surprised by this extremely unfortunate overlap of topics, after all we are talking about an extremely "unlucky" individual.

As I managed to crawl my way through the book, I was informed of the sad fact that the young boy did not have a mother or mother figure as his mother died two weeks after giving birth to the boy. Sadly, she was only 22 years old when she died. The mother isn't discussed beyond that in the book, only that they weren't married, and her relationship to the narrator was marginal.

The narrator details his post war life as a traveling administrative consultant to hospitals, where he would bring his boy along on his business trips. They would stay in motels and hotels around the northeast while the father cavorted with different insignificant women, sometimes the women were "dancers" in Atlantic City. (unlucky meter in the red again)

Mentions of his son are far outweighed by mentions of the consumption of alcohol and inappropriate sexual relations with various promiscuous women during and after the war. The few mentions of the boy are indeed curious as we learn that due to the amount of time he spent around hospitals and adults, he would try and please his father by showing him how perfectly he could "dissect a lobster" at the early age of 4. And yes, the boy is actually allergic to dogs.

Another paragraph of interest comes early in the book, when the narrator violently details his own rampage through the streets of a German village murdering every living thing in his path, old men, women, children, little girls and their pet bunnies, and even priests.

It's really a very unfortunate description of a boy's early life if people are suspecting him in the LISK case..... "

 

[ynotdivein]

A respectful warning to please turn down the "volume" in here by about three or four notches.

1. Different opinions are to be expected, and respected, in this forum.

2. Personal attacks, cut-downs, or sniping at fellow posters is against WS etiquette and rules.

3. It's ok to question one another's theories or point out facts and evidence that they may have missed. It's not ok to do that in a rude or demeaning manner, no matter how many times one may have been asked the same question or had one's presentation of said facts and evidence queried.

4. We have plenty of folks who don't know this case as well as some of you do, who will be checking these threads for the first time in the run-up to Sunday's show. Consider that they may be looking only for facts and theories, and might not wish to sort through interpersonal sniping as they get a handle on things.

Thank you all for the passion you bring to this case/these cases. Please, just don't misdirect that energy at your fellow WSers, whether they do or don't agree with you.

:tyou:

 

[Dwntwnslim]

If my question was "simple" then it should be "simple" for you to answer it.

Is it your opinion that works of fiction should be viewed as fact?

Why should I take a work of Fiction as supporting data to the events that transpired in the life of the doc or any of his family members?

 

[shadowraiths]

"The Last Happy Hour

[...]

The book is a semi-autobiographical work

Am not seeing any reviews indicating this book is a "semi-autobiographical work." However, for those interested in perusing the book, it can be "electronically borrowed" for free from OpenLibrary ( link ). You can read it online or read the pdf using Adobe Digital Editions ( link )

 

[Dwntwnslim]

If I did recognize "The Last Happy Hour" as a semi-autobiographical work, how am I supposed to know which elements are fact. I'm not privy to the intimate details of the doc's private life as you apparently are, truthspider.

How is it that you know so much about the doc's life anyway? I did read in one of your earlier posts that you had the doc under "surveillance". Is that how you acquired information about his life?


Correction: You said you were "investigating" the doc:

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=140992&page=47

But, you did say to call you "Sir Vail" in this thread:

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=140992&page=45

 

[Redbird]

I was already grilled about this and I don't see why one cannot have the opinion that writers borrow from their real llife experiences to write fiction. The first two years of college I was a creative writing major and had it pounded into me that I should write from my own experience for my work to be authentic. Can't we let this matter rest.

 

[Just K]

There is an entire genre' referred to as autobiographical novels. It is also sometimes referred to as Autobiographical Fiction and Narrative Non Fiction as well.
Autobiographical novel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Just K]

Somehow, all of these "Happy Hour " post seem to have landed in the wrong sub-forum.

 

[waltzingmatilda]

:welcome3:

 

[Redbird]

Does anyone have any new information about Joseph Brewer or any new insight into why he may or may not be the SK?

 

[Just K]

Hopefully all the "Happy Hour" posts can be moved to the proper thread. It is very confusing...one thinks they are replying in one thread to a particular topic and next thing you know you have responded to several posts all in the wrong thread. It is maddening and especially so for anyone who is unfortunate enough to be cursed with OCD.

 

[John Carter]

Just a point of clarification for me, if the crowd doesn't mind.

If we're talking about Joseph Brewer in this thread, and reasons why it might or might not be him, would it be off target, topic, or thread to say "I don't think it's JB because I'm SURE it's THIS GUY (link to threads about THIS GUY) ?

It strikes me that reasons why it Could be him would be by definition on topic, but this specific subset of reasons why it might Not be him could lead to topic drift.

Thoughts? And, is this the right place to ask?

cheers!

 

[ynotdivein]

All I'm gonna say is, please refer to the title of this thread before you post here. And if you're referring to someone off this thread, it'd be polite of you to give us a link to the appropriate thread.

:tyou: