And for the sake of action, I have occasionally placed an alleyway where there never was one, or invented a church or a theatre that never existed, that sort of thing.
Officer Joe Woollcott of the NYPD is a figment of my imagination. But it is not unlikely that Aleck would have had such a down-to-earth cousin. Aleck was his family’s anomaly.
At different times throughout the 1920s, Alexander Woollcott, Robert Benchley, Heywood Broun, Marc Connolly, and Robert Sherwood wrote for, or were editors of, many different publications. To avoid confusion, and finding the changes in employment of no consequence to the storylines of my books, I have kept them on the staffs of only one or two papers or magazines.
Woodrow Wilson, our lovable Boston terrier, was one of a long line of dogs embraced by Dorothy Parker, including Robinson, a dachshund, and two poodles, each named Cliché. But, I chose Woodrow, and have kept him alive years longer than was actually the case.
I do not refer to Dorothy Parker’s real-life romantic attachments, nor include those gentlemen in any of my stories, except for her husband, Eddie, and he is mentioned only to give the reader an understanding of her circumstances and the effects of World War I on her life and times.
While researching, I have encountered many conflicting accounts of events involving my leading characters. It usually has to do with who said/did what to whom, and as these biographers/sources are sincere and unquestionably creditable, and as most of the stories in question are hearsay, or second- or third-generation accounts that these sources are retelling, situations that might not even have happened, these differences are of little importance, really, so forgive me my trespasses, please. First-hand accounts might have been embellished to enhance entertainment effect. (For example, Hemingway credited himself with several clever lines that were quipped by others, but were good enough for him to claim as his own.) I still cannot definitely attribute the line, “Let’s get out of these wet clothes and into a dry martini,” to Robert Benchley. Some suggest it was a press agent or Aleck Woollcott who actually said the words. Lots of people claim credit. As nearly a century has passed, these retold events might be assigned to folklore. ( I wasn’t there; you weren’t there; so we’ll never know for sure what really occurred.) Also, famous quotes once spoken by these famous people were not always spoken at the time and place at which I have put them in my novels.
Praise for The Broadway Murders
Those of us who since childhood had wished there was a time machine that could let us experience and enjoy life in other periods, should read Agata Stanford’s “Dorothy Parker Mysteries” series. They wonderfully recreate the atmosphere and spirit of the literary and artistic crowd at the Algonquin Round Table in the 1920s, and bring back to life the wit, habits, foibles, and escapades of Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, and Alexander Woollcott, as well as of the multitude of their friends and even their pets, both human and animal.
—Anatole Konstantin
Author of A Red Boyhood: Growing up under Stalin
Oh, boy! I just read The Broadway Murders! Agata Stanford’s Dorothy Parker Mysteries is destined to become a classic series. It’s an addictive cocktail for the avid mystery reader. It has it all: murder, mystery, and Marx Brothers’ mayhem. You’ll see, once you’ve taken Manhattan with the Parker/Benchley crowd. Dorothy Parker wins! Move over, Nick and Nora.
—Elizabeth Fuller
Author of Me and Jezebel
About the Author
Agata Stanford is an actress, director, and playwright who grew up in New York City. While attending the School of Performing Arts, she’d often walk past the Algonquin Hotel, which sparked her early interest in the legendary Algonquin Round Table.
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