Post by Felicity Banks on Jan 29, 2021 7:51:58 GMT 10
You may know Kerry Greenwood as perhaps Australia's greatest cozy mystery writer. If you don't know her, you do probably know her best-known heroine: Phrynne Fisher.
Many years ago, Greenwood awarded me (in person) the Kerry Greenwood Malice Domestic Award, part of that year's Sisters in Crime Scarlet Stiletto Award, which was an incredible moment for me. I think I was 24 then, and writing as "Louise Curtis".
She is a lawyer, including pro bono work, and she told this story:
A blind man's dog was so clever that it would walk down the street to the local shops, pick up its own dog food, and bring it back home. The man was quite elderly and didn't realise exactly what was happening. Unsurprisingly, the dog was not actually paying for its food (unless you count the delight of the staff as absolutely worth it).
When the local shop came under new management, the new management was incensed by this arrangement, and ultimately took the man to court. Greenwood defended him. She piled her desk with all the vaguely-related law books she could find, including many that were not in English, and fought bravely.
At the end of the case, the judge said he would like to exonerate the man, but he wished to castigate the witness. Greenwood hesitated, as her client was rather frail, but she agreed.
The judge stood up from behind his desk in all his regalia, with marvellous gravity, and turned to the dog. "You bad dog!" he said.
Thus ended the trial.
Many years ago, Greenwood awarded me (in person) the Kerry Greenwood Malice Domestic Award, part of that year's Sisters in Crime Scarlet Stiletto Award, which was an incredible moment for me. I think I was 24 then, and writing as "Louise Curtis".
She is a lawyer, including pro bono work, and she told this story:
A blind man's dog was so clever that it would walk down the street to the local shops, pick up its own dog food, and bring it back home. The man was quite elderly and didn't realise exactly what was happening. Unsurprisingly, the dog was not actually paying for its food (unless you count the delight of the staff as absolutely worth it).
When the local shop came under new management, the new management was incensed by this arrangement, and ultimately took the man to court. Greenwood defended him. She piled her desk with all the vaguely-related law books she could find, including many that were not in English, and fought bravely.
At the end of the case, the judge said he would like to exonerate the man, but he wished to castigate the witness. Greenwood hesitated, as her client was rather frail, but she agreed.
The judge stood up from behind his desk in all his regalia, with marvellous gravity, and turned to the dog. "You bad dog!" he said.
Thus ended the trial.