Trevanian
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"Trevanian" was the pen name of Dr. Rodney William Whitaker, born June 12, 1931 in Granville, New York. He died December 14, 2005 in the English West Country. Although some believe the pseudonym he chose was based on the name of English historian G.M. Trevelyan, he told friends that he used the name of an Armenian acquaintance of his.[not in citation given]
Whitaker also published works as Nicholas Seare and Beñat Le Cagot as well as under his own name (The Language of Film). His detective novel The Main was originally slated to appear under the pen name Jean-Paul Morin.
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[edit] Life
Trevanian wrote many bestselling novels, one of which, The Eiger Sanction, was made into a 1975 movie starring Clint Eastwood. Trevanian described the movie as "vapid" in a footnote in Shibumi. He requested (and received) a screenwriting credit as Rod Whitaker. The balance of the script was written by Warren Murphy, the mystery author perhaps best known for co-writing the Destroyer series of men's action novels, about a similarly sarcastic assassin.
Trevanian kept his true identity unknown for many years, and refused to grant interviews or contribute to the publicity efforts of his publishers. Trevanian's first known interview was granted to Carol Lawson of The New York Times for a June 10, 1979 article coinciding with the release of Shibumi. In this article Trevanian stated that "Trevanian is going out of business. Now he can talk."
It was often rumored that he was actually Robert Ludlum using a pen name to which Trevanian stated, "I don't even know who he is. I read Proust, but not much else written in the 20th century." It is possible that the myth arose out of confusion caused by the fact that Ludlum himself once wrote a novel called "Trevayne" in which he departed from his usual style, as well as his customary title convention of the definite article followed by a name and a noun (usually an abstract noun).
[edit] Nonfiction (as Rod Whitaker)
- The Language of Film (1970)
- Christ on Stage. Dialog 5, Summer 1966, pgs. 226-227 (1966).
- Conversation: On translating Senecan tragedy into film by James Hynd (an interview with Rod Whitaker). Arion (Boston), v. 7 (Spring 1968), p. 58-67 (1968).
- Stasis. Script to a film by Rod Whitaker and Richard Kooris. Copyright (c) 1968.
- The Lawyer, The Lawman, and The Law: Public Image, Texas Law Review: Volume 50 - Issue 4. pgs. 822-827 (1972).
[edit] Novels
[edit] As Trevanian
- The Eiger Sanction (1972)
- The Loo Sanction (1973)
- The Main (1976)
- Shibumi (published May 14, 1979)
- The Summer of Katya (1983)
- Incident at Twenty-Mile (1998)
- The Crazyladies of Pearl Street (2006)
[edit] As Nicholas Seare
- 1339 or So ...Being An Apology for A Pedlar (1975) (1339 or So... was, in early form, a stage play titled Eve of the Bursting)
- Rude Tales And Glorious (1983)
[edit] Short stories
- Switching; by Trevanian. Playboy Magazine. December 1978. (Note: a revised version of this story appeared in Hot Night in the City as After Hours at Rick's)
- Minutes of a Village Meeting; by Beñat Le Cagot, translated by Trevanian. Harper's Monthly. February 1979. pgs. 60 - 63. (Note: a revised version of this story appeared in Hot Night in the City.)
- That Fox-of-a-Beñat; by Beñat Le Cagot, translated by Trevanian. Yale Literary Magazine. 1984. Vol. 151, No 1, pgs 25-33. (Note: a revised version of this story appeared in Hot Night in the City.)
- The Secrets of Miss Plimsoll, Private Secretary; by Trevanian. Redbook. March 1984. (Note: a revised version of this story appeared in Hot Night in the City as The Sacking of Miss Plimsoll.)
- The Apple Tree: by Trevanian. The Antioch Review. Yellow Springs: Spring 2000. Vol. 58, Iss. 2; p. 195 (14 pages)
- Waking to the Spirit Clock; by Trevanian. The Antioch Review. Yellow Springs: Summer 2003. Vol. 61, Iss. 3; p. 409
[edit] Other works
- "Eve of the Bursting", by Rod Whitaker. A drama in three acts, 1959; performed at the University Playhouse at the University of Washington. Rod Whitaker directed. Jerry Pournelle was company manager of the production.
- Contributed an Introduction to the 1998 Re-issue of A Climb Up to Hell by Jack Olsen. 1st Ed. Harper & Row, 1962, New York, 1962. Reprint Edition by Griffin House (St. Martins Press), New York, 1998. Introduction Copyright 1998 by Trevanian.
- Contributed a Testimonial to the website of the Theory of Eight. Testimonial Copyright 2000 by Trevanian.
- Edited and Contributed an Introduction to the short-story mystery collection Death Dance: Suspenseful Stories of the Dance Macabre. Cumberland House, 2002. Introduction Copyright 2002 by Trevanian.
- The Crazyladies of Pearl Street Cybernotes Companion. Copyright 2005 by Trevanian.
- The Street of the Four Winds - Part I Internet Edition'. Copyright 2005 by Trevanian.
