Modesty Blaise
If I was to be honest about who influenced my writing and my fantasies about life and love, I would have to say Modesty Blaise. It is ironic that she is a pulp fiction character created by a man, that she could be mistaken for a male fantasy. But she was far from that. And if she was, it was a man very secure in his maleness to unleash a woman like her on the world. Modesty is stronger than most men, more resourceful, more wily, more – just about anything. And she is everything I am not – fabulous, an ex-criminal, a crack shot… and everything I have never actually wanted to be. I think. But she was an inspiration in a way that no one else, either real or imagined, ever was.
Her creator, Peter O’Donnell died this month. I never got the chance to say thank you to him, but if I had, I would say, thank you Mr.O’Donnell. For giving me such a role model. Not all role models are realistic, or even real. I need superheros. Modesty has always been with me, a woman with muscles and wit, principles and loyalty, honesty and wisdom, and spare change and Willie Garvin to boot!
Anytime anyone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I never said it out loud, but in my head, every single time without fail I would say, “Modesty Blaise”.
Tags: Modesty Blaise, Peter O'Donnell
I did not know he died!! I am sad =(
because of your love and fascination for Modesty Blaise, I too, grew to love her and while I don’t think I ever wanted to be her, I did want to be an ‘associate’, like her apprentice, you know? someone trusted from her seedy past… just to be around her, and distract the guards while she ran off. and mebbe get in some snogging with Willie haha. as a teenager, I remember getting incredibly turned on by that one time when Willie is forced to have sex with her in order to break her out of being brainwashed before she kills him!
I never got around to reading that last Modesty Blaise novel – do you have it?
I fear that my own happenstance heroine, Angelique, of Angelique and the Pirates (and the Crusaders and many other Monty Python forms of taxonomy) may have been less valient, feisty and worthy than Modesty, but I truly think that some historian might take a look at the pulp fiction of the 70′s and 80′s and point out some facets of the cultural milieu that drew us to our confused, yet, lovely demise.
She-she, also known as Sheila, aslo known as Shreiking Beast to telemarketers…xoxoxoooxox I miss you and I also miss Ashish, Suki, and unfortunately, I want to miss Elvis but cannot.
Immodesty Blaise honey…