Thomas Saunders, 1952-2016

Saunders, Thomas 3/25/1952 - 11/15/2016 Whitmore Lake, Michigan.

Tom was a great fan of books, telling stories, playing and enjoying music and a great corned beef sandwich; as well as all of the people who shared those things with him. Tom's battle against metastatic cancer ended peacefully, Tuesday November 15, in the presence of family. Funeral services will be held on Sunday, November 20 at 1pm at Phillips Funeral Home, 122 W. Lake Street, South Lyon, MI 48178. Visitation for family and friends will take place from 11am-1pm, followed by a memorial service. A wake will be held after, to laugh, cry, tell stories and toast Tom, 3pm-7pm at the Dexter Knights of Columbus, 8265 Dexter-Chelsea Rd, #1, Dexter, MI 48130. In lieu of flowers, please direct any donations to Lost Voices.org, a group that brings music therapy to at-risk and incarcerated youth, of which Tom was a proud supporter. www.phillipsfuneral.com.

Tom was the President of the Ann Arbor, Michigan, "Moderate State of Preservation" Chapter of the RBS and the publisher of The Athletic Benchley.

Kevin Fitzpatrick Publishes Seventh Book

NEWS -- Kevin Fitzpatrick, President of the New York City "Fascinating Crimes" Chapter of the RBS has just completed his seventh book, World War I New York: A Guide to the City’s Enduring Ties to the Great War (Globe Pequot). It comes out 3/1/2017 and is a guidebook to what was happening in the city during the war and where memorials are located today. For more information about the book CLICK HERE.

Can You Help this Man?

The Robert Benchley Society was recently contacted by someone searching for a:

"...a short piece by Mr. Benchley in which he wrote case profiles of suspected criminals in a pseudo-sociological voice. He ended one of his assessments of a degenerate criminal with the notation, 'Can whistle.'"

Can anyone assist?

Here's all I was able to find for him:

The essay “First—Catch Your Criminal” is along the lines you describe, but with no short clinical note about whistling. It can be found in No Poems, Or Around the World Backwards and Sideways (1932), beginning on page 54, and in the Benchley Round-up (1954), beginning on page 183.

There also an essay “Psychical Tic,” found in After 1903--What (1938), beginning on page 33. However I do not have a copy of that book handy to check it for you.

Anyone have an more ideas what work the inquirer may have in mind? Send your answers to david@robertbenchley.org.