Book Release: The Wisdom Within Earl Derr Biggers’ Charlie Chan. Finally!

“Why, Mr. Chan here is a detective, isn’t he? A detective on a vacation. If you’ve ever read a mystery story you know that a detective never works so hard as when he’s on a vacation. He’s like the postman who goes for a long walk on his day off.”

Bob Eden, The Chinese Parrot, 1926, Chapter 3

After a decade long walk on my own vacation (retirement) this postman is finally releasing his own non-fiction book, The Wisdom Within Earl Derr Biggers’ Charlie Chan: The Original Aphorisms Inside The Charlie Chan Canon. Release dates are: August 26, 2023 (Earl Derr Biggers’ 139th birthday) for the eBook, and September 4th, 2023 for the print copy. You’ll find it at local retailers: Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, Goodreads, etc. Click on the cover photo (at right) to read a few choice preview pages or to buy it direct from Bookbaby.com!

Here from the back cover is a brief description:

     Dear reader, if you expect to find the same wise-cracking antics from inside the 44 Charlie Chan films from 1931 to 1949, then go no further. You won’t find them here. Instead, what you will find are the original aphorisms, which Author Earl Derr Biggers’ borrowed from the great sages and philosophers of history, Buddha, Confucius, and others; and which he expertly wove into the literature to bring insight and enlightenment through the voice of Detective Charlie Chan of the Honolulu Police.

     Unlike his British or emerging American counterparts, this crime fighter was not wealthy, quick with his fists, or Caucasian. He was a “Chinaman,” discriminated against by the very suspects he was investigating! Biggers’ detective had to fight racism and xenophobia at a time when the Chinese Exclusion Act was in full effect. And one weapon he used to combat the bigotry and helped lift him to international fame was that endearing pearl of wisdom known as the aphorism

I felt strongly this was a narrative that needed to be told! Through the years, I’ve read many books on the aphorisms of Charlie Chan. However, all concentrated on the sayings found in films–never those inside the novels. And Ohio Author Earl Derr Biggers worked hard to entwined the words of great philosophers into his stories for meaning and enlightenment. So this book is just “to set the record straight,” for a fellow Ohioan or Buckeye as we are often called.

I am deeply indebted to Author Barbara Gregorich (Earl Derr Biggers’ biographer) for her guidance and wisdom throughout my writing journey. And my sincere thanks to Messieurs Otto Penzler and Richard Dannay, who graciously shared their time and thoughts at the onset of this project. These folks emboldened me to Carry On.

Postscript: If you would kindly condescend to assist this unworthy author…please share with everyone! And online reviews are much appreciated. As one Chinese-Hawaiian Detective once said, “Thank you so much.”

“What begins, must finish”

Charlie Chan Carries On, 1930, Chapter 16