Our special guest, Ira Brad Matetsky, joins Tea, Tonic & Toxin hosts Sarah and Carolyn to discuss The League of Frightened Men by Nero Wolfe. He has been the Werowance (President) of the Wolfe Pack, the international literary society for the Nero Wolfe stories by Rex Stout, since 2007.
Ira Matetsky has written a number of articles about Nero Wolfe and related topics and edited The Last Drive and Other Stories, a collection of some of Rex Stout’s earliest work, published by the Mysterious Press/Open Road in 2015.
By day he is a litigation partner at the law firm of Dorf Nelson & Zauderer LLP in New York City.
The Wolfe Pack is a forum to discuss, explore and enjoy the 73 Nero Wolfe books and novellas. The organization promotes fellowship and extends friendship to those who enjoy these great literary works of mystery through a series of events, book discussions, and a journal devoted to study of the genius detective, Nero Wolfe, and his intrepid assistant, Archie Goodwin.
The Wolfe Pack publishes a journal, The Gazette, twice a year. Members contribute articles on topics related to the Corpus, i.e., Wolfe’s mysterious past, how he views doctors, lawyers, and secretaries, his politics and ethics. Of course, the many facets of the Wolfe milieu, from art collection to Zeck, from his diet to orchids, are discussed by contributors. Regular columns include Wolfe Whistles, mentions of Nero Wolfe in the media, and WWWolfe, Internet addresses for sites of interest to members.
The society serves as a gathering point for fans of the Nero Wolfe stories, fostering appreciation and discussion of Stout’s literary legacy.
Formation of The Wolfe Pack: The Wolfe Pack was founded in 1978 by a group of enthusiasts who wanted to share their admiration for Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe series. The group remains active today, attracting both long-time fans and newer readers.
Regular Meetings and Events: The society hosts a variety of events such as monthly or periodic meetings where fans gather to discuss Nero Wolfe’s adventures, analyze mysteries, and celebrate the wit and wisdom of the characters.
Annual Black Orchid Banquet: One of the most notable events organized by The Wolfe Pack is the Black Orchid Banquet, held each year in New York City in early December. The banquet honors Rex Stout’s contributions to mystery fiction and features speakers, awards, and the presentation of the prestigious Black Orchid Novella Award.
The Black Orchid Novella Award: This award, in collaboration with Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, is presented annually to a winning mystery novella that exemplifies the tradition of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe stories, particularly the balance of plot, character development, and cleverness.
Publications:
The Gazette: The Wolfe Pack publishes a quarterly newsletter called The Gazette, which includes essays, news, and updates on upcoming events. Members contribute articles that explore aspects of the Wolfean universe, literary analysis of Stout’s work, and other related topics.
Online Community: The Wolfe Pack maintains a website that serves as a resource for fans. It includes details about upcoming events, Nero Wolfe trivia, recommendations for other detective novels, and archives of past newsletters and articles.
Nero Award: In addition to the Black Orchid Award, The Wolfe Pack also sponsors the Nero Award, which is presented annually to the best American mystery novel written in the tradition of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe stories, focusing on character-driven storytelling and engaging mysteries.
The society provides a welcoming environment for both die-hard Rex Stout fans and newcomers to the world of Nero Wolfe, fostering a shared love of mystery fiction and classic detective stories.
How did you first come across Nero Wolfe?
How did that progress into the Wolfe Pack?
What is your role as Werowance?
How does this book stand out to you?
What other books of Nero Wolfe’s stand out for you?
How did Archie & Wolfe’s relationship develop? Are they static? Is there a story arc?
Tell us about the book you edited and the articles you write. (article)
Tell us about the upcoming trip to The Greenbriar. Sarah and Carolyn are a little obsessed now want to join.
How many members of the Wolfe Pack are there? How many come to this gathering?
Tell us about the Wolfe Pack cookbook: https://wolfeinthekitchen.wordpress.com/
Wolfe Pack: https://www.nerowolfe.org/
Are you a member of the Wolfe Pack? Have you ever attended the annual Black Orchid Banquet, at which the Nero Award and the Black Orchid Novella Award are presented?
Ira Brad Matetsky is also a Sherlockian and is invested as a member of the Baker Street Irregulars (“The Final Problem”) and the Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes (“The Lawyer Whose Name Was Given in the Paper”). Are you also a member of the Baker Street Irregulars?
Tell us what you’re thinking, and we may share your thoughts in our next episode and send you a fabulous sticker! (It really is a pretty awesome sticker.)
Tea, Tonic, and Toxin is a book club and podcast for people who love mysteries, thrillers, introspection, and good conversation. Each month, your hosts, Sarah Harrison and Carolyn Daughters, will discuss a game-changing mystery or thriller from the 19th and 20th centuries. Together, we’ll see firsthand how the genre evolved.
Along the way, we’ll entertain ideas, prospects, theories, doubts, and grudges, along with the occasional guest. And we hope to entertain you, dear friend. We want you to experience the joys of reading some of the best mysteries and thrillers ever written.
Teasers & Tidbits
Dashiell Hammett’s crime novel Red Harvest is more than just a gripping detective story. It’s also a political statement, inspired
When Dorothy L. Sayers wrote Whose Body? (her debut novel, published in 1923), she introduced a detective who would go
If you’re a fan of Agatha Christie’s murder mysteries, I’m sure you’re already familiar with Hercule Poirot, the eccentric Belgian
This detective novel introduces readers to a British mining engineer – Richard Hannay – who has just returned to London
Even though the name of this book is Trent’s Last Case, the novel is actually about the FIRST detective case
Long before he started writing his own detective stories, Gilbert Keith (G.K.) Chesterton was already a fan of the genre.
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