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This column originally appeared in the American Philatelic Society's monthly magazine, "The American Philatelist." Since then some of the information may be out-of-date depending on how far back you're reading.

May 2001

No doubt you've noted this is the APS election candidate's issue and time once again to choose the leaders of the APS.  While many of us take our vote seriously, perhaps some people are too lassia faire about it.  That's not a criticism.  Sure, time is a premium, but you have to do something to try and make sure you get the APS that you want.  And you do that with your ballot.

Even if your favorite loses, the winner will have to accout for those who opposed him and act accordingly.  And not voting is like not showing up for your child's school play: There may be a reason for it, but even trying to explain it is embarrassing.  There's no good reason not to vote.

So, make it easy on yourself and don't put it off.  Get your ballot and read the candidate information inside.  Let's do it now, while you're thinking about it.  You can come back when you're done and read the rest of this month's column.  

Don't worry.  I can wait till you're done.  I have a bowl of stamps ready to come out of the soak.

Keller

Mystery readers know Lawrence Block's name.  He has published over 50 titles and writes a two very successful mystery novel series with characters Matthew Scudder and Bernie the burgler.

But you should be aware that Block's also the creator of a character named J. P. Keller who is not only a stamp collector with a complex personality but a good natured contract killer.  He's actually something like ourselves and everyman despite the high profile of his low visibility day job.  

And Keller is coming to the movies.  As matters stand now, Lawrence Block is just about finishing up the screenplay to the movie "Keller," which is slated to star Jeff Bridges, the star of "The Big Lebowski," "Tucker," and many others.

The producers wanted a screen writer to bring the book to life on screen, someone to breathe life into the character of J. P. Keller, and that person was Lawrence Block.  Naturally, the script includes scenes with Keller working on his albums and buying stamps in a stamp shop, but how much philatelic lore gets left on the cutting room floor and how much gets onto the silver screen is up to God and the producer, who are often one and indivisible in filmland.

As far as I know, stamp collecting is about as far off the pop culture radar screen as it could be.  I haven't heard many stamp rap songs and I don't think Puff Daddy knows what a perfin is.  But if this movie catches the audiences' imagination, and Lawrence Block is on Letterman and Jeff Bridges is on Leno, won't we see Lamb and Walsh wearing sunglasses on Ted Kopple's little show?

I love stamp collecting, not only for those little bits of paper, but for what they teach and for the people I've met through them.  If "Keller" opens a few minds to the treasures of stamp collecting, what a wonderful world it would be.

As far as I can recollect, the last big Hollywood film touching upon stamp collecting was the old Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn who-done-it "Charade," and it's time that stamp collectors got a new image for afterall stamp collectors are not solitary packrats but active and somewhat avaricious operators on the open market.

Lawrence Blocks' homepage
http://www.lawrenceblock.com

Jeff Bridges homepage
http://www.jeffbridges.com

Lawrence Block's Stamp Collector
http://stamps.about.com/library/weekly/aa030401a.htm

The return of the stamp-collecting hit man
http://www.linns.com/print/archives/20001127/editor.asp

Lawrence Blocks ranks "Casablanca," "The Usual Suspects" and "The Dirty Dozen" among his favorite flicks, so if personal inclinations and past successes are a guide, we could expect a some rather unique stamp topicals in the future: classic-stamps-on-film-on -stamps.