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to his wife's relative, a butcher and
Dorothy loved setting the scene,
part-time rabbi who taught Sidney to
writing dialogue and following the lives
memorize his part.
of her characters. But she didn't enjoy
Meanwhile, another Jewish family —
the more gruesome aspects of the job.
whose daughter was about to play a
"I don't like to write 'the fly is
prominent part in Sidney's life — was liv-
buzzing around the dried blood' and
ing in Hartford, Conn. There were four
things like that," she says. Sidney
children, including one named Dorothy.
took over on all of the gory scenes.
Dorothy, like Sidney, was a bright
Today, the two work as a team: Sidney
student who served as valedictorian of
does the plot, Dorothy comes up with
her high school class. After graduating,
the characters and writes much of the
she attended a local branch of Mount
dialogue. She says, "I'm never satisfied
Holyoke College. It was the height of
unless I read it out loud to make sure
the Depression, so Dorothy had to
the cadences, the rhythms of natural
"get the biggest scholarship they gave"
speech are there. Well, we both like to
and work setting tables in the school's
talk so maybe we have a good ear for it."
dining room to help pay tuition.
Sidney produces the first draft.
Life back then was tough, she remem-
"He'll write it," his wife says, "then I'll
bers. "My parents, [immigrants from •
take it apart and rewrite it."
Eastern Europe], had a hard life. We were
They begin with a basic outline,
really poor, but then every-
body was poor so it seemed
natural to us."
"Death & Blintzes" is the
Dorothy graduated with
first
in a- series of Belle
a degree in English and
Applemin
mysteries.
dreamed of becoming a
writer.
At last, Sidney and
Dorothy were brought
together by a mutual
acquaintance.
After their first date, on
a Saturday night, Sidney
went home and wrote
Dorothy a love letter. She
walked into the dorm and
told the girls, "I met the
man I'm going to marry."
"Death & Strudel," like
They did just that in
its predecessor, is set in
1944, while Sidney was
1930s' Boston.
serving with the Army Air
Corps. After World War II,
Sidney attended graduate school on the
then do a chapter-by-chapter summary.
G.I. Bill, receiving his doctorate from
"We also do little biographies so we
Harvard in physical sciences, the history
know all about each person," Dorothy
of science and the history of learning.
says. "The characters can surprise you
He worked at Brandeis University,
and do what you don't expect."
then the University of Illinois, where he
While the .couple draws on their
taught astronomy, and also began writing
own lives for much of the research —
a number of books for young readers.
Belle likes sour cream with her salad
Dorothy became a children's librarian
just like Sidney's father — they also do
and an English teacher. When her con-
a great deal of research.
tract ran out, her husband said, "Instead
"The University of Illinois has a
of looking for a job, why don't you do
library with a whole set of newspapers
what you said you wanted to do when
on film that go back to the 19th cen-
we first met and write a book?"
tury," Sidney says. "We read over all
That's how Belle was born.
the Boston Globes of 1936, especially
Belle Appleman actually began her
reviewing world events."
existence as a minor character, an aunt
When not writing, Sidney teaches
to the protagonist, a professor/detec-
part time and the two love reading,
tive. But when Dorothy read over her
especially mysteries. Their favorite is
first three chapters, "he was so boring."
Josephine Tey. Their least favorite is
"She based him on me, of course,"
Agatha Christie.
Sidney interjects.
"Her bad people always turn out to
"But the aunt just came alive,"
be nutty and psychotic," Sidney says.
Dorothy continues. "So I threw him
"It's not hard to guess who committed
away and kept the aunt."
the crime."

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