Comments on: The Disappearance of the Author Adam Diment

By: Alasdair Scott Sutherland

Alasdair Scott Sutherland — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 18:33:26 +0000

I met Susie Mandrake in Florence in 1964, where she was sitting for Pietro Annigoni, whom she referred to as The Nog. Her real name is or was Irwin-Clark. Although her middle-class parents lived in Chelsea, Paradise Walk, She was so very different from the English girls I’d grown up with, wandering around Florence in an old blanket. Later back in london I was for a while her lodger in St Stephen’s gardens W2, by which time she was working as a hostess in Val Murray’s club in beak st. But she came straight home after work. Then, she was Adam’s girlfriend for a period until he left the country. I saw her last in the Chelsea Arts Club about 2006. We spoke briefly and I reminded her that I’d been mad about her more than 40 years before, but she just gave me an enigmatic smile. I still regard her as one of life’s unique productions.

By: Matt Roberts

Matt Roberts — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 12:49:47 +0000

Saw that his books might be back in print!

https://unbound.com/books/the-complete-philip-mcalpine-collection

By: Barb Lodermeier

Barb Lodermeier — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 05:39:23 +0000

I should clarify, Mel Jass is dead and still has his own Facebook page. I did not mean that Adam Diment was dead. I still have his book and read it again every so often.

By: Barb Lodermeier

Barb Lodermeier — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 05:36:30 +0000

I didn’t know he wrote three other books besides The Dolly Dolly Spy. He was on a USA tour in 67 promoting his book. He was on a local tv talk show here in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was colorfully and flamboyantly dressed, and wore lots of scarves. I loved it. No one here dressed like that in those days. He appeared on Mel Jass’s movie show and though he has been dead lo these many years he has his own Facebook page. One of the shows he did was Dialing for Dollars. Janis Joplin caught the show when she was here in Minneapolis with Big Brother and the Holding Company and wrote a song about it later. Here is an excerpt from Facebook/

Mel Jass, Mel’s Matinee Movie
April 30 ·

Janis Joplin sings about the show Dialing for Dollars, in the song “Mercedes Benz”:

“Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a color TV?
Dialing for Dollars is trying to find me.
I wait for delivery each day until three,… See More

By: Peter Burden

Peter Burden — Sun, 14 Feb 2016 20:19:40 +0000

I helped David Hemmings write his autobiography, and spent three happy months, just before he died in 2003 rambling with him through the sixty odd years of his life up until then. We talked a lot about the period when a picture of The Dolly Dolly Spy was evidently being discussed, but sadly he never mentioned it – probably because he’d forgotten, but it was good to find a shot of him and Diment (when Hemmings is moustachioed, possibly for playing Nolan in Charge of the Light Brigade). It would have been an obvious role for him at the time, although, oddly, he never had much time for hash (as it was called then). Anyway a picture now would make a real period piece. I hope someone revives the idea. I wonder if Mike Myers had Diment’s work in mind when he wrote the great Austin Powers spoofs (brilliantly translating Pussy Galore to Alotta Vagina) As it happens I also write a novel called Rags, which was partly set in the groovy ‘60s – based very loosely on Biba.
Sadly, when Hemmings died filming on location in Romania, I had gathered enough material for only half the book. I had to scuttle around and talk to a load of people who knew and loved ‘H’ as he was called, to get the book published in 2004. I’m hoping to see it reissued later this year to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the release of Antonioni’s Blow-Up in in New York in December 1966. Should be out on Kindle before that.
Peter Burden.
Salop

By: The Spies who Never Were – Lost Manuscripts | Spy Write

The Spies who Never Were – Lost Manuscripts | Spy Write — Tue, 22 Dec 2015 17:22:38 +0000

[...] Diment disappeared after his last novel in 1971 and his books have not been reprinted since. Wild rumors of what happened abound but the reality seems more mundane; a young man got bored and decided to try something new. [...]

By: Timothy Ross

Timothy Ross — Fri, 09 Oct 2015 03:08:50 +0000

Over fifty years ago I was in Seconds House, Lancing College, with Adam Diment, Tim Rice and others of great talent. Adam was a superb and funny line artist/cartoonist.

By: Robin McEwen

Robin McEwen — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 15:34:58 +0000

I loved the TDDS and TGSR when I was a teenager, found copies of both in charity shops, discovered he had written 2 more, and was just on the cusp of ordering them from the internet when surprise surprise I found them both in a 10p book box outside a charity shop! How cool. Still read them every now and then, love the nostalgia, and yes, I wonder what happened to Adam.

By: Nick Jones

Nick Jones — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 01:08:25 +0000

I am most glad to hear that “Adam” is alive and well! As I live in Australia, I have never met anybody else that knows of him and felt very lonely in my concern for a man whose writing has brought me great pleasure. I found a copy of Bang Bang Birds about 20 years ago and loved it, I was amazed to eventually track down copies of all 4 of the McAlpine stories and treasure them. Of course I would have liked more but, in a way, the unresolved aspect means there is no end to McAlpine’s adventures; he’s still out there. The lack of a film franchise means we never had to see David Hemmings swapped for Patrick Magoohan (great man but a rather different type) or some other such “Roger Moore” type of re casting. I would just like to say thanks to the Author for the great enjoyment i have had from his efforts. Thanks mate!

By: The Dolly Dolly Spy by Adam Diment (1967) | Books & Boots

The Dolly Dolly Spy by Adam Diment (1967) | Books & Boots — Sun, 29 Mar 2015 22:56:49 +0000

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