Can You Speak Caruso?-- by Reb MacRath
No, not that Caruso! In my crime WIP I thought of the other Caruso, the world's most famous male redhead not that long ago (to my way of thinking): the star of NYPD Blue for a single season in 1993 and CSI Miami from 2002-2012. David Caruso left Blue too soon for a film career that never took off. Some critics and fans never forgave him for abandoning the role they'd loved. But finally, nine years later, he came back and stayed on top for a decade. In my WIP I thought of Caruso while creating my redheaded villain, who's older but characterized by the same blend of gravitas and fire. Above all, I tried to help readers hear his spellbinding baritone voice. A form of shorthand, I admit, but not lazy writing. I allowed myself one reference to Caruso, then let his dialogue do the heavy work along with his actions and outbursts. That said, here we are at the heart of this post. My Aussie editor suggested deleting the reference because it's dated and may be unfamiliar to most ...