22 Responses

On the question of a title for my chapter in THAT PUNK JIMMY HOFFA, I received twenty-two responses.

Sixteen voted for one of the five suggested titles this way:

7  Hoffa's Last Stand 

I chose Hoffa's Last Stand. I liked the comparison with Custer and the irony of the title. I liked its popularity and its common touch.

4  Hoffa's Demise 

This one's good, but Demise is not a common word.

3  "I Hear You Paint Houses" 

High energy, but already used as the title of a book. If you "paint houses," you kill for hire.

2  The Gunman Wore No Mask 

I liked this because it's true. In this book, I use subsidiary titles, and I'll use The Gunman Wore No Mask there, above the shooting episode. 

0  A Lone Gunman 

We all agreed on this also-ran.

Seven readers suggested other titles. I enjoyed reading them, but decided to use none, for a variety of reasons.

Don't steal more chain than you can swim with 

Too long

"Did they ever find the body?" 

The answer, "No," is commonly known now.

"My God, I am shot." 

Hoffa didn't have time to say anything. One second he was alive, the next second he was not. A clean kill by a close friend.

"He is dead, isn't he?" 

Doesn't fit the chapter.

The Last Journey 

This would work, but is less verbally interesting than Last Stand. 

Down for the Count 

Implies "almost defeated" but Hoffa was dead.

"Who Knows?" 

Doesn't fit, since I—and the FBI—know who did it and how. We differ only on the place: did it happen in a house or in the car?

Thanks for your participation in my writing process.