If you are unable to
view search boxes or buttons above, your browser's
Ad Blocker
may be preventing
the display.
Who We Are and What We Do
Click the image to see an enlargement The Wolfe Pack is a forum to discuss, explore and enjoy the 73 Nero Wolfe books and novellas. The organization promotes fellowship and extends friendship to those who enjoy these great literary works of mystery through a series of events, book discussions, and a journal devoted to study of the genius detective, Nero Wolfe, and his intrepid assistant, Archie Goodwin.
Wolfe fans were first brought together by the "Mammoth New Nero Wolfe Contest" sponsored by Viking Press in 1969. The contest appeared in a
New York Times Book Review advertisement for William S. Baring-Gould's book, Nero Wolfe of West 35th Street.
Among the many people who correctly answered the simple questions about the Corpus was a young fan named Ellen Krieger, who was disappointed that Viking never pursued a Wolfean Society after the advertising campaign ended.
Four years later, Professor John McAleer was working on his biography of Rex Stout. Wishing to meet Wolfe fans, he obtained the contest mailing list. McAleer began a correspondence with several people on the list, including Krieger. She expressed an interest in joining a Wolfe group, and McAleer suggested a name: The Wolfe Pack.
In 1977, the Murder Ink bookstore held a dinner to celebrate the publication of Professor McAleer's biography of Rex Stout. A questionnaire was distributed at the dinner to determine interest in creating a Wolfe Pack. Six months later, the completed questionnaires were given to Krieger. Then, on June 6, 1978, six strangers met and the Wolfe Pack was born. Officers were elected and Krieger became the group's first Werowance.*
* "Werowance" is an Algonquian word meaning tribal chief, leader, commander, or king, notably among the Powhatan confederacy of Virginia. It is a title or nickname by which Archie Goodwin addresses Mr. Wolfe in Too Many Cooks, which takes place in West Virginia, originally the western part of the state of Virginia.
The Wolfe Pack has approximately 500 members throughout the world.
The Gazette The Wolfe Pack publishes a journal, The Gazette twice a year. Members contribute articles on topics related to the Corpus, i.e., Wolfe's mysterious past, how he views doctors, lawyers, and secretaries, his politics and ethics. Of course, the many facets of the Wolfe milieu, from art collection to Zeck, from his diet to orchids, are discussed by contributors. Regular columns include Wolfe Whistles, mentions of Nero Wolfe in the media, and WWWolfe, Internet addresses for sites of interest to members. Click here for a peek at some back issues.
Named for Wolfe's prized black orchids, its 35th anniversary was December 1, 2012
This annual event is held annually in New York City on the first Saturday of December, in honor of Rex Stout's birthday, December1. The Assembly sessions in the afternoone preceding the banquet discuss and explore the Corpus. Speakers have included a New York City coroner, president of an orchid society, a nutritionist, and natives of Montenegro, where Wolfe spent his formative years and, quite possibly, was born. The assembly is followed by the oldest and most important event, the annual Black Orchid Banquet. Each year Wolfe Pack members and their guests gather for a meal prepared using recipes from the The Nero Wolfe Cookbook.
Keynote speakers have included Michael Jaffe, Executive Producer of the A&E Nero Wolfe series, Robin Winks, mystery book reviewer for the Boston Globe and professor at Yale, a private detective, the Press Secretary to the Lt. Governor of NY, a Police Inspector, a New Yorker (and VERY renowned comic author/illustrator) named Archie Goodwin, Polly Whitney, a mystery writer who built a model of the brownstone, noted authors including Laurence Block, Jane Haddam, and Donald Westlake.
At the annual Black Orchid Banquet, the Wolfe Pack presents the annual Nero Wolfe Award to an author for literary excellence in the mystery genre. Past winners of the award include Martha Grimes, Dennis Lehane, Laura Lippman, and Sharyn McCrumb, all of whom attended the banquet. For more information, visit The Nero Award page. Click the image of the award to enlarge it.
The Black Orchid Novella Award
To celebrate the novella format, an important part of the corpus of Rex Stout, the Wolfe Pack and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine have partnered to sponsor the Black Orchid Novella Award. Jane Cleland, long-term Wolfe Pack member, is the chair of the event. "At every mystery conference and event I attend, people are excited about the opportunity to write a novella—and they're excited about the great prize—$1,000 from Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine—plus, of course, publication in the magazine!"
For further information regarding procedures, submission directions and other information, use the "Literary Awards" menu to the left.
Wolfe loves shad roe and, to Archie's dismay, can eat it three times a day during shad season. A recurring Spring event finds members enjoying a Shad Roe dinner (or "The Fred Durkin" alternative) and writing songs and limericks to celebrate Wolfe, Archie, and Rex Stout.
Bimonthly Book Discussions are held in mid-town Manhattan. A discussion leader summarizes the selected book, provides background information, and introduces various topics for discussion.
A favorite Fall event is a Brunch Hunt. The group embarks on a detective mission using a series of directions, based on the Corpus, to locate the previously undisclosed restaurant. The hunt ends in a brunch where members and their guests enjoy Wolfean conversation.
Brunch Hunt, December 2002
Special events have included a trip to The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia (TWICE), which served as Stout's model for Kanawha Spa in Too Many Cooks. The Stout family invited members to picnic on the grounds of the family home designed and built by Stout. The Pack screened two 1930's films based on Nero Wolfe, Meet Nero Wolfe and The League of Frightened Men. A special destination was the Wolfe Pack trip to Toronto, to the set of the A&E T. V. Series. The Pack members met and mingled with the cast, crew, and set. Other recent events included a Halloween Party, a racetrack outing, and an interactive mystery game. Feel free to take a look at The Wolfe Pack Album for more information and pictures of events from the last few years.
Here, a member wrestles down a clue (Hickory Caesar Grindon, of course) at the 2002 Black Orchid Weekend Brunch Hunt in Lower Manhattan.
From a proud adoptive parent
of Bearowance
I had to finish off a roll of film, so what better subject?
Here's Bearowance. He normally sits
on my couch but this is a formal sitting,
hence the whitish background.
The Wolfe Pack is a forum to discuss, explore and enjoy the 73 Nero Wolfe books and novellas. The organization promotes fellowship and extends friendship to those who enjoy these great literary works of mystery through a series of events, book discussions, and a journal devoted to study of the genius detective, Nero Wolfe, and his intrepid assistant, Archie Goodwin. 
The Wolfe Pack publishes a journal, The Gazette twice a year. Members contribute articles on topics related to the Corpus, i.e., Wolfe's mysterious past, how he views doctors, lawyers, and secretaries, his politics and ethics. Of course, the many facets of the Wolfe milieu, from art collection to Zeck, from his diet to orchids, are discussed by contributors. Regular columns include Wolfe Whistles, mentions of Nero Wolfe in the media, and WWWolfe, Internet addresses for sites of interest to members. 
Comments, Questions, Corrections: