Next Saturday (11/6) at 4:40 p.m. I'll be joining David Corbett for a panel discussion on "Reality & Noir: The Everyday Quality of Evil" as part of NoirCon 2010 at Philadelphia's Society Hill Playhouse. Other attendees include George Pelecanos, Laura Lippman, Daniel Woodrell, Megan Abbott, Reed Farrel Coleman and many, many others.
(extra points to anyone who gets the allusion in this post title)
For all MWA members: I'll be guesting at the NJ-NY Chapter meeting this Wed. - Oct. 27 - at 6 p.m. at Tumulty's, 361 George St., in New Brunswick, talking about books, newspapers and other dying art forms. Dinner included. Cash bar. (732) 890-3581 or cariagehouse@earthlink.net for details. I'll also be giving away books, including a brand new ARC of COLD SHOT TO THE HEART. All of this just blocks from my alma mater (or one of them anyway, I had a checkered college career).
In addition to being one of the great (and best-selling) thriller writers of the last 30 years, Martin Cruz Smith, as it turns out, is also a good sport.
I moderated a panel he was on at the BoucherCon World Mystery Convention in San Francisco last week (along with fellow panelists Andrew Klavan and Joseph Finder), and though we talked at length about his classic GORKY PARK and many other books (the most recent being THREE STATIONS), I also asked Smith about a paperback men's adventure series he had pseudonymously written in the early '70s.
Titled THE INQUISITOR, and written under the pen name "Simon Quinn," it followed the exploits of Francis Xavier Killy, a spy/assassin who works for the Vatican, the twist being that he's required to do penance every time he kills someone. Though obviously written quickly while Smith worked on other projects, the books were fun, and very well done, head and shoulders above most of the similar series of the time. They also had some great titles: THE LAST TIME I SAW HELL; HIS EMINENCE, DEATH; THE MIDAS COFFIN.
Smith seemed slightly surprised - and amused - at the end of the panel, when I actually produced my battered, somewhat dog-eared copy of the first book in the series, 1974's THE DEVIL IN KANSAS. However, he graciously signed it (below), though preferring to stay with his nom de plume.
Charles Ardai of Hard Case Crime has been after Smith for years to let him republish THE MIDAS COFFIN, one of the best of the series (so far, he's declined). After the panel, I went as far as to jokingly suggest he should write a new one, tied to the recent scandals in the Catholic Church. He just laughed.
For those attending BoucherCon in San Francisco next month, I'll be moderating "A Collection of Eagles," an all-star panel of best-selling thriller writers Sat. Oct. 16 at 4:30 p.m. (room to be determined). Joining me will be (clockwise from top left) Martin Cruz Smith, Joseph Finder and Andrew Klavan. It'll be a rare chance for readers and fans to interact with three of the most seasoned pros in the business.
Some pictures from the Battle of Britain airshow at Duxford airfield in the U.K. Sept. 5, commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Photos by me, video by someone else (click on photos for larger images).
The flightline: 16 Spitfires, wingtip to wingtip. All flew.
The Spits up close.
Four of the last six airworthy Hurricanes in the world. A fifth, from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, did a flyby.
A Hurricane up close.
Hurricane pilot and staff member.
Sally-B, Europe's only airworthy B-17, seen in the film "Memphis Belle."
Sally-B in the air.
"Ferocious Frankie," one of two flying P-51 Mustangs at the show.
Spanish-built Buchons,German Messerschmitt BF-109s, with modifications.
Rare two-seater Spitfire trainers.
Spitfire taxiing.
Spitfires in formation. The 16 took off in groups of four, then joined up to circle the airfield.
And speaking of "Darkness on the Edge of Town" outtakes. Here's one, just previewed today, that's not only unreleased and unheard, but never even rumored about up until now. It's one of 21 outtakes on the new Darkness box set out in Nov., which will also include the original recordings of "Fire" and "Because the Night."
This Saturday, Aug. 28, Dennis Tafoya and I will be appearing at the Moonstone Mystery Bookstore in historic Flemington, N.J., from 2 to 4 pm. Dennis is a terrific writer and his WOLVES OF FAIRMOUNT PARK, though only his second book, is one of the best-reviewed crime novels of the year. His first, DOPE THIEF, was called "an impressive debut" by the hard-to-please Kirkus Reviews,and Publishers Weekly deemed him "a writer to watch." We'll be signing books and dispensing CDs, baked goods and bad advice. Stop by and say hello.
Two songs that would have revitalized Elvis Presley's career - and probably saved his life - if he had recorded them.
Springsteen reportedly did try to get a demo of "Fire" to Elvis's people, but nothing came of it (it was originally written for his "Darkness on the Edge of Town" sessions, but left off that album, as was "Because the Night," later covered by Patti Smith.) Neo-rockabilly singer Robert Gordon recorded "Fire" in 1978 for his album "Fresh Fish Special" (another Elvis reference) and the Pointer Sisters had a huge hit single with it later that same year.
Not sure why, but as of this morning - though I'm guessing for a limited time - Amazon and Barnes and Noble are both offering GONE 'TIL NOVEMBER for a special price of $13.74. That's 45% off the original cover price. It looks like one dropped the price, and the other did the same to match it. Doubt it will last though. Amazon's prices tend to fluctuate quite a bit.
Another vintage interview, tweaked, corrected and illustrated: Lawrence Block and Francis M. Nevins discuss the 1987 completion of suspense writer Cornell Woolrich's novel INTO THE NIGHT. The piece can be found here.
I've been updating and sprucing up some of the existing features on my web site, and this weekend I've made corrections and added artwork to the three "Writers on Writing" features, namely interviews with Stephen King, Clive Barker and James Lee Burke. These extensive, in-depth Q&As – focusing on the mechanics of writing and story telling – were originally conducted for Writer's Digest and the Asbury Park Press back in the early '90s, but appear here in a more complete form. King would later expand on some of his comments in his invaluable ON WRITING book a few years later, but this interview - the cover story in the March 1992 WD - was the first time he spoke at length about his writing methods.
Coming soon (I promise), the second part of the James Lee Burke interview. All I need to do now is locate the transcript.
