Sunday, September 28, 2014

THE MALTESE FALCON

The Maltese FalconThe Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

THE MALTESE FALCON - In his best known book, Dashiell Hammett pens the stylish Sam Spade, protagonist of The Maltese Falcon. He’s tough enough to stand up to thugs or the police. He smells trouble when a buxom dame breezes into his office. Soon enough, his entire world will be turned upside down. Hammett wrote about detectives because he had been employed as one after responding to a vague classified ad. He had a notoriously short writing career, publishing four novels and all of his short stories within nine years. His poor health, struggle with alcoholism and community party membership led to his decline and eventual imprisonment in McCarthy era hysteria. In the final years of his life, he was hounded by the IRS for back taxes, dying penniless.

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Monday, September 22, 2014

BURRITT ALLEY

Burritt Alley - San Francisco has been the setting for numerous books, TV shows and movies. In many cases she is little more than set dressing. But in Dashiell Hammett’s 1929 novel, The Maltese Falcon, Burritt Alley plays a major role in the novel, a specific street where the novel accelerates. He is the undisputed master of the hard-boiled private detective genre. Protagonist Sam Spade, in his ruthless quest for justice, sees his partner shot dead in the alley in the opening scenes of the book. Near Union Square, close to Stockton and Bush, there’s a plaque that reads: "On approximately this spot MILES ARCHER, PARTNER OF SAM SPADE, was done in by BRIGID O'SHAUGHNESSY." Sure, you’ve seen the Golden Gate Bridge, walked along the Embarcadero and looked down on the city atop Twin Peaks. If you’re a book lover (like me) then take a literary excursion to a lesser known corner of The City. Don your zoot suit with fedora ensemble, to visit Burritt Alley with a copy of Hammett’s noir novel. Read a couple of pages, then stop by Burritt Room Tavern. 



Tuesday, September 16, 2014

ADOBE BOOKS GALLERY SURVIVAL ADAPTATIONS

Adobe Books Gallery Survival Adaptations - An article I wrote for San Francisco cooperative gallery, entitled ‘Writer’s Survival Guide to Living in San Francisco’, was featured in Adobe Books Backroom Gallery recent exhibition and chapbook. In their press release, Adobe Books says: “Survival Adaptations dictate that in order to survive and thrive in specific environments, animal species have developed a host of amazing characteristics.” In a later post, I will post the entire article verbatim, as it appeared in the chapbook. The article also features content by the San Francisco artist Solis. 

    


Wednesday, September 10, 2014

SOCIAL MEDIA STATS

Blogger stats: 43,786 page views as of September 2014

Goodreads stats: 5,246 friends as of September 2014
Twitter stats: 25,200 followers as of September 2014

Sunday, September 7, 2014

THE FAT MAN

THE FAT MAN -  A popular radio show during the 40s and early 50s, it was a detective drama based on characters by Dashiell Hammett.

THE FAT MAN BY DASHIELL HAMMETT MURDER SHOWS AN UNFAMILIAR FACE MP3


Monday, September 1, 2014

A DAY BY WILLIAM TREVOR SHORT STORY REVIEW

A Day by William Trevor SHORT STORY REVIEW - In William Trevor’s short story, entitled ‘A Day’, the author successfully immerses the reader in the point-of-view character’s consciousness. We wake with Mrs. Lethwes as she watches her husband sleep, as she goes marketing and stops by the coffee shop. We listen to her chat and eavesdrop on her thoughts. Her nerves deepen, growing more serious, while day turns to night. She is trying to reconcile herself to her husband's affair. ‘A Day’ is featured in William Trevor’s 1996 collection ‘After Rain’. In his own words, Trevor says: “My fiction may, now and again, illuminate aspects of the human condition, but I do not consciously set out to do so.”