Sunday, November 18, 2007
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Superb news out of Minnesota: In a post earlier today (Sunday), Anthony Neil Smith announced that Plots With Guns will be returning. The original PWG helped discover writers like Sean Doolittle, Scott Wolven, and of course editors Neil Smith and Victor Gischler, the Original Crimedogs themselves.
So send your best to Neil, and remember, there's only one rule: you gotta have a gun.
Two of the Year's Best: Congratulations are in order for the Michigan Mafia - both Patricia Abbott and Bryon Quertermous have announced that their stories have been selected to appear in The Year's Finest Crime And Mystery Stories. Their stories, "A Saving Grace" and "Cadaver Dog", appeared in The Thrilling Detective and Hardluck Stories, respectively - more evidence that online markets have matured. Big congrats to the tireless editorial staffs at those fine publications.
A Favorite Gets His Due: Back in 1990 I was burned out studying for my final exams and needed a break. I spent a few minutes poking around in the small reading area my college library kept just for such occasions and ran across a private eye novel titled Jackpot. I had never heard of the author, Bill Pronzini.
Once I finished the book I read everything I could by Pronzini, and he became not just one of my favorite authors, but the one I most wanted to emulate. His stories about real people doing things that real people really do struck a chord with me.
Apparently I'm not the only one, as this year Pronzini will receive a Grand Master Edgar award. As pointed out by J. Kingston Pierce, Pronzini's been nominated no less than six times for an Edgar, but never managed a win. Now his long career as a novelist, short story writer, anthologist, and historian will be recognized with the genre's highest honor.
Finally, some sad news: Noted pulp writer Emerson LaSalle finally passed to the Great Slush Pile In The Sky. In his "heyday", LaSalle wrote over 400 pulp novels, most sadly forgotten today, with titles like Busty Babes Break the Bank and (my favorite) Go-Go Girls From Planet Damnation. A frequent drinking buddy of Kilgore Trout, LaSalle's name has been kept in the news for the past few years primarily due to the efforts of Victor Gischler, who's a big fan. So hoist a beer for LaSalle and say a prayer in his name.
posted by Graham Powell at 6:28 PM
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