Monthly Archives: February 2011

Tour: March and April Walks

Ask at least a month in advance and there’s a fighting chance you will receive — attend the tour on Sunday March 13th or the walk on Sunday April 3rd and check it out with the folk who gave me enough lead … Continue reading

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Sinister Cinema: Lorre Noir

Valentine’s Day again — one of the birthdays of noir. In 1930 — 81 years ago today — Knopf released the first edition of The Maltese Falcon in hardcovers. As I maintain in the short essay “San Francisco Noir” (and to my … Continue reading

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Two-Gun Bob: Hard-Boiled and Deviled Again

“Where on Earth is Don Herron?” asked Al Harron (no relation, or none that I know of — I have been remiss in my geneaological studies the last few years) on his blog just last month. Al trailed after Damon Sasser’s original “Where in the … Continue reading

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Suicide Club: Billboard Liberation

Before the Billboard Liberation Front spearheaded the modern artform of liberating billboards, it had its shadowy origins in the exploits of the ur-urban adventure group, The San Francisco Suicide Club. Personally, I never cared much about billboards, but keenly appreciated the … Continue reading

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Frisco Beat: Powell Hotel

Speaking of Willeford, I owe my pal, boxing fan Brian Leno, for bringing to my attention the postcard of Sailor Tom Sharkey, giving an address in the Powell Hotel. As I detail in my book Willeford, the author of Cockfighter and Miami Blues … Continue reading

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Posse McMillan: For Willeford Fans

Back from a run down to LA, what do I find in the inbox but a link sent by Leo Grin, with his headline “Reality One-Ups Willeford.” Yeah, you can’t really mention cockfighting without thinking of Willeford and Warren Oates … Continue reading

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Tour: Third Printing

The other day copies of the new trade paperback state of The Dashiell Hammett Tour: Thirtieth Anniversary Guidebook gumshoed up to the door. Very nice — the colors on the covers are even brighter than on the hardback printing. Slick. Yeah, … Continue reading

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Frisco Beat: 100, and Counting

During the throes of repainting the old website in the closing months of 2010, knocking together the current blog format, I had to sit on the sidelines and watch news and anniversaries pass by. The one I most regret not being on … Continue reading

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