Monthly Archives: May 2019

Frisco Beat: John Law, a.k.a. The Signman

Posted on May 28, 2019 by Don

In a couple of weeks a three-month-long exhibit opens up covering some of John Law’s activities over the past four decades. Signman: John Law in the Pro Arts Gallery in Oakland, premiering June 7. You’ve got your art signage as … Continue reading →

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Hammett: 125 Big Ones

Posted on May 27, 2019 by Don

On this final Monday of the month, a.k.a. Memorial Day, you might give a moment to ponder the birth of Dashiell Hammett 125 years ago, May 27, 1894. Snuck up on me. One hundred-and-twenty-five years, gone, just like that. Probably … Continue reading →

Posted in Dash |

Rediscovered: Dodging Apache Torture and Other Incidents of a Life Fully Lived

Posted on May 26, 2019 by Don

You know Brian Leno, mention stuff like Edgar Rice Burroughs and the disconcerting torture techniques of the Apache, and instantly he starts thinking about Frederick Russell Burnham. Doesn’t everyone? Here’s Brian with some thoughts for today: Recently I read A Splendid Savage: … Continue reading →

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Sinister Cinema: Night Moves

Posted on May 24, 2019 by Don

Matthew Asprey Gear’s previous film tome piled up over 300 pages covering the career of Orson Welles, but this year he’s taking it easy with a monograph half that length. Got to appreciate the guys sitting around knocking out monographs. … Continue reading →

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Rediscovered: Rejections (W)right Up to the End

Posted on May 23, 2019 by Don

You know that Brian Leno loves to jump in on new litcrit as it breaks here on the Mean Streets. And you know that above all the dude is a stone-cold, steely-eyed Autograph Hound. All the ruminating in re: Farnsworth … Continue reading →

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Rediscovered: More on the Firing of Farnsworth Wright

Posted on May 23, 2019 by Don

Checking the Wikipedia entry for Farnsworth Wright just now, I see that they have the whole issue of whether or not he was fired as editor of Weird Tales boiled down to the inaccurate line “Wright’s failing health forced him to resign as … Continue reading →

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Death Lit: Down and Out in Sweden

Posted on May 18, 2019 by Don

And yes, I keep chugging along with reviews on the side. This somewhat recent one is close enough to the wording I turned in to qualify for a link. Someone did sub in the term “mean streets” in place of … Continue reading →

Posted in Boxing, Lit | Tagged |

Rediscovered: Correctomundo Once More

Posted on May 18, 2019 by Don

Ah. And I am proven correct yet again. Most recently, you may recall the post I did largely on the topic of Weird Tales editor Farnsworth Wright where I noted —reviving the term from a debate in the letters column … Continue reading →

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Rediscovered: Dime Novel Westerns

Posted on May 17, 2019 by Don

Before Edgar Rice Burroughs created Tarzan, dime novel writers created the Wild West, or big chunks of it. Our pal Nathan Ward just did a survey of that scene, and writes: “Thought you might be amused by some of the … Continue reading →

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Rediscovered: Further ERBivoring

Posted on May 17, 2019 by Don

Kevin Cook, noted pulp and book collector, chimes in with some comments on Edgar Rice Burroughs: “Unless you have a fortune hidden away somewhere, I would vote against dropping all the other authors you collect in favor of ERB as you … Continue reading →

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