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About DonHerron.com
In 1977 Don Herron began leading The Dashiell Hammett Tour, now the longest-running literary tour in the nation. On this site you’ll find information on current walks — dates, where to meet, arranging tours by appointment — plus a hard-boiled blog with news, reviews of books and film, and a dash of noir.
The latest and greatest edition to self-guide you up and down the mean streets.
Willeford: The Book
Includes the first “Mr. Hunt” story, “Knives in the Dark.”
Monthly Archives: May 2019
Frisco Beat: John Law, a.k.a. The Signman
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
Hammett: 125 Big Ones
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
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
Posted in News
Tagged Autographs, Brian Leno, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Frederick Russell Burnham, Graham-Tewksbury Feud, Steve Kemper, Wyatt Earp
Sinister Cinema: Night Moves
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
Posted in Film
Tagged Alan Sharp, Arthur Penn, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Gene Hackman, Jim Thompson, Matthew Asprey, Night Moves, Robert Mitchum, Warren Oates
Rediscovered: Rejections (W)right Up to the End
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
Posted in Lit
Tagged Autographs, Brian Leno, Dorothy McIlwraith, Farnsworth Wright, Fritz Leiber, Howard Wandrei, Weird Tales
Death Lit: Down and Out in Sweden
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
Rediscovered: Correctomundo Once More
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
Posted in Lit
Tagged Donald Wandrei, E. Hoffmann Price, Farnsworth Wright, Fritz Leiber, John Locke, Lovecraft, Otis Adelbert Kline, Otto Binder, Seabury Quinn, The Cimmerian, Weird Tales
Rediscovered: Dime Novel Westerns
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
Rediscovered: Further ERBivoring
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
Posted in Lit
Tagged Book Collecting, Charles B. Stilson, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Kevin Cook, Kioga, Norris Chambers, Richard A. Lupoff, Tarzan, William L. Chester