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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: July 2019
Rediscovered: James v. Jim
Autograph Hound Saturday again, and Kevin Cook is back at the wheel, giving Brian Leno a breather from digging through binder after binder of autos. In our discussions of signed books, Kevin asked me if I had noticed that James … Continue reading
Frisco Beat: Virginia Rath Returning to the Mean Streets
Coachwhip has reprints of all the mystery novels by Virginia Rath in the works. Since I’m one of the few vocal proponents of Rath you can track down on the net, track me down they did to ask for a … Continue reading
Posted in Film, Frisco, Lit, News
Tagged 29 Russell Street, Agnes Moorehead, Bacall, Bogie, Curtis Evans, Jack Kerouac, Jack Palance, Joad Crawford, Sudden Fear, Tamalpais Apartments, Virginia Rath
Rediscovered: The Earliest Signed Inhabitants
In re: the question of possible signed copies of most classic era Arkham House titles, I believe we need to call in John D. Haefele, author of A Look Behind the Derleth Mythos. He’s the expert on all things Arkham. Now, … Continue reading
Posted in Lit
Tagged Arkham House, August Derleth, Autographs, Book Collecting, John D. Haefele, Ramsey Campbell
Rediscovered: Those Signed Arkhams
Before doing the panel at Signman: John Law the other evening, I made plans to stop into Bibliomania — very close, in the heart of downtown Oakland, one of the classic bookstores of yesteryear but still in business today. I hadn’t … Continue reading
Posted in Lit
Tagged Arkham House, August Derleth, Autographs, Bibliomania, Book Collecting, E. Hoffmann Price, Greye La Spina, John D. Haefele, Kevin Cook, Seabury Quinn, Solar Pons
Rediscovered: The Rest of the Hand
For Autograph Hound Super-Sunday, Brian Leno checks in during an autobiographical mood: One of the bad consequences about working for 37 years in the gambling profession is you start to see things in terms of wagers placed. Bets won and lost. … Continue reading
Posted in Lit, REH
Tagged Anthony M. Rud, Autographs, Brian Leno, Erle Stanley Gardner, Frank A. Munsey, George Allan England, Ray Cummings, Robert Weinberg, Virgil Finlay
Rediscovered: “I’ll See You an England and Raise You a Rud”
Before he finally retired, Brian Leno spent many long years dealing cards in gambling dens in North Dakota — giving him some authentic Mean Streets cred and pocket money to toss against his Autograph Hound addiction. So when Kevin Cook … Continue reading
Posted in Lit
Tagged "Ooze", Anthony M. Rud, Autographs, Brian Leno, Frank A. Munsey, George Allan England, Kevin Cook, Weird Tales
Rediscovered: Radio Sam Rides Again
Various and sundry alumni of The San Francisco Suicide Club showed up for the panel I did with Signman: John Law the other night, including Robert Crabill. Robert was mentioning Sam Spade and old time radio — punch in here … Continue reading
Rediscovered: Derleth in re: Weird Tales
In about a month John D. Haefele’s third article for the newly revived Crypt of Cthulhu will hit the eldritch and squamous streets — covering August Derleth’s various published commentaries on the magazine Weird Tales. The mag where a teenaged Derleth … Continue reading
Posted in Lit, News
Tagged August Derleth, Book Collecting, Crypt of Cthulhu, Deuce Richardson, Henrik Harksen, John D. Haefele, Lovecraft, Weird Tales
Rediscovered: Some Semi-Simulated John Hancocks from Michael Connelly
So what signature-related extravaganza could Kevin Cook dazzle us with for Autograph Hound Super-Sunday? How about an array of Michael Connelly autos progressing from fuller signature to the squiggly “MC” I’ve mentioned here before? Kind of like a reversal of those images of … Continue reading
Posted in DMac, Lit
Tagged Autographs, Kevin Cook, Michael Connelly, Mysterious Bookshop, Otto Penzler
Rediscovered: 1924 Inscription from George Allan England
Kevin Cook steps in to cover the autograph action this weekend — if you’ve followed previous weekends, you know he’s been champing at that bit. I’m not sure how Autograph Hound Brian Leno is going to react to someone intruding … Continue reading
Posted in Film, Lit
Tagged A.L. Sessions, Autographs, Brian Leno, Edgar Rice Burroughs, George Allan England, Kevin Cook, Pulps, Tarzan