Search donherron.com
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: September 2020
Rediscovered: The Poet Jack
It’s been mentioned before on These Mean Streets, but among the numerous hobbies and preoccupations — Autograph Hound, Two-Gun Bob fan — of Brian Leno, he’s got an interest in Ripperology, and herewith marks a grim anniverary: On September 30, … Continue reading
Posted in Lit, News
Tagged Brian Leno, Catherine Eddowes, E. T. Hoffmann, Elizabeth Stride, Francis Thompson, Jack the Ripper
Hammett: The Roscoe Barked
In Chapter II of The Maltese Falcon — Death in the Fog — Sam Spade describes the gun used to bump off his partner Miles Archer: “Webley-Fosbery automatic revolver. That’s it. Thirty-eight, eight shot. They don’t make them any more.” … Continue reading
Rediscovered: Before Re-Upping in the Heretics
It’s probably lucky that Tom Krabacher made his run up to Auburn to check on the old Gaylord homestead a couple of weeks ago, because he just got called up for Haefele’s Heretics and their latest assignment — proofing the … Continue reading
Rediscovered: The Last Stand of the First Abode
On page 241 of The Literary World of San Francisco & its Environs I mention in passing the old Gaylord farmhouse outside Auburn, California, where Clark Ashton Smith was born January 13, 1893. Recent chatter spread the word that the … Continue reading
Rediscovered: More on Mme. Adista
Terry Zobeck reports from behind the scenes on the recent auction of Lawrence Block’s — until recently unknown — second book: The winning bidder is one of the horde of satisfied readers of my Block bibliography. Once he’d read it … Continue reading
Hammett: And More “Pickup”
Today Evan Lewis digs deeper into the newsprint archives of yesteryear. Recently he spotlighted an appearance of “Pickup” (a.k.a. “The Whosis Kid”) in a Philly paper. “This time,” Evan says, “we present stuff from the Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph (July 1936), The Camden Courier-Post (Dec. 1938) … Continue reading
Rediscovered: Block Off the Block
Our man on the eBay beat, Brian Leno, reports in on the sale of Lawrence Block’s second book, nabbing the minimum bid of merely $500: The “Rodney Canewell”-Lawrence Block book ended up with only one bidder. It ended at 3:32a.m. … Continue reading
Rediscovered: Robert B. Parker
Morgan “The Morgman” Holmes was poking around the net, kind of interested in seeing how various writers were being ranked in the hardboiled arena. He found a summary article on Spenser creator Robert B. Parker he thought I might like … Continue reading
Rediscovered: More on Block on the Block (with a Young Belknapius Footnote)
I was e-chatting with Terry Zobeck over the copy of Lawrence Block’s rare (and unknown, until Terry reported on it) second book, currently on the block at eBay. Terry said, “He should be noting the artist too, there is a … Continue reading
Posted in Lit, News
Tagged Brian Leno, E. Hoffmann Price, eBay, Frank Belknap Long, Gene Bilbrew, Lawrence Block, Terry Zobeck
Rediscovered: Brooding Over John Hancocks
Just got a note in from the famed and maniacal Autograph Hound Brian Leno, who says: Last night some guy was selling about 70 or so signed postal covers. Good stuff too, so I got my trigger finger ready and … Continue reading
