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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: March 2021
Rediscovered: At NoirCon (2012)
At least I presume the image above connects to NoirCon. That’s how I read the clews. I only attended the very first NoirCon, in 2008, where I was amazed that for the Charles Willeford “panel” they had some academic talking … Continue reading
Hammett: The Slaughter of Duller Characters
Two or three emails back the noted book and pulp collector Kevin Cook mentioned to me that Hammett had gone to France during the Great War. I told him, not as far as I know. But now there’s some evidence … Continue reading
Posted in Dash
Tagged Evan Lewis, France, Kevin Cook, newspaper action, Tallulah Bankhead, The Great War, Willa Gray Martin
Hammett: Dr. Oz Gets the Clew
In the back of my mind lurked the idea that Jeopardy! might retire clews about Hammett and Sam Spade in the post-Alex Trebek era. But as I’ve said before, Hammett kind of serves as one of their standards — not … Continue reading
Sinister Cinema: Sam Invades Manchette Territory
Terry Zobeck pops along the news from The Rap Sheet that unbeknownst to us Sam Spade moved to France and is about to get into some 1960s colonial action, as in a Jean-Patrick Manchette novel! Well, hell, I wasn’t expecting … Continue reading
Posted in Dash, Film, Willeford
Tagged Burnt Orange Heresy, Clive Owen, Manchette, Rap Sheet, Terry Zobeck
Rediscovered: A Cyclopean Memorial to Lovecraft
Brian Leno timed this one nicely! I thought he might take another week or two for a formal (or as formal as Leno gets) review of Lovecraft: The Great Tales. But no. For the eighty-fourth anniversary of the death of … Continue reading
Posted in Lit
Tagged Brian Leno, Farnsworth Wright, John D. Haefele, Lovecraft, Robert W. Chambers, William Hope Hodgson
Rediscovered: Almost Done, But for Reading the Index
Brian Leno pokes merrily along in John D. Haefele’s Lovecraft: The Great Tales, and mentions something he found on page 715: Just finished the “Haunter of the Dark” chapter, which reminded me tomorrow is the anniversary of HPL’s death. Last … Continue reading
Rediscovered: So Far, So Good
I told Brian Leno he could do a formal review for Mean Streets of John D. Haefele’s Lovecraft: The Great Tales whenever he finishes. But of course, no one will be sitting down and reading that monster of litcrit in … Continue reading
Posted in Lit, REH
Tagged A. Merritt, Brian Leno, Clark Ashton Smith, Farnsworth Wright, Frank Owen, Hazel Heald, Henry S. Whitehead, John D. Haefele, Lovecraft, Rob Roehm, S.T. Joshi, Weird Tales, William Hope Hodgson
