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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.”
Category Archives: Dash
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
Hammett: Pickup
Stuff Terry Zobeck covered in the halcyon days of yesteryear keeps circulating around. Remember his post about “lost” Hammett stories, including such rogue titles as “Pickup” in Saturday Home Magazine? And follow-up posts about Hammett tales getting reprinted in god-knows-how-many … Continue reading
Posted in Dash, News
Tagged "Pick-Up", "The Tenth Clew", "The Whosis Kid", Evan Lewis, Frederic Dannay, Terry Zobeck
891 Post: The Reign of Wild Bill Arney, Remembered
Just got a note from Bill Arney, who you’ll remember as the longtime Keeper of the Sacred Shrine, i.e. Hammett’s apartment in 891 Post Street — where a little classic titled The Maltese Falcon was written. Bill just got a … Continue reading
Hammett: Jeopardy! Struck Again!
Yesterday a Hammett clew made a reprise appearance on Jeopardy! as they mined their archives to fill in the weeks of summer with From the Vault: Million Dollar Masters. If I heard right, this tournament rounding up previous champions was … Continue reading
Frisco Beat: When They Renamed Monroe
Brian Wallace just sent me the link to an article about renaming San Francisco streets — with a little section about Monroe Street getting the new moniker of Dashiell Hammett Street. The article writer doesn’t seem to be aware of … Continue reading
Posted in Dash, Frisco
Tagged Brian Wallace, Dashiell Hammett Street, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, literary streets, Monroe Street
Hammett: “Zigzags of Treachery”
Tom Krabacher let me know that Library of America with their “Story of the Week” recently spotlighted another Op yarn by Hammett — the excellent “Zigzags of Treachery.” Free. A little intro that’s pretty good (if you’ve been around, you … Continue reading
Posted in Dash, Frisco
Tagged "Zigzags of Treachery", Library of America, Pacific Street, Tom Krabacher
Frisco Beat: Daniel Woodrell, Resident
Terry Zobeck just happened across an article on Hammett and a couple of New Guy writers (new compared to Hammett, at least) in which they eat in John’s Grill, visit Burritt alley — the things one does in Frisco. For … Continue reading
Sinister Cinema: Doc Savage Meets Bogie
On Sale Every Wednesday: Pulps in the Movies — and How! Today hero-pulp stalwart Doc Savage shares a scene with Humphrey Bogart. Man, you cannot get any more pulp and movie than that, right? Not that anyone ever spotted Doc’s … Continue reading
Posted in Dash, Film, Lit
Tagged Bogie, Conflict, Doc Savage, Hitchcock, John Locke, Pulps in the Movies, Rebecca, Vertigo