Welcome to a hard-boiled and not without noir blog with news and reviews, occasional outbursts of maniacal Autograph Hound activity, plus archival records from the forty-five year run of The Dashiell Hammett Tour. 
The Dashiell Hammett Tour
1977-2022
Arkham House Ephemera
The Classic Years 1937–1973
Death Lit
Essays and Reviews Selected from Fifty Years of Writing 1974–2024
Willeford
The Book
Category Archives: Frisco
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
Rediscovered: A Joe Memoli Postscript
Following on his longer memoir of Joe Memoli, Larry Belling added a few remarks: Another memory after I moved to New York and got a job in the box office of a theatre downtown: After a show at the Astor … Continue reading
Rediscovered: More on Joe Memoli
Who would have thought a casual mention made when I was working up an article on the boxer-poet Floyd Salas would lead to more about Joe Memoli on These Mean Streets — and now, years later, to even more. Just … Continue reading
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
Rediscovered: Arcane Arkham Arch-Collectors Corner No. 3
A few weeks ago I mentioned a couple of ephemera pieces done by Arkham House authors to promote their Arkham House books. Since the publishing firm had nothing to do with them, we experts on Arkham House ephemera don’t number … Continue reading
Posted in Frisco, Lit
Tagged Arkham House, Autographs, Donald Sidney-Fryer, John D. Haefele, Paul Dobish, Terence McVicker
Rediscovered: Chatting with Joe Gores
Crime writer Mark Coggins just wrote with the news: “I finally transcribed my (long) interview with Joe Gores about the Falcon from 2007.” Sure to be a surfing destination for Hammett fans. Plus Mark mentions that a recent book has … Continue reading
Frisco Beat: Working the Hammett Hangout in the Days of Coronavirus
A.k.a. not working. Just heard a GoFundMe page is up for the employees of John’s Grill, 63 Ellis Street, where Sam Spade grabs a meal in The Maltese Falcon. Tide them over until those noir doors open again.
Frisco Beat: Portable Storage Three
Bill Breiding seems to have slipped into a fanac groove, just Pubbing His Ish under the title Portable Storage Three. Five bucks if you don’t get it for the usual — actually a good deal these days, because he’s piled … Continue reading
Posted in Frisco, Lit
Tagged Bill Breiding, Donald Sidney-Fryer, Portable Storage Three, Robert Silverberg
Frisco Beat: Legend, Hero or Heartthrob?
For anyone keeping track, I just showed up in Dale Fehringer’s new book, San Francisco: Legends, Heroes & Heartthrobs. Came out at the end of last year. Guess that means I made the cut with blurbage in two books about … Continue reading
