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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: Lit
Rediscovered: W. R. Burnett on Defund the Police
A few weeks ago I finally got around to reading the heist-gone-wrong classic The Asphalt Jungle from 1949 by W. R. Burnett. With his first novel in 1929, Little Caesar, Burnett made his name. A cornerstone of crime fiction, the … Continue reading
Rediscovered: Val Lewton
Autograph Hound Saturday once more, and Brian Leno is back to give us a glance at one of his most recent acquisitions in the Department of Serious John Hancocks. Take it, Brian: I haven’t seen too many Val Lewton signatures … Continue reading
Posted in Film, Lit
Tagged Autographs, Boris Karloff, Brian Leno, James T. Farrell, Val Lewton, Weird Tales
Rediscovered: Another “Lost” Arkham
As usual, I was sitting around minding my own business, collecting Arkham House ephemera, when I realized I might have spotted another “lost” Arkham House book. For decades fans have been noting books that once may have made it into … Continue reading
Posted in Lit, News
Tagged Arkham House, August Derleth, Charles Beaumont, John D. Haefele, Mildred Clingerman
Hammett: Jonathan Latimer Cracks Wise
Got some notes in from Terry Zobeck, who is deep into the forgotten mags of the early 1920s on a Hammett hunt. Big game bibliography at its finest. But he’s not always prowling the primeval pagination, like a regular guy … Continue reading
Posted in Dash, Film, Lit
Tagged Black Mask, Erle Stanley Gardner, Jonathan Latimer, Perry Mason, Terry Zobeck
Rediscovered: Poe’s Mustache
Autograph Hound Saturday, with Brian Leno back on the stick to show off another offtrail corner of his John Hancock hobby. While I’m sure Brian would have nothing against getting some major signature if he had the opportunity, a Bill … Continue reading
Frisco Beat: Worley Recalled
Yet another mini-memoir of crime writer William Worley has wandered into the traffic on These Mean Streets, this one from Linda Shaw — a student from one of his classes in Lowell High: I had not thought about Mr. William … Continue reading
Posted in Frisco, Lit
Tagged Linda Shaw, Lowell High School, San Francisco Mysteries, William Worley
Frisco Beat: Back to Chinatown
For those of you in the game of collecting San Francisco Mysteries, Connie di Marco is one of the current writers jumping into the fray — on April 26 her new one Serpent’s Doom, fourth entry in her series of the … Continue reading
Rediscovered: At the Earth’s Core
News that a deluxe signed artist’s edition of At the Earth’s Core is coming up spurred Brian Leno to dig out some apt John Hancockery from his bulging files for Autograph Hound Saturday. Here’s Brian from the signature vaults: I … Continue reading
Posted in Film, Lit, News
Tagged At the Earth's Core, Autographs, Brian Leno, Caroline Munro, Doug McClure, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc.
Rediscovered: Wetjen Returns
I’d almost suspect that Brian Leno has gone all lazy on me, since he hasn’t popped in a new post in over a month — my god, does he expect me to handle all the Mean Streets action by myself? … Continue reading
Posted in Lit
Tagged Adventure, Albert Richard Wetjen, Autographs, Book Collecting, Brian Leno, Frederick W. Skiff, Jim Tully, John Gilbert, W. F. Hopson
Rediscovered: The Bantam Docs
Earlier today Brian Leno was claiming that he’s “no expert on Doc Savage.” Yeah, sure, he’s not Will Murray, but he has contributed to Big Book of Bronze. And at the end of last year he was very happy when … Continue reading
Posted in Lit
Tagged Big Book of Bronze, Book Collecting, Brian Leno, Doc Savage, Hopalong Cassidy, Lester Dent, The Shadow, Will Murray