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: News
Hammett: Jeopardy! Rides Again
Only a month after dropping a Hammett clew into the mix, Jeopardy! quickly pulled the creator of Sam Spade out of the trick bag once more — S40 E210 for June 28, 2024. The first round. $400 clew in the … Continue reading
Hammett: Back into the Jeopardy! Proper Mix
After the surprise appearance on the spinoff show Jeopardy! Masters on May 17 earlier this year, Hammett quickly returned to his old Jeopardy! stomping grounds. May 29, 2024. S40 E188. Category: Don’t Stop Retrieving. $1000 clew: “In a 1930 novel … Continue reading
Hammett: Cracking Jeopardy! Masters
After Jeopardy! had their full category blowout of Hammett clews in January, who knew what might happen? Could that have been it, a swansong to send him off into the used-up clew pile by an exhausted clew crew? Months began … Continue reading
Hammett: When Jeopardy! Dropped the H Bomb
I’ve had this one hidden away almost all year, waiting to ease under the Xmas tree. . . . Or: Would you believe I was so daunted when I saw it that I froze solid? Dropped as if I had … Continue reading
Posted in Dash, Frisco, Lit, News
Tagged Jeopardy!, Lillian Hellman, Raymond Chandler, Senator Joseph McCarthy, Tenderloin
Rediscovered: Death Lit on the Block
If you picked up my most recent book Arkham House Ephemera: The Classic Years 1937-1973, I am here to slip you the word that no longer is it the latest title to leap to life. The newest of the new … Continue reading
Posted in Dash, DMac, Film, Frisco, Lit, News, REH, SFSC, Tour, Willeford
Tagged Arkham House Ephemera The Classic Years 1937-1973, Book Collecting, Death Lit Essays and Reviews 1974-2024
Rediscovered: Chandler Stuff on the Block
Brian Wallace popped me notice of a big auction of Raymond Chandler manuscripts and personal items, “under the hammer of Doyle” — on December 6. That gives you a few days to scrape some loot together and prepare to jump … Continue reading
Rediscovered: Arkham Ephemera at $5 Off
That was fast. The $10 off sale at Amazon on Arkham House Ephemera: The Classic Years only lasted a couple of days. Now they’ve got it at $35.28, creeping back toward the original $40 retail tag. If you want to … Continue reading
Posted in Lit, News
Tagged Arkham House Ephemera The Classic Years 1937-1973, Book Collecting, Terence McVicker
Rediscovered: Arkham Ephemera at $10 Off
It went live Halloween night and eight days ago began shipping out orders at $40 per copy. Now Amazon has slashed the price to $30. I’m not saying that later they might not cut it down to $25 or $20 … Continue reading
Rediscovered: 100 Years Ago
Noted book and pulp collector Kevin Cook had to send in a note in re: Abe Merritt’s most famous work — if you care to join him in the festivities, pull your copies of the pulp out and have at … Continue reading
Rediscovered: Arkham House Ephemera — The Classic Years
Ready to order, the book on the Classic Era of Arkham House Ephemera I’ve been promising for years awaits you. 150 Items covered (with 3 playfully hidden away for the readers who like to have a little fun with their … Continue reading
