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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: Willeford
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
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
Frisco Beat: A Slice of Life 1979-90
Our man on the street, Nathan Ward — keeping his eye on the New York scene — sends along his latest find: “I liked this evocation of San Francisco from 79-90 by the novelist Rachel Kushner in the current New … Continue reading
Rediscovered: Padgett Powell Book Posts Willeford
Aha. Another guy has just discovered the late great Charles Willeford and covers the waterfront on the direct-to-your-inbox service Book Post. If interested, hop to the link fast — I have no idea what the archiving is like. My book … Continue reading
Rediscovered: Willeford Talks
Ethan Iverson of The Bad Plus — big Charles Willeford fan — just sent me a link to a 1987 interview with Willeford, posted to YouTube in March this year. Ten minutes, with Willeford reading some snippets from his books, … Continue reading
Rediscovered: CrimeReads Discovers Willeford
Nathan Ward just alerted me to the news that today CrimeReads put up an article on the late, great Charles Willeford. A little something for Willeford’s centennial year. Not a bad introduction for people who don’t know Willeford (which is to … Continue reading
Noir: On the Prowl
One intriguing pic Nathaniel Mills sent along from his trip to Malta, he noticed later, “unintentionally captured this Maltese blonde, there on the bench, checking me out as I walked by. “Did she think I was handsome or was she … Continue reading
Posted in Lit, Tour, Willeford
Tagged Gold Medal, Malta, Nathaniel Mills, Orrie Hitt, Robert McGinnis
Sinister Cinema: The Boss Digs Cockfighter
Michael Chong keeps an eye peeled for any online mention of Willeford, and reports in that “The Boss has good taste!” Yes, Cockfighter makes the short list of Springsteen’s fave movies — or, maybe the dude is just another one of us … Continue reading
Sinister Cinema: Burnt Orange to “Close Venice”
Kent Harrington, who watches the media scene more closely than I do (which means he follows Variety) just popped me a link to an article which reports that the film of Charles Willeford’s novel The Burnt Orange Hersey apparently got … Continue reading
Posted in Film, News, Willeford
Tagged Burnt Orange Heresy, Christopher Walken, Hary Dean Stanton, Kent Harrington, Mick Jagger, Warren Oates
Rediscovered: A Chat with the Sundial Book Club
Michael Chong hasn’t sent any cool online tidbits about Charles Willeford in awhile, so maybe one was due. A little interview with Betsy Willeford — https://www.wlrn.org/post/mystery-writer-and-teacher-loved-freaking-out-his-students — posted June 20, occasioned by the Sundial Book Club selecting Miami Blues as … Continue reading
