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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.”
Search Results for: nathan ward
Hammett: The Passing of Fechheimer
Just heard from Terry Zobeck, who heard it from Larry Block, who must read the New York Times, that David Fechheimer died April 2 at the age of 76 — reportedly from complications after open heart surgery. Once again, ouch. … Continue reading
Posted in Dash, Frisco, Tour
Tagged David Fechheimer, Hal Lipset, Ken Nordine, Lawrence Block, Mechanics' Library, Nathan Ward, New York Times, Terry Zobeck
Rediscovered: A Tough Guy Amidst Books
Woke up today to find Nathan Ward had dropped a link on me to his latest tidbit on CrimeReads, of which he says: “Has nothing to do with Hammett or the (newly discovered by the NY Times) Tenderloin. Thought you … Continue reading
Posted in News
Tagged Attica, Crimereads, Izzy Zimmerman, Nathan Ward, New York Times, Sing Sing, Tenderloin
Hammett: Zobeck Research Cited, Too
I whipped together a quick post the other day after noticing Mean Streets buddy and Hammett biographer Nathan Ward got some mentions in Anne Diebel’s article for Paris Review titled “Dashiell Hammett’s Strange Career.” Like I said, I gave it a casual gander, … Continue reading
Hammett: A Strange Career? You Decide!
Brian Wallace just dropped a link into my Inbox, Anne Diebel in The Paris Review ruminating on Hammett’s career as a writer — and much of it seems to be riffing off Nathan Ward’s bio The Lost Detective. Kind of like … Continue reading
Hammett: And Stein
Nathan Ward just informed me of a tidbit he did for Crimereads, about the meeting of Hammett and Gertrude Stein. If you have his bio of Hammett, The Lost Detective, you’ve already got the gist of the incident. Especially these … Continue reading
Rediscovered: Cowboy Elmore
Our pal Nathan Ward is keeping his hand in with this and that, after knocking out his bio of Hammett way back in 2015. Mean Streets Up and Downers no doubt will be interested in reading a blurb he just … Continue reading
Rediscovered: Charlie Siringo, Range Op
If you’re curious, you can read at least the opening of a new article posted today for Westworld out of Denver on the famous or infamous range detective Charlie Siringo — researched and written by none other than our pal … Continue reading
Rediscovered: Fred Dannay and His More Literary Cousin
A couple of years back Nathan Ward popped me a link to an article — a very good, long article — about the popular Mean Streets topic Frederic Dannay, one half of the “Ellery Queen” writing team, and his continuing … Continue reading
Hammett: More Reviews from a “Careful Reading, Deep Thinking Advertising Man”
Terry Zobeck has raided the Library of Congress again, and found that they now have color copiers — but that copies of Western Advertising are a bit larger than their scanner bed, and that his scanner program just doesn’t do … Continue reading
Posted in Dash, News
Tagged Duncan Sisters, KGO, Library of Congress, Marc LaViolette, Nathan Ward, Richard Layman, Terry Zobeck, Western Advertising
Hammett: Hey-Ya, Hey-Ya, Who’s Got a Black Boid?
Nathan Ward just sent along a link to an article in Vanity Fair on the subject of falcon statues — from the 1941 Bogie flick or the George Segal The Black Bird or anywhere else you might grab a falcon … Continue reading
Posted in Dash, Film, News
Tagged Accessories to Murder, Black Dahlia murder, Bogie, George Segal, John's Grill, Maltese Falcon statue, Nathan Ward, Vanity Fair