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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.”
Tag Archives: Blanco’s
Tour: Some (Semi-Complicated) October Walks
Shot above: standing on the n.e. corner of Geary and Mason for a tour by appointment with Sisters in Crime, Saturday August 5, 2017. Looking west out Geary, the old Geary Theatre looming above the first red car. . . … Continue reading
Posted in Tour
Tagged "Whosis Kid", Blanco's, Geary Street, Geary Theatre, Larkin Street, Mason Street, Olive Street, Sisters-in-Crime, Tenderloin
Frisco Beat: Alas, Poor Blanco’s! I Knew It, Horatio. . .
You know how it is, you go in for triple bypass surgery and someone figures you’re gone for sure, The Defender of the Faith is down by the wayside, and it’s now safe to paint over the tragically faded lettering … Continue reading
Posted in Dash, Frisco, Tour
Tagged Blanco's, Great American Music Hall, Larkin Street, Olive Street
Tour: Sunday June 11
In the pic above, The Dashiell Hammett Tour of that moment stands on the northwest corner of O’Farrell and Larkin, taking in the perfect 1920s blocks rolling down O’Farrell to the east (until you get to The Hamilton, a large … Continue reading
Posted in Dash, Frisco, Tour
Tagged Blanco's, Great American Music Hall, Larkin Street, O'Farrell Street
Tour: On Sunday November 2 and November 9
Two more tours this year where anyone with $20 and four hours to kill can just show up and walk the walk — and after that we’re into Xmas Season, and rains, bleak noir rains (if luck for Frisco is … Continue reading
Rediscovered: Block on Willeford/Block on Block
The recent mentions of Charles Willeford caused Terry Zobeck to prowl the net for awhile, where he discovered an article from yesteryear in which Lawrence Block remembered his meetings with Willeford — pretty interesting, especially the bits about eating cat, though … Continue reading
Posted in Film, Frisco, Lit, News, Tour, Willeford
Tagged "Oreo Cookie Blues", "Teddy Bears' Picnic", 8 Million Ways to Die, A Necklace of Hickeys, Blanco's, Contrappasso, Dave Van Ronk, Ethan Iverson, Great American Music Hall, Greenwich Village, Grimhaven, Hoke Moseley, Inside Llewyn Davis, Joel & Ethan Coen, Lawrence Block, Lonnie Mack, Miami Blues, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Terry Zobeck, The Dude
Tour: Another Walk for June
Believe it or not, but a guy with the given name of Dashiel (one “l”) is jetting in from Australia late in June and just asked for a walk — more than a month’s advance notice, all the way from … Continue reading
Posted in News, Tour
Tagged Blanco's, Great American Music Hall, Larkin Street, O'Farrell Street, Tenderloin
Tour: Cinco de Mayo y 2 de junio
Of all the Sundays in May I’d most want to skip over when doing a Hammett tour, Cinco de Mayo is tops — especially when May 5 falls exactly on the Sunday, like this year. And my intention was to skip it, … Continue reading
