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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: Red Harvest
Hammett: From Poisonville to Red Harvest, “Chapter One”
A couple of months ago I was prowling through the inventory of Mean Streets posts to salvage as yet unpublished material from the backlog. A few tentative ideas that got to skeletal mock-up stage I just deleted — weeding the … Continue reading
Posted in Dash, Lit
Tagged Black Mask, Frederic Dannay, Jo Hammett, Paul Herman, PulpFest, Red Harvest, Richard Layman, Terry Zobeck, The Big Book of the Continental Op
Rediscovered: “From Viv”
As the third author selected for Autograph Hound Super-Sunday, Kevin Cook pulls no less than E. Charles Vivian out of his sleeve — I bet you guys don’t see Vivian signatures raining down from the skies. Obviously Kevin picked up … Continue reading
Hammett: Zobeck v. Otto
Just got a note from Terry Zobeck commenting on the auction of Hammett titles from the library of Otto Penzler. Terry reports: “I lost out on that Red Harvest—I went as high as $70,000 but had to stop when my … Continue reading
Hammett: Chump Change
Evan Lewis, my de facto reporter on the ground for news of the auction of books from the Otto Penzler collection — which is to say, I’m never going to bother to follow something like that, whereas Evan is covering it like … Continue reading
Posted in Dash, News
Tagged Evan Lewis, Lillian Hellman, Otto Penzler, Red Harvest, The Big Knockover
Hammett: High Ticket
I don’t keep close track, but I am well aware prices on first editions of Hammett’s novels have jumped into the big money — kicked off by the legendary 1981 auction of the Adrian Goldstone crime fiction collection here in … Continue reading
Posted in Dash, Frisco, News
Tagged Adrian Homer Goldstone, Autographs, Black Mask, Book Collecting, Brian Wallace, KoKo Collection, Paul Cain, Poe, Raoul Whitfield, Raymond Chandler, Red Harvest, Terry Zobeck
Hammett: Out of the Past
Do you remember my description in the recent PulpFest report about how a dealer showed me a copy of my 1982 tour book in gray wraps which he had priced at $15? I was going to put it back for … Continue reading
Posted in Dash, Frisco, Tour
Tagged Autographs, Bill Arney, Burritt alley, Hammett Cult in San Francisco, John D. Haefele, Morgan Holmes, PulpFest, Red Harvest, Tom Krabacher
Hammett: Reviewer Remorse
Now Terry Zobeck is worried that his review of the new Hammett bio by Nathan Ward — because of a few quibbles he throws in — might not have given a fair account of how much he liked it: I hope … Continue reading
Posted in Dash, Film, Frisco, Tour
Tagged 891 Post, Ace Atkins, Art Taylor, Bill Arney, Black Mask, Bogie, David Fechheimer, Jose Hammett, Nathan Ward, Red Harvest, Terry Zobeck, Washington Post
Hammett: And Prohibition
Per my normal Xmas rituals, I’ll be heading up to the dinner table in the hideout of Floyd “Tattoo the Wicked Cross” Salas, but here’s a tidbit to hold down a place under the tree: some casual speculation on Hammett … Continue reading
Posted in Dash, Frisco
Tagged 891 Post, Bill Arney, Blaine Act, Floyd Salas, Izzy Einstein, John's Grill, Mark Murphy, New Orleans, Prohibition, Red Harvest, The Maltese Arms, Vince Emery, Volstead Act
Rediscovered: A “Lost” Spade-Marlowe Connection
Got a note a couple of days ago asking me if I’d seen the bit “Finding Marlowe” in the LA Times. Guy named Erik Cummins spun it my way, with the preface: I met you some years ago (about 10-12 … Continue reading
Posted in Dash, Lit, News, Tour
Tagged Erik Cummins, John's Grill, LA Times, Philip Marlowe, Raymond Chandler, Red Harvest, Sam Spade, The Midget Bandit, Warren Harris
Rediscovered: More on Roadhouse Benny
My Jack Benny Research Team never sleeps! Not much, anyway. Remember the post I did back in 2012 about hearing the mention of Benny’s name in the movie Roadhouse Nights, based — and I use the word based very, very … Continue reading