June 15th, 2009 / 2:03 am
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Ken Baumann
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Sampsell. Crime. The two of em.
Crime in a rainy city.
Kevin Sampsell, incomparable writer/booklover, has edited a crime fiction anthology for Akashic Books: Portland Noir. Kevin, admittedly a noir noob, talks about the process over at the Powell’s blog. I’ll go ahead and reposition Kevin’s question for the HTML Giant audience: Which books in the crime/noir/mystery genre should he/I/we be reading? I recommend Dashiell Hammett.
Tags: kevin sampsell, portland noir
craig clevenger is really good for neo-noir, as is will christopher baer (who is a crazy funny dude) and stephen g. jones; all of them are discussed on a forum called the velvet (http://welcometothevelvet.com)
craig clevenger is really good for neo-noir, as is will christopher baer (who is a crazy funny dude) and stephen g. jones; all of them are discussed on a forum called the velvet (http://welcometothevelvet.com)
i’m still a mickey spillane fan. pulp more than noir but really noir can only truely be expressed in film i think.
i dont know. hard one to think about.
i’m still a mickey spillane fan. pulp more than noir but really noir can only truely be expressed in film i think.
i dont know. hard one to think about.
I like Raymond Chandler and Richard Stark.
I like Raymond Chandler and Richard Stark.
Patricia Highsmith.
I love Jim Thompson–I know neither of these two are original, who cares, I love them anyway— a year ago or so I read A swell looking babe- I hadn’t read anything of his in over a decade- man he has all these mommy issues- super freudian book– and he sets a scene so well, pulls the plot along so nicely.
I bought some Donald Goines- not sure if you can call that noir.
Is Nathanial West considered noir? Hm.
For contemporary stuff, check out Plots with Guns online- I mentioned it in an earlier post. It’s really good stuff.
Patricia Highsmith.
I love Jim Thompson–I know neither of these two are original, who cares, I love them anyway— a year ago or so I read A swell looking babe- I hadn’t read anything of his in over a decade- man he has all these mommy issues- super freudian book– and he sets a scene so well, pulls the plot along so nicely.
I bought some Donald Goines- not sure if you can call that noir.
Is Nathanial West considered noir? Hm.
For contemporary stuff, check out Plots with Guns online- I mentioned it in an earlier post. It’s really good stuff.
Jim Thompson was the balls! Pop 1280, The Grifters, The Getaway, The Killer Inside Me and on and on. He was the best crime writer ever.
Jim Thompson was the balls! Pop 1280, The Grifters, The Getaway, The Killer Inside Me and on and on. He was the best crime writer ever.
I’ve read all of those! Years ago. He is sooo good. I had a big phase- then 15 years later, I picked up A swell looking babe- it was fantastic.
I’d tie him with Highsmith for best of all time. Strangers on a Train is a masterpiece. And her collected stories- I pick it up and hold it from time to time. I have it in hardcover. She is a genuis for sure.
David Goodis anyone? He’s good stuff.
I’ve read all of those! Years ago. He is sooo good. I had a big phase- then 15 years later, I picked up A swell looking babe- it was fantastic.
I’d tie him with Highsmith for best of all time. Strangers on a Train is a masterpiece. And her collected stories- I pick it up and hold it from time to time. I have it in hardcover. She is a genuis for sure.
David Goodis anyone? He’s good stuff.
I’ve got a friend who’s always telling me I need to get into Highsmith. I’m glad you mentioned “Strangers on a Train”, because I have been thinking about reading it.
“Gun, With Occasional Music” is pretty good noir/science fiction, for anyone who is curious about that.
I’ve got a friend who’s always telling me I need to get into Highsmith. I’m glad you mentioned “Strangers on a Train”, because I have been thinking about reading it.
“Gun, With Occasional Music” is pretty good noir/science fiction, for anyone who is curious about that.
Jim Thompson seems to be in the lead right now and my girlfriend has a few of his books here somewhere (plus they’re nice and short. Ha!)…I didn’t say this in the Powell’s blog, but I also have a hard time reading writers who don’t have a smart sense of humor. And I get the feeling Thompson has some good wink to it.
Jim Thompson seems to be in the lead right now and my girlfriend has a few of his books here somewhere (plus they’re nice and short. Ha!)…I didn’t say this in the Powell’s blog, but I also have a hard time reading writers who don’t have a smart sense of humor. And I get the feeling Thompson has some good wink to it.
James Ellroy. That guy elevates terseness into a state of being.
James Ellroy. That guy elevates terseness into a state of being.
A friend gave me a signed copy of White Jazz -Ellroy wrote “fear this book”. Master languagey guy…it always takes me a bit to get into his rythmn but then I’m in.
A friend gave me a signed copy of White Jazz -Ellroy wrote “fear this book”. Master languagey guy…it always takes me a bit to get into his rythmn but then I’m in.
http://welcometothevelvet.com – hope this makes it a link so i’m not an ass!
http://welcometothevelvet.com – hope this makes it a link so i’m not an ass!
Thompson could be quite funny and, at times, sort of philosophical in unexpected ways.
Thompson could be quite funny and, at times, sort of philosophical in unexpected ways.
Elmore leonard is a lot of fun
Elmore leonard is a lot of fun
i’m glad some one mentioned him.
jack pendarvis is working on a noir novel called SHUT UP, UGLY – i’ve read it, it’s funny – don’t tell him i’ve read it ; )
i’m glad some one mentioned him.
jack pendarvis is working on a noir novel called SHUT UP, UGLY – i’ve read it, it’s funny – don’t tell him i’ve read it ; )
hell yes.
hell yes.
The Alcoholics!!
The Alcoholics!!
Jupst ordered it. I don’t know that one!
Jupst ordered it. I don’t know that one!
it was a fun, quick read. i love noir stuff. i want to go back in time.
it was a fun, quick read. i love noir stuff. i want to go back in time.
Britten and Brulightly is an awesome noir-ish graphic novel. All hand-painted artwork. Stunning stuff.
Britten and Brulightly is an awesome noir-ish graphic novel. All hand-painted artwork. Stunning stuff.
He is very philosophical and moreso, deeply into Freud. And he gets all meta sometimes too- like in the Grifters (ok, 15 years later, am i misremembering, no?)
Not misremembering. Totally on.
One of his books, I can’t think of which one (maybe the Killer Inside Me) just suddenly goes off on this tight riff about seeing a couple – one tall and skinny, one short and fat, and knowing that as weird as they look, at one moment these two saw each other and saw everything they could ever want. It’s in the middle of all this raw violence and scheming. It is almost jarring, but sort of beautiful too
Not misremembering. Totally on.
One of his books, I can’t think of which one (maybe the Killer Inside Me) just suddenly goes off on this tight riff about seeing a couple – one tall and skinny, one short and fat, and knowing that as weird as they look, at one moment these two saw each other and saw everything they could ever want. It’s in the middle of all this raw violence and scheming. It is almost jarring, but sort of beautiful too
I also like Ed McBain. A holdover from childhood, really. The 87th Precinct novels are a lot of fun.
I also like Ed McBain. A holdover from childhood, really. The 87th Precinct novels are a lot of fun.
Yes, he gets very strange- I think in TheGrifters this whole alternate reality takes over at the end- it was jarring but also like – fuck yeah! OK, 15 years ago. I may have read it again 10 years ago. I’ve seen the Ali McGraw Steven Mcqueen movie twice -and – the remake with Alec baldwin, Micheal Madsen – Kim bassinger and Jennifer Tilly 3 times (shame just blossomed on my face).
But, regarding Highsmith–she’s better than him in some ways because he wrote to make money (and still did all he could and more with his schedule) and she wrote to write, and live an admittedley crazy and somewhat dubious political Lesbian life in Switzerland with her Japanese lover. Now, all I’m saying–she’s more free, in some ways. The Price of Salt? It’s noir, but how so? It’s just creepy. And her collected stories can be redundnant maybe if you read them all at once (I sort of did) but man, the ones that stick out, stick you like a knife.
She’s my fave. Strangers on a Train is truly as good as The Kreuzer Sonata (also a murder story) by Tolstoy. Tolstoy’s minor work, yes, but yeah- she’s that good.
Dear “Raymond Chandler,” there is no way you have read my book. There are not even advance copies yet. I admire the real Raymond Chandler very much and he would be insulted to be linked with my silly little pastiche – which, if you have really read it, you know is not a noir in any sense. It strikes me that you might be someone from my publisher trying to be clever and get me publicity. I hope not, for a number of reasons! But I can’t think of who else might have read my book, which technically doesn’t exist in any form yet, and who else might feel it necessary to go under a pseudonym. I do thank you for your kind words, which I appreciate, but anonymous praise seems suspicious. I hope I don’t appear ungrateful.
Dear “Raymond Chandler,” there is no way you have read my book. There are not even advance copies yet. I admire the real Raymond Chandler very much and he would be insulted to be linked with my silly little pastiche – which, if you have really read it, you know is not a noir in any sense. It strikes me that you might be someone from my publisher trying to be clever and get me publicity. I hope not, for a number of reasons! But I can’t think of who else might have read my book, which technically doesn’t exist in any form yet, and who else might feel it necessary to go under a pseudonym. I do thank you for your kind words, which I appreciate, but anonymous praise seems suspicious. I hope I don’t appear ungrateful.
i was just kidding, jack. i’m just an attention whore. you’re a really good detective. damn.
i was just kidding, jack. i’m just an attention whore. you’re a really good detective. damn.
Sorry, Raymond! My other fear of course was that people would think “Raymond Chandler” was me, trying to secretly love and advertise myself. As I said, I do appreciate the kind words. I hope you don’t really have a copy of the book, because I have done many, many drafts and I would hate to think you had been subjected to an early one.
Sorry, Raymond! My other fear of course was that people would think “Raymond Chandler” was me, trying to secretly love and advertise myself. As I said, I do appreciate the kind words. I hope you don’t really have a copy of the book, because I have done many, many drafts and I would hate to think you had been subjected to an early one.
nah, i just have a really vivid imagination – and death is like, you know, really boring. thank god we finally have wifi. no really, thank you god, for finally hooking up the wifi. love yr blog, jack.
nah, i just have a really vivid imagination – and death is like, you know, really boring. thank god we finally have wifi. no really, thank you god, for finally hooking up the wifi. love yr blog, jack.
Oh, and to answer the question put forth in the post, for hardboiled fiction my personal favorites are Charles Willeford, James Crumley, Megan Abbott.
Oh, and to answer the question put forth in the post, for hardboiled fiction my personal favorites are Charles Willeford, James Crumley, Megan Abbott.