Monthly Archives: March 2008

Mitch the Bitch: Decoding Albom

Posted on March 11, 2008 by ubu507

I guess everybody knows who Mitch Albom is. People around here, however, still remember him as a sportswriter for the Free Press, and in fact he still acts in that capacity from times to time, as well as contributing an … Continue reading →

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History of Mystery: Gallows Literature

Posted on March 8, 2008 by ubu507

  People like to argue as to when crime fiction first started. To me the mystery is not a fairly recent off shoot of "real" literature, but a mighty redwood in and of itself, and one whose roots anchor it … Continue reading →

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Caleb Williams by William Godwin: Proto Noir

Posted on March 7, 2008 by ubu507

While I was polishing up the old History of Mystery lecture – and we killed in Canton last night, thank you very much – I ran across a book I’d left out of the precursor group, a great read called … Continue reading →

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Sideshow Bill: Bye Bye Buckley

Posted on March 5, 2008 by ubu507

Thanks to the recent death of William F. Buckley, we’ve been treated to a number of panegyrics from George Will and others who’d like to assume the moth eaten mantel of chief conservative highbrow, all of them informing us of … Continue reading →

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Quote Bag: Reparation

Posted on March 4, 2008 by ubu507

  The function of man differs from that of other physical beings, for it is the reparation of the disorders in the universe. – Louis Claude de Saint-Martin   But the art of pure contemplation, of creative metaphysics, is difficult, … Continue reading →

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Fave Rave: Ellroy, Nunn and O’Connell

Posted on March 1, 2008 by ubu507

  People are always asking me who my favorite writer is. I usually tell them something safe like Josephine Tey, Raymond Chandler or James Lee Burke. And I do love those writers and think them great, but they’re just not … Continue reading →

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