My Life at the Theater, THE SECRET RAPTURE

Do you see how bland this playbill is? It perfectly mirrors the play. This was the first and only Broadway premiere we have seen. Oh, so excited to see Wallace Shawn, Rex Reed and various other celebrities in the audience. Play was by David Hare, a big success in London, and starring the woman he'd had in mind while writing it: Blair Brown.

It was 1989 and the review in the New York Times the next day revealed the complete disaster we had seen. Beginning with an inability to do a British accent by Ms. Brown, to a lousy set, to a murky agenda, to odd timing, nothing went right. The play closed very quickly. I wonder if we had seen the London version if we would have come away satisfied. Somehow I doubt it.

white tee + jeans

Top: Zara; Jeans: c/o Hudson; Bag: Asos; Shoes: J. W. Anderson X Aldo; Sunglasses: Karen Walker; Jewelry: J. Crew chain necklace, Michael Kors watch, Lauren Elan "Carter" bracelet c/o

Just some dressed up basics for an otherwise low-key day. 

What Speaks to You?

Interesting article in the Huffington Post about what qualities in a novel pull you in. How different people are attracted to different voices/themes/characters.

I need an emotional content, something at risk, a person I find interesting even if unlikable. What about you?

Wednesday Night Music: Doc Watson

How I Came to Write This Book: Helen FitzGerald

Born in Melbourne, Australia, and one of thirteen children, Helen FitzGerald moved to Glasgow in 1991. She was a criminal justice social worker in Glasgow’s notorious Barlinnie Prison before becoming a full-time writer.

Her adult thrillers include Dead Lovely, My Last Confession, Bloody Women, The Donor and The Devil’s Staircase, which is currently being made into a feature film. Her books have been translated into numerous languages.

Her first YA, Amelia O’Donohue is SO not a Virgin, was published in 2010. Her novella, The Duplicate, is out with Snubnose Press in April 2012. Her YA thriller, Deviant, is to be published in 2013 by Sohoteen. She is currently writing her new novel, Cry, for Faber and Faber, out 2013.

How I Came to Write THE DUPLICATE

Before I moved up to secondary school, there were a lot of rumours about fingering. This was one of them: A boy’ll lure you round the back of the school “to count bricks” and that’s you totally fingered.

For the first month of Form One, I was terrified.

A month after that, a teensy bit intrigued.

A month after that, really quite desperate.

All my mates had counted bricks. Apparently it didn’t hurt at all. So I was thrilled when my best friend gave me a note from her boyfriend’s best friend which read: “Wanna count bricks after school Friday?”

I said All right.

Turns out the boy, Mick*, was quite a gentleman and kept his fingers to himself. I stood with my back to the wall, he put his hands on the brick wall, and kissed me. It was an open-mouthed no-tongue kiss that made me panic. My pals had told me they were all going full tongue. But this hot cavern didn’t appear to have a tongue in it. I gold-fished for a while before heading in to find it.

That weekend, I couldn’t sleep for love of Mick. We would probably get married one day.

When I got to school on Monday, my best friend gave me a note from her boyfriend’s best friend which read: “You’re dropped.”

Does this have anything to do with The Duplicate?

Not really…

Except that Barbara’s need to fit in is so overpowering that she completely surrenders herself to her first love.

And as with me, it doesn’t end well.

*John’s name has been changed to Mick for legal reasons.

seeing double

Top and skirt: Maje; Bag: Zara; Hat: H&M (similar style here); Sandals: J. Crew; Sunglasses: Karen Walker; Jewelry: Michael Kors watch, Lauren Elan "Olivia" necklace and "Carter" bracelet, c/o

Stripes upon stripes for a day of window shopping and playing tourist around San Francisco. After living here for over two years, I still enjoy getting lost in this city -- just doesn't get old! 

From the Desk of Charles Ardai

New Stephen King Novel Coming

from Hard Case Crime

JOYLAND to be published in June 2013

New York, NY; London, UK (May 30, 2012) – Hard Case Crime, the award-winning line of pulp-styled crime novels published by Titan Books, today announced it will publish JOYLAND, a new novel by Stephen King, in June 2013. Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, JOYLAND tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a carny and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever. JOYLAND is a brand-new book and has never previously been published. One of the most beloved storytellers of all time, Stephen King is the world’s best-selling novelist, with more than 300 million books in print.

Called “the best new American publisher to appear in the last decade” by Neal Pollack in The Stranger, Hard Case Crime revives the storytelling and visual style of the pulp paperbacks of the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. The line features an exciting mix of lost pulp masterpieces from some of the most acclaimed crime writers of all time and gripping new novels from the next generation of great hardboiled authors, all with new painted covers in the grand pulp style. Authors range from modern-day bestsellers such as Pete Hamill, Donald E. Westlake, Lawrence Block and Ed McBain to Golden Age stars like Mickey Spillane (creator of “Mike Hammer”), Erle Stanley Gardner (creator of “Perry Mason”), Wade Miller (author of Touch of Evil), and Cornell Woolrich (author of Rear Window).

Stephen King commented, “I love crime, I love mysteries, and I love ghosts. That combo made Hard Case Crime the perfect venue for this book, which is one of my favorites. I also loved the paperbacks I grew up with as a kid, and for that reason, we’re going to hold off on e-publishing this one for the time being. Joyland will be coming out in paperback, and folks who want to read it will have to buy the actual book.”

King’s previous Hard Case Crime novel, The Colorado Kid, became a national bestseller and inspired the television series “Haven,” now going into its third season on SyFy.

“Joyland is a breathtaking, beautiful, heartbreaking book,” said Charles Ardai, Edgar- and Shamus Award-winning editor of Hard Case Crime. “It’s a whodunit, it’s a carny novel, it’s a story about growing up and growing old, and about those who don’t get to do either because death comes for them before their time. Even the most hardboiled readers will find themselves moved. When I finished it, I sent a note saying, ‘Goddamn it, Steve, you made me cry.’ ”

Nick Landau, Titan Publisher, added: “Stephen King is one of the fiction greats, and I am tremendously proud and excited to be publishing a brand-new book of his under the Hard Case Crime imprint.”

JOYLAND will feature new painted cover art by the legendary Robert McGinnis, the artist behind the posters for the original Sean Connery James Bond movies and “Breakfast At Tiffany’s,” and by Glen Orbik, the painter of more than a dozen of Hard Case Crime’s most popular covers, including the cover for The Colorado Kid.

Since its debut in 2004, Hard Case Crime has been the subject of enthusiastic coverage by a wide range of publications including The New York Times, USA Today, Time, Playboy, U.S. News & World Report, BusinessWeek, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Sun-Times, The Houston Chronicle, New York magazine, the New York Post and Daily News, Salon, Reader’s Digest, Parade and USA Weekend, as well as numerous other magazines, newspapers, and online media outlets. The Chicago Sun-Times wrote, “Hard Case Crime is doing a wonderful job publishing both classic and contemporary ‘pulp’ novels in a crisp new format with beautiful, period-style covers. These modern ‘penny dreadfuls’ are worth every dime.” Playboy praised Hard Case Crime’s “lost masterpieces,” writing “They put to shame the work of modern mystery writers whose plots rely on cell phones and terrorists.” And the Philadelphia City Paper wrote, “Tired of overblown, doorstop-sized thrillers…? You’ve come to the right place. Hard Case novels are as spare and as honest as a sock in the jaw.”

Other upcoming Hard Case Crime titles include The Cocktail Waitress, a never-before-published novel by James M. Cain, author of The Postman Always Rings Twice, Mildred Pierce, and Double Indemnity, and an epic first novel called The Twenty-Year Death by Ariel S. Winter that has won advance raves from authors such as Peter Straub, James Frey, Alice Sebold, John Banville, David Morrell and Stephen King.

For information about these and other forthcoming titles, visit www.HardCaseCrime.com.

About Hard Case Crime

Founded in 2004 by award-winning novelists Charles Ardai and Max Phillips, Hard Case Crime has been nominated for or won numerous honors since its inception including the Edgar, the Shamus, the Anthony, the Barry, and the Spinetingler Award. The series’ books have been adapted for television and film, with two features currently in development at Universal Pictures and the TV series “Haven” going into its third season this fall on SyFy. Hard Case Crime is published through a collaboration between Winterfall LLC and Titan Publishing Group.

About Titan Publishing Group

Titan Publishing Group is an independently owned publishing company, established in 1981, comprising three divisions: Titan Books, Titan Magazines/Comics and Titan Merchandise. Titan Books, recently nominated as Independent Publisher of the Year 2011, has a rapidly growing fiction list encompassing original fiction and reissues, primarily in the areas of science fiction, fantasy, horror, steampunk and crime. Recent crime and thriller acquisitions include Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins’ all-new Mike Hammer novels, the Matt Helm series by Donald Hamilton and the entire backlist of the Queen of Spy Writers, Helen MacInnes. Titan Books also has an extensive line of media and pop culture-related non-fiction, graphic novels, art and music books. The company is based at offices in London, but operates worldwide, with sales and distribution in the US and Canada being handled by Random House. www.titanbooks.com

Tuesday Night Music: Nancy Sinatra

Spoilers

Stanley Fish wrote a piece that spoke favorably of THE HUNGER GAMES but it also contained spoilers.

When this was brought to his attention, he defended it by saying only genre needs a surprise at the end to hold the reader's interest. This debate has been raging over at Mulholland Books this week and was picked up by THE GUARDIAN.

I think any book can be spoiled by giving too much away. Not just so-called genre books. If I read history, I expect (sometimes) to know how it turns out. But with fiction, there might be a certain inevitability inherent in the story but that should only go so far. The more I know about how a book ends, the less pleasurable it is. I want the author, not the reviewer, to tell the story. What do you think?

Forgotten Movies: Rachel, Rachel

Margaret Laurence is one of my favorite Canadian writers and this movie comes from her book, A Jest of God. This was the first movie Paul Newman directed and he chose his wife to play the lead. This was expert casting because Woodward excelled at playing characters like this one.

Rachel is a single woman in her thirties, an "old maid." Her siblings have grown and moved away from Manawaka, the small town in Canada where the book takes place. Rachel is the unwilling caretaker for her mother, who is frail and needy.

Rachel is needy, too. She would like to find love, a husband of her own, and children, but she does not know how to escape the ties that bind her to the small town and her unrewarding life. Margaret Laurence and Paul Newman in turn lets us feel her frustration and longing.

Unexpectedly, Rachel is faced with a challenge, and with it a chance for growth and fulfillment. It is interesting to find out how Rachel meets this challenge. The movie was made in 1968 and I remember it well.

If I were to make a list of forgotten actresses, Woodward would be near the top.

For more forgotten movies, please visit Todd Mason.

pattern play

Top: Elizabeth & James; Pants: Zara (similar style here); Shoes: Zara; Bag: Asos; Sunglasses: Karen Walker; Jewelry: Michael Kors watch, Lauren Elan "Carter" bracelet c/o

Monday Movie Music: Elmer Bernstein

My absolute favorite movie theme music.

snapshots

Just wanted to pop in for a quick hello from the weekend and let you know that I'll be participating in IFB's digital summer road trip, which officially kicks off today! You can follow me and the other lovely ladies all right here, as each day a new blogger shares Instagram shots from her city -- a day in the life if you will -- starting on the west coast, ending on the east! Yours truly is up on June 2nd -- but as always,  you can follow along with me on Instagram at krystal_bick.

And before I forget -- Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day. And a great poem to remind you of why we will always have memorial days.

http://www.fictionaut.com/stories/barry-basden/rays-people-have-always-been-soldiers

Sunday Night Poetry: John Keats

Cold Rifts, Sandra Seamans

Sandra Seamans' collection (Snubnose Press) is free on Amazon today. Hurry over and get a collection of the best and most versatile stories out there. Been waiting for this ebook for a long time. She is one of my favorite writers.

Sandra has been writing stories for online sites such as BEAT TO A PULP, THUGLIT, THRILLING DETECTIVE, FIRE ON THE PLAINS, A TWIST OF NOIR, THRILLERS, KILLERS AND CHILLERS, SHOTGUN HONEY and other sites. Her stories are memorable because of the risks she takes in introducing elements of science fiction, speculative fiction, western fiction and mash-ups.

The Big 4-0!

Yes, people, I turn 40 glorious years old today. I could not be more excited and ready for it. This is going to be the year it all happens for me.

I have been blessed beyond measure, put through the ringer quite a few times and come out of it stronger for it.

I'd change nothing of these past 39 years, they have made who I am today and I treasure each and every one of them.

So, here's to a pretty damn great decade coming my way!

Thank you all for being around for some part of it. I'm off to celebrate my day in a big way.

Toodles, lovelies.

Dropped Names

This was one of the dozen books I have read in the last week and probably the cheesiest despite its good reviews. If you have nothing more to offer about your stage and screen career than anecdotes, (few pithy or funny), about the famous people you have met, maybe you don't need to write a book. Not so much a kiss and tell, as a had luncheon and tell.

And seriously, the names of his films went by my eyes like a list of the most mediocre films in the last half century. I am sure he was more a stage actor but still...wow.

I am also sure I would despise this man in real life (as well as reel life). Very few actors do themselves a favor by penning a memoir. Langella's major intention seems to be to paint himself a desirable bed or luncheon (not lunch) partner. The acting thing was just a ruse to get people into his bedroom (or into their dining room).

Who was it that said that no actor's IQ would ever require triple digits?

Ready for the question? What celebrity autobiography was worth reading?

Good Times

I was in the midst of sorting out old work when I found this old photo my friend Greg took of me. This was when I was still at art school, making all these crazy wacky sculptures. Such good times. I can't believe it's been 2 years already. Time flies! And yup, 2 years on, I still am obsessed with food! Hah!

Saturday Night Music: Lady Gaga

The Summing Up, Friday, May 25, 2012

Courtesy of Todd who took pity on me.


Patti Abbott, Montana, 1948, Larry Watson
Sergio Angelini, Blood on the Mink, Robert Silverberg
Joe Barone, Sins of the Father, Lawrence Block
Brian Busby, Thinking the Unthinkable: Armageddon, John Wesley White
Bill Crider, Best of Damon Runyon, ed. E.C. Bentley
Scott Cupp, Star Well, Alexei Panshin
Martin Edwards, The Grindle Nightmare, Quentin Patrick
Curt Evans, Todmanhawe Grange, J. S. Fletcher and Torquemada
Elisabeth Grace Foley, Skyrider, B.M. Bower
Ed Gorman, 1001 Midnights, edited by Bill Pronzini and Marcia Muller
Jerry House, The Woman Suffrage Cookbook (second edition), edited by Mrs. Hattie A. Burr
Randy Johnson, One Endless Hour, Dan J. Marlowe
Nick Jones, Undertow, Desmond Cory
George Kelley, The Devil Wears Wings, Harry Whittington
Margot Kinberg, Never Apologise, Never Explain, James Craig
Kate Laity. The Fall: Lyrics by Mark E. Smith; A Hard Road to Nowhere: The Blitzkrieg Bop Story, John Hodgson
B.V. Lawson, Murder in the Borough Library, John Austwick
Evan Lewis, Flash Casey, George Harmon Coxe
Steve Lewis/Allen J. Hubin, In the Lake of the Moon, David L. Lindsey
Todd Mason, Lucky Bruce, Bruce Jay Friedman http://socialistjazz.blogspot.com/2012/05/ffb-lucky-bruce-by-bruce-jay-friedman.html
J.F. Norris, Mr. Diabolo, Anthony LeJeune
David Rachels, Hell Can Wait, Harry Whittington
James Reasoner, Riders of the Shadowlands, H.A. DeRosso
Karyn Reeves: The Poisoned Chocolates Case, Anthony Berkeley
http://apenguinaweek.blogspot.com/2012/05/penguin-no-58-poisoned-chocolates-case.html
Richard Robinson, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, Agatha Christie
Gerard Saylor, Run, Boy, Run, Uri Orlev (translated by Hillel Halkin)
Ron Scheer, The Story of the Foss River Ranch, Ridgwell Cullum
Bill Selnes, The Constant Gardner, John Le Carre
Michael Slind, The Doorbell Rang, Rex Stout
Kerrie Smith, Kindergarten, Peter Rushforth
Kevin Tipple, Tonight, I Said Goodbye, Michael Koryta
"TomCat," Good Night, Sheriff, Harrison R. Steeves
Prashant Trikannad, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, "How Superman Would End the War" (Look magazine, 27 February 1940); We All Died at Breakaway Station, Richard C. Meredith

--Todd Mason

style challenge: swept up

Top: Kimberly Ovitz; Pants: Zara; Shoes: c/o Pour La Victoire; Bag: Lodis; Sunglasses: Karen Walker; Head scarf: Thrifted; Jewelry: Michael Kors watch

I took a little cue from the sartorial goodness that was Australian Fashion Week and made my best attempt at new found style crush Yasmin Sewell's look here. Aside from missing the beautifully paint splattered pants (sigh), I think I rather liked the end results (and even donned a little head scarf action, which I haven't done in forever!).

And if you're in the mood for more turban action -- head on over to these lovely ladies' blogs to see how they styled theirs up: Meghan of Voila!, Amanda of Fashionablee Me, Rebecca of Thirty-Five Inch Inseam, Adiel of It's Because I Think Too Much and Kellen of And So It Goes.

Hope you all have a wonderful three-day weekend!

Friday's Forgotten Books, May 25, 2012

Next Week: Margaret Millar Week

Ed Gorman is the author of the Dev Conrad series and the Sam McCain books. You can find him here.

For what to me are obvious reasons I've never been a particular fan of the famous Jacques Barzun mystery list. I find his writing pedantic and his selection of books sometimes questionable. I'm sorry--it's just the reaction I've always had to it. I'll take H.R.F. Keating's 100 Mystery novels any day.

So I've had to look elsewhere for lists to help rubes like me find treasures I'd never come across otherwise. My favorite book is 1001 Midnights edited by Bill Pronzini and Marcia Muller. I've read at least forty of the novels recommended in this massive compendium. And sometimes for pleasure I just pick it up to read it.

Every genre is covered here. So are writers great and small. And who are some of the reviewers recommending books? How about Max Collins, Crider, George Kelly, John Lutz, Barry Malzberg, Robert Randisi, Art Scott and Julie Smith? Among many, many others including the Mulzinis themselves. (I have two reviews in here myself.) You can share the pleasure they have in touting overlooked books. And in a few cases downgrading a book that was so fashionable a few decades back.

God I love this book and you will too.

Patti Abbott: Montana, 1948, Larry Watson

Montana 1948, Larry Watson. I’d be hard pressed to think of a short novel that captured so vividly a summer in the life of a twelve year old boy. David’s father is a small town sheriff who lives under the shadow of the father that once held his office and the brother who came home a war hero. When the housekeeper, a Sioux woman, becomes ill, that brother, now the town doctor is called on for help despite protestations from the ill woman. Is it native lore that makes her fearful? What happens next splinters both the family and the town. This is a gem: lucid and long-lasting.

SergioAngelini, Blood on the Mink, Robert Silverberg
Joe Barone, Sins of the Father, Lawrence Block
Brian Busby, Thinking the Unthinkable: Armageddon, John Wesley White
Bill Crider, Best of Damon Runyon, ed. E.C. Bentley
Scott Cupp, Star Well, Alexi Panshin
Martin Edwards, The Grindle Nightmare, Quentin Patrick
Curt Evans, Todmanhawe Grange, J. S. Fletcher and Torquemada
Elisabeth Grace Foley, Skyrider, B.M. Bower
Jerry House, The Woman Suffrage Cookbook (second edition), edited by Mrs. Hattie A. Burr
Randy Johnson, One Endless Hour, Dan J. Marlowe
Nick Jones, Undertow, Desmond Cory
George Kelley, THE DEVIL WEARS WINGS By Harry Whittington
Margot Kinberg, Never Apologise, Never Explain, James Craig
Kate Laity. The Fall: Lyrics by Mark E. Smith; John Hodgson's A Hard Road to Nowhere: The Blitzkrieg Bop Story
B.V. Lawson, Murder in the Borough Library, John Austwick
Evan Lewis, Flash Casey, George Harmon Coxe
Steve Lewis/Allen J. Hubin
Todd Mason
J.F. Norris
David Rachels
James Reasoner
Richard Robinson
Gerard Saylor
Ron Scheer
Bill Selnes
Michael Slind
Kerrie Smith
Kevin Tipple
TomCat
Prashant Trikannad
WutheringWillow

30% Off All Art Prints!

Hello all! I'm offering a 30% sale on all art prints from my shop. Only till this Sunday. Enter HOORAY upon checkout to redeem. Thank you! Visit www.handmadelove.bigcartel.com to shop! Have a nice weekend ahead. XO, Dawn

currently craving: sunlight stripe pants

10 Crosby by Derek Lam "Sunlight Stripe" pants, on sale at Barneys for $229

With vacation on the brain, I know I should be looking for more sundresses and breezy shorts -- but I can't seem to stop coming back to this sunny pair of wide leg trousers by 10 Crosby. I just love the horizontal stripe action going on here and could see them fitting in nicely with silky tanks and collared blouses alike (topped off with a straw panama hat!). Plus, I'm on a yellow and white binge right now -- my new favorite summer color combination. 

A few more photos from my little tie-dye project. Unfortunately, the colours faded a little bit. It's now more of a faded, light purple, lavender scarf. Oh well. It's alright! I like it the way it is now anyway. I'm in the midst of looking for Indigo powder. I want to try my hand at the shibori method of dyeing fabrics! Just look at this here. Makes me feel all dreamy. Not sure where to get indigo dyes from though. Any advice, anyone?

black/white

Blazer: Elizabeth & James; Tank top: Urban Outfitters; Pants: Club Monaco (similar style here); Shoes: Christian Louboutin; Bag: 3.1 Phillip Lim; Sunglasses: Karen Walker; Jewelry: Michael Kors watch

You may recall this feathered number from a recent Currently Craving post -- and now I can gladly say it's been added it to the Just Caved list. I've always had a soft spot for crisp white blazers -- but one with a feathered trim? It had me at "hello!" Plus, if that wasn't enough to truly convince me, Anh's all white outfit with this particular blazer is nothing short of amazing and relieved any remaining doubts I had.

Tuesday Night Music: Minne Ripperton

THE MORE THE MERRIER

This is surely one of the most delightful movies to come out during the war years-and it actually makes good use of it.

Jean Arthur, in an act of patriotism, decides to rent her extra bedroom out to help with the shortage of housing in D.C.

Charles Coburn (in a terrific performance) finagles his way into the room. He immediately decides she needs a husband and Joel McCrea comes down the street minutes later and is drafted (unknowingly) to perform this function.

Much of the funniest moments are Coburn's as he attempts to follow the rigid schedule Arthur has handed him. But the chemistry between McCrea and Arthur fuels it too.

on the grid

Top: Zara; Skirt: Topshop (similar style here); Shoes: Zara; Sunglasses: Ray-Ban; Jewelry: Michael Kors watch, Maya Brenner "K" necklace c/o, Gorjana "Super Star" necklace c/o 

Evening Tie-dye Session

I have been itching to do some dyeing for a while now. And all this happened an hour ago. I finally went down to Lindcraft and bought supplies. I am dreaming of making more! Especially some silky crepe ones. Some darker blue, fushia and indigo scarves. What do you think? I think it'll be fun!

Movie Theme: Chinatown

Monday Purchases at Library Book Sale-$5.00