Monthly Archives: December 2015

The Big Knockover by Dashiell Hammett

In 1962 Lillian Hellman compiled a collection of Dashiell Hammett’s short stories and published them as The Big Knockover. In 1965 she wrote an introduction for the later edition of this collection. The bulk of the stories represented here are … Continue reading

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The Books We Got For Christmas, 2015

After a bit of a dry year last year, we were back to our usual bibliophilic bounty this Christmas. Here’s a photo of the books we got (because except for the calendar, all we got each other were books. That … Continue reading

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Elegant, Short-Winged Death

Sharon and I got home from Fort Bragg, CA on Sunday, December 6. We’d unloaded our stuff and were wandering around the house when Spouse said, “There’s a hawk in the backyard.” A hawk had perched on the tall post … Continue reading

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The Great Curate Debate

I’m unleashing the inner curmudgeon today. My topic: curating. Last week as my writing friend Sue and I were driving back from Benicia I talked about the column I write for Fantasy Literature, World Wide Wednesday. It is an internet … Continue reading

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There May Have Been Squeeing

A week and a half ago, I sent out a story. Daily Science Fiction rejects work very quickly, so I figured I’d know in a day or two, no longer, that they didn’t want it. I was already figuring out … Continue reading

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This is Not the I You Are Looking For

I read Ursula LeGuin’s revision of her excellent craft book, Steering the Craft. In it, LeGuin says that first person (“I”) is the easiest voice to write in. I—what? Are you kidding me? It may seem natural to write in, … Continue reading

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One Thing About Earl; Part Two

(This is original fiction. You are welcome to link to it. If you quote it or cite it, give me credit. Marion) (Here’s Part One.) Hoang looks up for the cooktop where strips of meat sizzle. “Ru–” he says and … Continue reading

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One Thing About Earl; Part One

(This is original fiction. You are welcome to link to it. If you quote it or cite it, give me credit. Marion) I got the idea for this story at the Mendocino Coast Writers Conference, the year I took a … Continue reading

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