Kobe Erupts

AP: Kobe Bryant seeks trade from L.A. Lakers

By JOHN NADEL, AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES - Kobe Bryant asked to be traded from the Lakers on Wednesday, a day after calling the team's front office "a mess." He said there was nothing the Lakers could do to change his mind.

Full article

I haven't been a fan of the Lakers since Shaq and Kobe arrived. Maybe now I can watch them again.

But wait, a few hours later, Kobe retracts!

House: "Human Error"

In a nutshell: Foreman quits. House fires Chase on a whim. Cameron quits.

Though he was visibly struck by two out of three developments, House seemed content in the end. I'd like to think he's looking at the silver lining: Now that he's pushed his staff away, he can't hurt them anymore.

Am I giving House too much credit?

All of this sets up one heck of a writers' challenge for next season.

Memorial Day

This year it looks like I'll get to spend Memorial Day as I prefer, quietly.

Shred of Evidence Returns

Recovered from real-life concerns, Megan Powell's excellent e-zine has returned in the form of a bi-weekly blog. Excelsior!

Rappin' 'bout Jeremiah Healy

Celebrating its first year as a blog, The Rap Sheet asked authors and fans, What one crime, mystery, or thriller novel do you think has been most unjustly overlooked, criminally forgotten, or underappreciated over the years?

I was too busy to answer in time, but my answer is Spiral by Jeremiah Healy. I've always felt his John Francis Cuddy series was under-appreciated next to Spenser and Kenzie and Gennaro, as The Rap Sheet's J. Kingston Pierce mentioned in an interview with Healy back when Spiral was released.

While many fictional PIs have increasingly longer, drawn-out relationships, Healy had the the courage to kill off Cuddy's significant other and see how this would affect him. And while Healy planned to write more Cuddy at the time, Spiral is also a fitting end to a series that never rested on its laurels.

I posted a tribute to Healy on his birthday two years ago. Elizabeth Zelvin of Poe's Deadly Daughters posted a new interview with him today.

More six-word success

Thanks again to S.J. Rozan.

JESSE STONE: SEA CHANGE

After NCIS I watched Tom Selleck's fourth Jesse Stone TV movie, Sea Change. I can't compare it to the book because I haven't yet bought the more expensive ($9.99) taller, thinner paperback and I don't live near a library.

As usual, Jesse is bemoaning his ex-wife's life without him, teetering on the edge of a bottle. Just to have something to do, he reopens the case of a woman fifteen years dead. Threatening to distract him are a young woman's allegation she was raped aboard a yacht visiting Paradise, and threats on his life from the brother of a low-level gangster Jesse set up to be killed. Add to this the drama of Suitcase Simpson's recovery from a coma, and Chief Stone's plate is full. Why do I suspect the book was somewhat less full?

Let's face it. Parker's recent work is more character study than real mystery or action thriller, and Selleck has made the character his own. All the movies have had different writers, but each one has nailed Jesse's tone (wink, wink)--trademark Parker.

NCIS: "Angel of Death"

Director Shepard's personal search for her presumed-dead father continued with Gibbs's team being interrogated by Homeland Security (under orders from CIA). Meanwhile, Jeanne and Tony are trapped at the hospital by an irate drug dealer looking to forcibly remove a stash of heroin from his injured mule's stomach.

With three plots, the episode, written by Don Bellisario, spread things a tad thin. I got the sense that Bellisario was trying to wrap things up a little too cleverly. While I enjoyed watching Tony play secret agent, many details this season were too covert for my taste. If I missed some obscure clue, I'd certainly miss its eventual payoff.

Not your usual cliffhanger, the biggest surprise was that Jeanne was The Frog's daughter. I suspected early that she might be a pawn in Shepard's machinations against The Frog. Later in the season, I thought she might just be comic relief. My final impressions are that Tony is as close to love as he's ever been, but at the same time he's working the op, using Jeanne to get close to Le Grenouille.

My only question: Why is Director Shepard trying to keep the whole thing a secret from Gibbs? She should know better than anyone that he'll eventually find out. Why not come clean and save NCIS from spinning its wheels investigating itself?

Could the truth be that terrible? I guess we'll find out.

I've Finally Heard: American Pie

I've been a fan of Don McLean since hearing part of "American Pie" on the second episode of Quantum Leap, wherein Sam meets the woman who may or may not leave him at the altar (played by Teri Hatcher).

I watched McLean's surprise appearance at Garth Brooks's 1997 Central Park concert.

I have a greatest hits album that includes a three-and-half minute cut of "American Pie", but last week I bought a 2003 re-release of the original American Pie album, featuring the full 9-minute song.

My only complaint is the cardboard CD holder that's supposed to resemble a record sleeve, making it difficult to remove and replace the CD.

Smallville: "Phantom"

As usual, a slam-bang season finale. From the screenshots released by The CW, I predicted that Martian Manhunter and Lionel Luthor would join forces with Clark. I also predicted that Chloe's Krypto-power would be to sacrifice herself to save a Lois who'd bled out.

I didn't predict that a car bomb would kill Lana, that Lex apparently wouldn't be behind it, or that the phantom would turn itself into a Bizarro clone of Clark.

Great stuff leading into the next and final season. I wonder if Lana's and Chloe's deaths will stick. You never know with Smallville.

From Russia with Dub

The individual DVD of From Russia with Love will be released May 22. It's Sean Connery's favorite Bond film, touted by some as the best of the franchise, but I've heard Daniela Bianchi's voice as Tatiana Romanova was dubbed by British actress Barbara Jefford. What's your opinion of the movie? Is the dubbing as noticeable as Jeff East/Christopher Reeve in Superman, or Hercules in New York?

Bones Season Two Finale

A fine wrap-up written by show developer Hart Hanson, with Brennan's father (played perfectly by Ryan O'Neal) popping up with the mistaken impression that it's Brennan's wedding, not Angela's. I like how the chemistry has continued to grow, all the characters respect and play off each other,

Personally I don't want to see Brennan and Booth get together until the series finale, with Brennan proposing "longterm fulfillment of intimacy needs." Until then, nurture the relationships, but don't string us along forever so we lose interest (X-Files, Walker Texas Ranger, JAG, Smallville...)

Characters should get together (or do anything else) when there is the greatest potential for drama, not a moment sooner or later.

WENN: Selleck Rules Out 'Magnum' Movie Cameo

Actor Tom Selleck has ruled out a cameo role in a planned big screen version of his 1980s TV hit Magnum P.I. - because he refuses to trivialize the show. Selleck is against compromising the memory of a television show he is proud to have starred in by appearing in a big-budget movie making fun of it. He says, "I tell you what worries me - because I love Magnum and we have loyal fans - is they take these TV show titles, and they buy them and they spend $100 million on special effects, and then they make fun of them and trivialize it. Then they try and get the actor who used to be in it to do some ridiculous cameo to prove to the audience that it's OK. And I will not do that."

I stand and applaud.

Following my AntiMuse

Enjoy my poems "Gotta Wonder" and "On Seeing an Old Classmate" in the May 2007 issue of AntiMuse. Thanks to editor Michael Haislip.

Mother's Day

Mom and I attended the first barbecue of the season at my cousin Alan's house. Alan's wife Lydia is expecting her first child in mid-July.

My Lunch:

1 hot dog
1 Italian sausage
1 spare rib
2 shrimp skewers
2 sweet potato skewers
1 slice of carrot cake
1 can of Coke
1 bottle of Poland Spring

My Dinner:

1 Italian sausage
1 spare rib
1 smaller slice of carrot cake
1 bottle of Poland Spring

After dinner, my cousin Matthew and I shot some hoops and watched Shrek on DVD. (Still gold.)

Neatness Costs

I don't mind the First Class Letter increase to 41¢ so much as the new 80¢ starting postage for 9x12 envelopes. Yes, the rate for additional ounces has decreased from 23 to 17 cents, so I could save money folding extra pages into a #10 envelope, but using a 9x12 meant I didn't have to fold the pages or the #10 SASE.

Contemporary Rhyme Spring 2007

The latest issue of Richard Geyer's zine is online, featuring my poem "Fourth Wall".

Notably Thrilling

storySouth has released its Notable Stories of 2006, including Thrilling Detective stories "The Last to Know" by Karl Koweski and "Like a Matter of Honour by Russel D. McLean. This list will be whittled to ten finalists, and the best story will be chosen by popular vote. Congratulations and good luck, everyone.

Gerald So's Desk

...is my new blog organizing my publication credits. It's much neater than my actual desk.

Hardboiled and Noir Poetics

Anthony Rainone has an article tracing the links between hardboiled and noir fiction and poetry in the latest issue of Mystery Scene. I was privileged to be one of the poets profiled.

For me, poetry taps that store of experience and ideas not adequately expressed in prose. A block writing fiction is often my signal to write poetry and vice versa.

Cop Talk

...is my latest story, published in Bryon Quertermous's new Flash Pan Alley.

Don Bellisario Leaving NCIS

Jeremy Lynch blogs the story, citing The Hollywood Reporter and TVGuide.com's reports of Mark Harmon's dissatisfaction with Bellisario's management style. Head writer Shane Brennan and co-executive producer Chas. Floyd Johnson will take over showrunning duties.

I commented:

Bellisario commented on his micro-managing tendency on the NCIS Season One DVD. He said he'd overseen JAG for some time longer than expected, and was unsure about doing the same on NCIS, but Harmon was originally very eager to work with him, so he made the commitment.

Work environment aside, it's common for creators to leave established shows. I don't expect this to impact the quality much. Then again, those late script changes may have been improvements.

TVGuide.com asks if NCIS could survive without Harmon's character Leroy Jethro Gibbs. IMO, it could go for a while like X-Files, but the show is such that every character's role has impact and it wouldn't be the same show without Gibbs.

It sounds as if Bellisario is stepping away to increase the likelihood Harmon stays. Perhaps he doesn't want to risk an NCIS without Gibbs.

Kim Clijsters Retires

The Belgian former No. 1 tennis player, regarded as one of the nicest on tour, announces her immediate retirement.

Stop Unfair Postal Hikes

From Kate Stine and Brian Skupin of Mystery Scene:

Hi everyone,

We are asking all of Mystery Scene's friends and readers to help us.

There's a HUGE postal hike in the works which unfairly targets small magazines to the considerable advantage of larger ones. It's going to put a number of magazines out of business and cause considerable hardships for many others.

There's a petition at this URL which explains the issue:

http://action.freepress.net//campaign/postal

Please take a look. If you sign the petition, an email will automatically go to your representatives in Washington and the postal commission.

We would really appreciate the help!


Kate Stine & Brian Skupin

Without action against them, the new rates will take effect July 15, 2007. More detail from The Boston Globe.

Zygote in Print

Received my copy of Zygote in My Coffee #3, featuring my poem "Paradise" on page 11. Thanks again to Zygote editor Brian Fugett.

Hit the road, Mavs.

Further proving the NBA regular season means nothing, the eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors completed a first-round playoff upset of the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks. Let the finger-pointing begin.

Shark Season Finale

Stark has a rematch with Wayne Callison (Billy Campbell), the serial killer who earlier in the season got off on a technicality by driving the prosecution's star witness to hang herself. This time around, Callison seems to have committed another murder just as he's published a book on how he beat Stark in court.

Though his staff finds the timing odd, Sebastian insists that Callison is a creature of habit, with a need to kill. When his seeming vendetta against Callison gets him dismissed from the case, Stark goes to recently-ousted D.A. Jessica Devlin (Jeri Ryan) for an assist.

The surface drama is high, but it's nothing compared to the final reveal that Stark had been orchestrating Callison's downfall since his improbable acquittal—putting the players in place, keeping his staff in the dark, leaving no trail of evidence. And just after we get a glimpse of his old ruthless ways, we get a moving scene between father and daughter in which Stark is completely vulnerable letting Julie go to New York for a summer study program.

It's been rumored that Jeri Ryan is leaving the show, but the finale hinted that her character might team up with Stark. I hope this happens as she deserves more screen time.

Smallville: "Noir"

Jimmy Olsen gets conked on the head while trying to deduce who shot Lana and dreams up a 1940 version of Metropolis where Lex is involved with lounge singer Lois and Clark is a cop undercover as a mousy reporter.

Linked to the larger arc of Lex creating a super soldier, this episode doesn't stand too well on its own. That said, I am excited to see how the season ends as always.

Pet peeve: The episode begins with Jimmy and Chloe on a date watching The Big Sleep, but in the end Chloe refers to Sam Spade. Was it too much trouble to make this a Marlowe reference and keep the continuity?

Thrilling Review

Russel D. McLean blogs that his Thrilling Detective story, "Like a Matter of Honour," was reviewed by Don Schneider. Congrats, Russel, and thank you, Don.

Not Our Year

Wouldn'cha know, the year Alex Rodriguez gets out of his funk almost all the Yankee starting pitchers get banged up. As of last night that includes future-of-the-franchise Phil Hughes, who left in the seventh inning of a no-hitter with a hamstring injury that will sideline him 4-6 weeks.

2007 Gumshoe Awards

Mystery Ink Online's David J. Montgomery announces this year's Gumshoe Awards. I was privileged to write the tribute to this year's Lifetime Achievement honoree Robert B. Parker:

Not until the summer of my first year in college did I realize how much reading it would take to be a writer. I picked up The Godwulf Manuscript because I recalled TV's Spenser: For Hire was "based on characters created by Robert B. Parker". I was most interested in reading about Hawk, the amoral enforcer vividly portrayed by Avery Brooks, but by the end of the novel I didn't mind that he hadn't appeared at all. By the end of that summer, I had read the first eighteen Spenser books at the pace of three-a-week.

Parker showed me that a single character could be a thinker, a fighter, a lover, a gourmet cook, and seem no less real. He showed me that the same few words could convey humor, suspense, and literary significance.

Born September 17, 1932 and raised in Massachusetts, Robert Brown Parker attended Colby College in Waterville, Maine where he began dating his future wife Joan Hall. Parker served with the U.S. Army in Korea from 1954–56 and worked in tech writing and advertising before completing his Ph.D. in 1970. His dissertation traced the classic hero from the Western frontier to the urban landscapes of Hammett, Chandler, and Macdonald.

Spenser debuted in 1973 as a tribute to Chandler's Philip Marlowe, but unlike the solitary, brooding Marlowe, Spenser is basically content, with a circle of friends that widens as the series goes on. While these friends (most notably Dr. Susan Silverman and Hawk) keep Spenser grounded, they also increase the relevance of Parker's work. He can tell a tight hardboiled tale and do a little social commentary on the side.

In the late 1980s, at the height of Spenser's popularity, Parker was hired by the Chandler estate to complete the last Marlowe novel, which would be published as Poodle Springs, and to write a sequel to write a second novel, Perchance to Dream, a sequel to The Big Sleep. Within the past decade, Parker has introduced series protagonists police chief Jesse Stone (Night Passage) and female P.I. Sunny Randall (Family Honor). He has also written a handful of Westerns, screenplays, and out this month, the teen novel Edenville Owls.

Parker makes no secret that his surge in productivity was motivated by money. Some criticize his businesslike attitude, but the same attitude established him as a reliable favorite, and there's no denying his particular gifts—thoughtful characters, efficient prose, and appealing voice—remain intact.