"Is this a dagger which I see before me..."

I'm market-testing new Poetic Justice Press logo merchandise. I intend the logo not to trivialize violence but to show our poems—fifty lines or fewer—get to the heart of things. I welcome your comments.

If you like the image, it's available on a white Value t-shirt for $9.99, a women's white tank top for $15.99, and a women's white v-neck for $16.99. And today through Thursday, February 3, orders $40 or more ship free with the coupon code CUPID.

Readiness is all.

On her blog today, Patti Abbott admitted some embarrassment after an author responded to her critical comments about a book. She asked, "[W]here does good manners meet open discussion[?] Are you hesitant to say[, ']I didn't like the ending of a book[']? Do we need to monitor every word?"

I commented:

I've posted many critical comments on discussion lists. By critical, I don't mean necessarily negative, but probing. I'm not interested in casual yeas or nays without supporting arguments.

Knowing that my comments will be read, I do my best to explain why I liked or disliked something. If my opinion is based on a plausible read of the text, the author can't very well refute it. S/he can only say s/he didn't like my comments. His/her dislike doesn't cause me to be embarrassed of my well-considered comments.

The Brady Files

That's Jack Brady, ex-Navy SEAL and Texas border patrolman-turned-tough guy P.I. Created by Robert W. Tinsley, Brady made a name for himself online, and now Tinsley has collected all eighteen Brady stories in an eBook available from Amazon.

As a Spenser fan and reader of SEAL history, I enjoyed many of these stories when they first appeared, and edited two of them for Thrilling Detective. Much the same as I feel about Spenser, I wish Bob Tinsley had written steadily all these years, but as he writes in the introduction, his output has been subject to "real life getting in the way, and, quite frankly, sloth."

On the bright side, because the Brady stories appear sporadically, they're not cookie-cutter efforts. Timing and other factors had to align for Bob to write each one, and the many zines that have published Brady stories prove the character's versatility and appeal.

To the Mat

My poems "Four Weeks Before The Wedding", "I Should Be", and "Utterance" have been accepted to next month's inaugural issue of Mat Black Online Magazine. My thanks to editors Sam Campbell and Chloe Zola.

A Look Back at Jackson Donne

Yesterday, Thrilling Detective alum Dave White and Needle Publishing announced an eBook collecting seven of Dave's Jackson Donne stories would hit virtual shelves next month.

I read drafts of five of the seven stories when they first appeared. It was a privilege to watch Dave's writing develop and to give it a nudge where I could. His post-9/11 story "Closure" may be his most acclaimed, but I prefer his work after that. Intent not to be pigeonholed by one story, he wanted subsequent stories to be even more challenging and memorable, and I believe he succeeded.

I last edited Dave six years ago, so I can reveal with some detachment my favorite Donne story: "God's Dice".

Word of Mouth

The new Poetic Justice Press site is now open to reader comments about The Lineup. Help us get people talking.

Kate and Alex

Alexandra Diddario

Last night's White Collar, "Forging Bonds", flashed back to Neal Caffrey's early days in New York, his meeting Mozzie, and their planning to con investor Vincent Adler (Andrew McCarthy). Kate Moreau (Alexandra Diddario), who would become the love of Neal's life, worked for Adler. Fellow grifter Alex Hunter (Gloria Votsis) was also trying to con Adler, only to be caught by Neal.

Gloria Votsis

Normally, this would be enough coincidence in one episode to make my head spin, but it was all pulled off smoothly. Personally, I prefer Alex to Kate. Alex seems to like Neal; Kate seems to know how hard Neal has fallen for her and has used it to manipulate him. Of course, flashing forward eight years, Kate has been killed in a plane explosion that would have killed Neal if he hadn't hesitated a few seconds. There's no competition left for Alex except Neal's haunting memories of Kate.

Farrah Forke

I'm into the story, I like the characters, but also I just like the names Kate and Alex. Kate Holden from my C.J. Stone stories, who acts more like Alex Hunter than Kate Moreau, was inspired by Farrah Forke's portrayal of former Army pilot Alex Lambert on Wings. I was also a fan of JAG's Kate Pike (Andrea Parker) and NCIS's Kate Todd (Sasha Alexander).

I haven't, and may never decide if Kate Holden is short for Catherine, Katherine, Kathleen, or Caitlin. I can tell you it's not just Kate.

Poetic Justice Press's New Home

Poetic Justice Press is the banner under which Patrick Shawn Bagley, Richie Narvaez, and Anthony Rainone began publishing The Lineup: Poems on Crime in 2008. We've been blogging about The Lineup all this time, but I wasn't satisfied updating the blog for our upcoming fourth issue until I turned it into a larger platform for Poetic Justice Press.

The change reflects that the blog isn't an online reprint of The Lineup. We thought to do The Lineup online in the beginning, but ultimately decided on print. It's our goal to keep the magazine affordable for ourselves and readers while keeping it in print. We are looking to duplicate the print Lineup in eBook format, but print comes first. I welcome anyone who'd like to help.

The End?

One year ago today, Robert B. Parker died at age 77 "just sitting at his desk". Not all fans will agree with me, but I don't think Spenser should die with him. Iconic P.I. Philip Marlowe outlived Raymond Chandler in the short story collection, Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe: A Centennial Celebration and in Parker's commissioned continuation novel Perchance to Dream. Despite persistent criticism that Parker merely and quite intentionally imitated Chandler in creating Spenser, Spenser's well-adjusted, well-rounded personality distinguishes him. And there's no denying how many subsequent characters Spenser influenced. Love him or hate him, for at least the past twenty-five years, Spenser has been the iconic P.I.

It's true Parker complained about his lack of real involvement in ABC's Spenser: For Hire, similarly denounced the follow-up Lifetime movies, and insisted on scripting the mediocre A&E Spenser movies starring Joe Mantegna. Perhaps acknowledging those movies' cool reception, Parker finally gave Tom Selleck control of the CBS Jesse Stone movies and gave Ed Harris control of Appaloosa. I don't think he would keep anyone from continuing Spenser's legacy.

Yesterday, the title of Jeffery Deaver's James Bond novel was announced (Carte Blanche), as was the news that Anthony Horowitz would be writing a Sherlock Holmes novel. I'd love to hear Parker's heirs give their blessing to more Spenser novels, perhaps written by someone who followed Parker as faithfully as Gores followed Hammett or Collins followed Spillane.

Even in New Bedlam

...is my latest poem to go live, in The New Bedlam Project, where all the works are set in the foreboding fictitious locale New Bedlam.

The poem was written and accepted last year but unfortunately takes on renewed relevance after last week's senseless shooting spree in Arizona.

My thanks to editorial staff Jodi Lee, Louise Bohmer, and Brandon Layng.

Crimespree #39

The Nov/Dec 2010 issue of Crimespree begins with an 11-page remembrance of Murder By The Book's David Thompson by several fans, authors, and editors. Due to the vicissitudes of layout, my name is at the bottom of the left column on page 9, but my words of tribute are at the top of the right column:

David was the first bookseller to believe in The Lineup: Poems on Crime, undoubtedly opening several more doors for us. The Lineup #4 (2011) will be dedicated to David's memory and include a poem by Ken Bruen recommended by David.

Crimespree #39 also includes my Blu-ray review of Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam.

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A Banner Day

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Confession Time

It's my turn to divulge a guilty pleasure at Crimespree Cinema.

Are you there, Blog? It's me, Gerald.

Seven years ago, on this anonymous January day, I decided I didn't have enough to do. Why not start a blog? And while blogging has led to much more freelance work, I feel it has helped me most on a personal level. I often write here to gear up for other writing. I write about what's preoccupying me, that might otherwise keep me from a day's work.

Despite the trendy advice, I keep my own counsel on what to blog and not to blog. If I've held your interest all this time, I must be doing something right.

Back In Line

After my post pondering The Lineup's future, it pays to remember I did not recruit others or get behind The Lineup myself to make money. I went into it aware of how much existing poetry could be seen in a fresh way with a crime theme. I believed the crime theme could excite new readers, show them the power of poetry the way I was shown reading the Romantic poets in college while simultaneously reading Robert B. Parker on my own.

My co-editors and I decided on annual issues to keep costs down while testing how much interest and material were out there. Each new issue builds our case that the crime angle is a powerful way to examine and deliver poetry—much the same way crime energizes fiction—and that a distributor should take a chance on The Lineup.

More than simply increasing sales, it's important to us that The Lineup reach those most interested and best equipped to keep its concept going.

The Bottom Line

Tyrus Books and Busted Flush Press announced yesterday that their planned merger had fallen through. BFP's David Thompson was one of the first supporters of The Lineup: Poems on Crime, and shortly before the merger was announced, we had piqued his interest in helping with the publication aspects of The Lineup. Soon after the announcement, David tragically died.

All of this is added context for the crossroads The Lineup faces going into its fifth year of publication. Despite being around this long, we can't help but feel our reach isn't what it could be. The four co-editors believe in The Lineup, but we need to hear from everyone else who does, too, particularly those able to help with publication and distribution.

I'm happy to discuss at g_so AT yahoo DOT com.

Looking Forward

On Wednesday, January 19, my friend and founding Lineup co-editor Anthony Rainone moderates the panel "Without Conscience: Why Sociopaths Make Such Interesting Characters" with panelists Katia Lief, Alice Loweecey, Jonathan Maberry, Wendi Corsi Staub, and Wallace Stroby. 6:30 p.m. on the 6th floor of the Mid-Manhattan Library.

On Tuesday, May 31, The Cornelia Street Cafe hosts The Lineup's third live reading, featuring Lineup 4 contributors Jeanne Dickey and Caitlin Elizabeth Thomson and editors Reed Farrel Coleman and Richie Narvaez.

New Year, Old Problem

I spent the first half of New Year's Day helping troubleshoot a heating problem that left our living room and kitchen cold the past week. I think it's finally licked, but I've said that before. Meanwhile, my family saved me a plate from lunch, and I was able to rejoin them for a dinner of Kentucky Fried (and Grilled) Chicken. Happy New Year.