We spent an evening in Hagerstown, Md, a place where I had taken a course right after 9/11. The town has a lot of charm, with its old southern houses and a soupcon of sleaze. There is a very nice park in town, where one can walk or laze. Big duck pond with carp, geese, ducks and a few swans. It was the only evening we adhered to our plan to walk for a half hour each evening.
We found the cutest German restaurant, with honest-to-God German food which one can't even find in NYC anymore. The Schmankerl Stube. Go there. We stayed at a microtel which wasn't at all bad. Very clean and modern, and the price was good. In the downtown area, there are mysterious signs that announce, "No cruising from 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m." We weren't sure what that meant. You figure it out.
Next day we drove along the Blue Ridge Parkway. When we came to Raven's Roost, by golly there were ravens flying around. The entire parkway seemed like a butterfly garden with scads of elegant creatures flitting about. Really nice. We came down out of the hills into Buena Vista, VA, and every front porch in town, no matter how small had chairs on it. Folks must like to sit a spell and visit, and that is a feature I really like. The gas station manager's name is Kitty Conner. Cool, huh?
We passed a house with "Zelda's Softball Lessons" on a sign in the front. Do you Zelda herself is out there instructing on the finer points of pitching and running.
In Georgia, lots of people were fat. Really fat. It's nice to feel slim by comparison. We ventured into Piggly Wiggly and noticed the bread department had lots of fried pies and "moon pies" and sugary looking stuff but no whole grains. Slab bacon, which I couldn't even find in Boston, was in evidence. The local cafe offered "wraps." How about a cheeseburger wrap? A bacon wrap? There was a whole shelf of sausage/biscuit offerings at the supermarket. Every kind of margarine you can imagine, but hardly any butter. But everywhere in the South the people are friendly and one has to remind oneself to slow down and be social. A good idea, yes?
Seen along the road in North Carolina: Topless! 24 hours. Trucker's Discount. Cafe Risque.
Before we caught the ferry to Cape May, we went into the terminal for a cup of coffee. Hard looking blond in line before us. She was empying 5 packert of sugar and 4 creams into one cup of coffee. Dessert for breakfast. Yuck!
Good to be home. Cats happy to see us. Garden looks lush after beaucoup rain.
More anon!
Grapeshot
Friday, June 30, 2006
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
North Georgia Family Reunion
I am off to a family reunion on a river in North Georgia. My great grandfather was an itinerant preacher who rode a mule through the hills around Ellijay. Who would have thunk it?
More anon, if ten days can be considered anon.
Grapeshot
More anon, if ten days can be considered anon.
Grapeshot
Make Mexican at Home
Here in New England, Mexican food is hard to come by, and what there is sometimes tastes, well, not as good as one would like. Hard to say exactly what is the matter, but a certain tired sameness pervades the dishes.
You can have delicious Mexican at home, economical and not very labor intensive. Here's how.
Buy a package of corn tortillas. Don't even think of flour, which are a Yankee abomination that needs to be weeded out like heresy.
Grapeshot's Tostadas : allow two torillas per person
One pound of ground beef, a large onion, a clove garlic, about 3/4 of a bell pepper. Chop vegetables. Soak a dried ancho or guajillo until soft. Stem, seed and chop , or use a fresh one if you can find and prepare the fresh pepper with the other veggies.
Have on hand: a can of refried beans
Chili powder, cummin, salt pepper, tabasco, abdobo seasoning. As much or as little as you like
Accompaniments: Put each item below in a small dish
Sour Cream
Grated Cheese
Chopped tomato
Shredded Lettuce
Chopped avacodo
Chopped Cilantro, optional
A good quality medium hot salsa
Brown the ground beef. Remove from pan and add chopped onion, green pepper and garlic to the skillet. Cook until soft. Add to ground beef. Add soaked pepper (if using) and seasonings. Add spices to your liking. Should be flavorful but not fiery. Keep mixture warm.
Heat beans in skillet and in another small skillet fry the torillas on both sides until crisp. (I do this in crisco or canola oil. You can also use lard if your arteries are clear. Four tortillas will serve two people. If you are cooking for two meals, use only 1/2 of the meat mixure and half the beans and cook the tortillas fresh for each meal. Otherwise, 8 tortillas and the entire meat/veg/bean components will serve 4.
Smear a generous helping of beans on each torilla. Top with a few spoons of meat mixure.
Take to the table on a tray and let the diners pile on their choose toppings. Can be eaten with hands or knife and fork. Yum
You can have delicious Mexican at home, economical and not very labor intensive. Here's how.
Buy a package of corn tortillas. Don't even think of flour, which are a Yankee abomination that needs to be weeded out like heresy.
Grapeshot's Tostadas : allow two torillas per person
One pound of ground beef, a large onion, a clove garlic, about 3/4 of a bell pepper. Chop vegetables. Soak a dried ancho or guajillo until soft. Stem, seed and chop , or use a fresh one if you can find and prepare the fresh pepper with the other veggies.
Have on hand: a can of refried beans
Chili powder, cummin, salt pepper, tabasco, abdobo seasoning. As much or as little as you like
Accompaniments: Put each item below in a small dish
Sour Cream
Grated Cheese
Chopped tomato
Shredded Lettuce
Chopped avacodo
Chopped Cilantro, optional
A good quality medium hot salsa
Brown the ground beef. Remove from pan and add chopped onion, green pepper and garlic to the skillet. Cook until soft. Add to ground beef. Add soaked pepper (if using) and seasonings. Add spices to your liking. Should be flavorful but not fiery. Keep mixture warm.
Heat beans in skillet and in another small skillet fry the torillas on both sides until crisp. (I do this in crisco or canola oil. You can also use lard if your arteries are clear. Four tortillas will serve two people. If you are cooking for two meals, use only 1/2 of the meat mixure and half the beans and cook the tortillas fresh for each meal. Otherwise, 8 tortillas and the entire meat/veg/bean components will serve 4.
Smear a generous helping of beans on each torilla. Top with a few spoons of meat mixure.
Take to the table on a tray and let the diners pile on their choose toppings. Can be eaten with hands or knife and fork. Yum
San Francisco Vignettes
Alas, we never made it downtown during our San Francisco visit, but often you learn more about the essence of a place in small neighborhoods.
The laundromat: For various reasons we won't elaborate upon, we did major laundry in a Vernal Heights neighborhood. Handsome Hispanic male carefully folding half a dozen pair of black jeans. Somehow, very macho, as in "I can take care of myself." Used to be, you stuck a couple quarters in a machine and likewise the dryer, and did the laundry. No more. A load of laundry cost $2.25, and the dryer probably took $1.00 or more to dry except for the sleeping bag which sucked up quarters like a slot.
Play date: three little six year olds. Two are twins who live high on a hill. Street is steep. "Look for the BMW SUV," we are told. Ring in and mom, an architect, comes down to let us in. Climb stairs of inner courtyard to living quarters. In the kitchen, which is open to the living room, a no-no in New England, a dozen baby artichokes in a strainer, a Wolf range, a pile of apricots spilling along the counter.
Later found out the kids had the artichokes for lunch, along with the apricots, tuna, bread and other assorted goodies. Sure beats PBJ. How cool is that? Then the girls ran thru the sprinkler in the tiny garden, just as we used to when Grapeshot was knee high to a grasshopper. Some things never change.
Reno: For once we didn't get hung up in traffic between the Bay Bridge and Reno. You cross the Sierras, the Donner Pass is over 7,000 feet. Lots of snow. Beautiful scenery in the long lovely dusk. Not too many trucks barrelling down the mountain (they sure as hell don't barrel up the mountain). Reno is odd. Lots of western faces that have seen a lot of living, much of it sad. Rains like hell and the wind howls. We drive to Gerlach and eat a picnic lunch at the Pyramid Lake sign without getting a permit. Have to have a permit even for bird watching. Drive on to Gerlach in the rain. Land is beautiful and green and the sage brush looks lovely and smells so refreshing and delightful you want to bottle the smell and take it home.
In Gerlach, at the end of the road, the sun comes out. We drive back to Reno and have a big steak dinner at the Hilton. I lose 15 cents in the slots, but find two pennies in the parking lot, so I am down 12 cents. Try to get rid of my quarters at the airport, but none of the machines take coins anymore. So suck it up, gaming commission. You didn't get my change.
Eat artichokes and apricots and live grandly.
Grapeshot
The laundromat: For various reasons we won't elaborate upon, we did major laundry in a Vernal Heights neighborhood. Handsome Hispanic male carefully folding half a dozen pair of black jeans. Somehow, very macho, as in "I can take care of myself." Used to be, you stuck a couple quarters in a machine and likewise the dryer, and did the laundry. No more. A load of laundry cost $2.25, and the dryer probably took $1.00 or more to dry except for the sleeping bag which sucked up quarters like a slot.
Play date: three little six year olds. Two are twins who live high on a hill. Street is steep. "Look for the BMW SUV," we are told. Ring in and mom, an architect, comes down to let us in. Climb stairs of inner courtyard to living quarters. In the kitchen, which is open to the living room, a no-no in New England, a dozen baby artichokes in a strainer, a Wolf range, a pile of apricots spilling along the counter.
Later found out the kids had the artichokes for lunch, along with the apricots, tuna, bread and other assorted goodies. Sure beats PBJ. How cool is that? Then the girls ran thru the sprinkler in the tiny garden, just as we used to when Grapeshot was knee high to a grasshopper. Some things never change.
Reno: For once we didn't get hung up in traffic between the Bay Bridge and Reno. You cross the Sierras, the Donner Pass is over 7,000 feet. Lots of snow. Beautiful scenery in the long lovely dusk. Not too many trucks barrelling down the mountain (they sure as hell don't barrel up the mountain). Reno is odd. Lots of western faces that have seen a lot of living, much of it sad. Rains like hell and the wind howls. We drive to Gerlach and eat a picnic lunch at the Pyramid Lake sign without getting a permit. Have to have a permit even for bird watching. Drive on to Gerlach in the rain. Land is beautiful and green and the sage brush looks lovely and smells so refreshing and delightful you want to bottle the smell and take it home.
In Gerlach, at the end of the road, the sun comes out. We drive back to Reno and have a big steak dinner at the Hilton. I lose 15 cents in the slots, but find two pennies in the parking lot, so I am down 12 cents. Try to get rid of my quarters at the airport, but none of the machines take coins anymore. So suck it up, gaming commission. You didn't get my change.
Eat artichokes and apricots and live grandly.
Grapeshot
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Turtle Crossing
Due to the heat and having slept late, we didn't take our daily walk until after 6:00 this evening. Eeek! We saw a turtle in the street that would surely be run over. While I guarded the reptile, Signficant Other ran for a tool to move the turtle. He returned with a child's snow shovel, which we scooped the turtle onto for transporation to a safer spot. Right away the turtle deposited a huge amount of urine on the shovel. Glad I wasn't hand carrying it. I put the creature behind the house toward the slough, which ought to be turtle heaven and we resumed the walk. The next thing we see is another turtle, not forty feet away, digging a hole in a public flower bed. Must be laying eggs. Way too close to the street for comfort.
On the walk, I decide to put up a little warning sign for traffic into the circle, something like "watch out for turtles". We will laminate it and put a downloaded photo on it, and hope everyone is careful. Yeah, sure. When we return. Turtle is gone and no eggs are in the hole. She must have gone further into the woods to find a better spot. Smart turtle. I go look for the rescued turtle and he is gone, hopefully toward the slough, water, food and comrades.
We heard an owl hooting in the slough neighborhood all afternoon. Freaked out the birds. Hummingbird came to the feeder but didn't eat. Is my cooking that bad?
We grilled steaks for Father's day, with corn on the cob, green beans and salad. Fresh peaches for dessert. Tasted good.
The turtle was identified as an Eastern Painted Turtle. The group that mows the lawn is oblivious to wildlife. They would mow down a moose if it got in the way. I reported the turtle sighting on the web. Grapeshot tries to be a good citizen.
Slow down. Turtle crossing.
On the walk, I decide to put up a little warning sign for traffic into the circle, something like "watch out for turtles". We will laminate it and put a downloaded photo on it, and hope everyone is careful. Yeah, sure. When we return. Turtle is gone and no eggs are in the hole. She must have gone further into the woods to find a better spot. Smart turtle. I go look for the rescued turtle and he is gone, hopefully toward the slough, water, food and comrades.
We heard an owl hooting in the slough neighborhood all afternoon. Freaked out the birds. Hummingbird came to the feeder but didn't eat. Is my cooking that bad?
We grilled steaks for Father's day, with corn on the cob, green beans and salad. Fresh peaches for dessert. Tasted good.
The turtle was identified as an Eastern Painted Turtle. The group that mows the lawn is oblivious to wildlife. They would mow down a moose if it got in the way. I reported the turtle sighting on the web. Grapeshot tries to be a good citizen.
Slow down. Turtle crossing.
Saturday, June 17, 2006
The Left Coast
Oakland Airport a mess of reconstruction. About 20 people in line at the car rental. Looked like an hour's wait. Finally, finally, two paunchy middle-aged men received their keys and departed. They had quibbled and argued and turned down umpteen cars. After those yahoos left, the line moved quickly. We got a Chrysler mini-van type thing. Plenty of room for 6 people and luggage, or 4 people and LOTS of luggage, which we were at various times.
The Seal Rock Inn on Point Lobo has many advantages: very reasonable spacious suites with indoor parking, a cafe that serves hearty breakfasts and lunches until 6:00. Quiet. Small pool. Nice garden, ping pong tables, fireplaces in some suites, all with fridge. Decent toiletries. Plenty of space. A tad funky.
You can walk down the hill to the Cliff House or the beach or various lookout points. Nasturtiums growing wild all over everything. Loved it. We could have seen the Golden Gate except the fog and chill air. Walgreens close by.
We had a couple meals at the Cliff House, which was remodeled and spiffed up. Jury is still out. But the cafe is in a big bright room with lots of glass overlooking the ocean. Great view. Decent food and drinks. Grapeshot was on a Vodka Gimlet kick. I recommend the pot stickers. Interesting people at the bar: four Italian guys drinking espresso and talking about the world cup, couples, cyclists, tourists, a good group.
I love the colorful houses in San Francisco, perched cheek by jowl along the hilly streets. Outdoor living is big. There is a jogging/bike path along the beach south of us, and beaucoup citizens were taking advantage. Surfers in the cold water. Unusual kites on high. I foolishly looked at the internet weather forecasts and had to wear my hooded sweatshirt and windbreaker all week. Reno was cold, too, with rain squalls. But that was another day.
Onward,
Grapeshot
The Seal Rock Inn on Point Lobo has many advantages: very reasonable spacious suites with indoor parking, a cafe that serves hearty breakfasts and lunches until 6:00. Quiet. Small pool. Nice garden, ping pong tables, fireplaces in some suites, all with fridge. Decent toiletries. Plenty of space. A tad funky.
You can walk down the hill to the Cliff House or the beach or various lookout points. Nasturtiums growing wild all over everything. Loved it. We could have seen the Golden Gate except the fog and chill air. Walgreens close by.
We had a couple meals at the Cliff House, which was remodeled and spiffed up. Jury is still out. But the cafe is in a big bright room with lots of glass overlooking the ocean. Great view. Decent food and drinks. Grapeshot was on a Vodka Gimlet kick. I recommend the pot stickers. Interesting people at the bar: four Italian guys drinking espresso and talking about the world cup, couples, cyclists, tourists, a good group.
I love the colorful houses in San Francisco, perched cheek by jowl along the hilly streets. Outdoor living is big. There is a jogging/bike path along the beach south of us, and beaucoup citizens were taking advantage. Surfers in the cold water. Unusual kites on high. I foolishly looked at the internet weather forecasts and had to wear my hooded sweatshirt and windbreaker all week. Reno was cold, too, with rain squalls. But that was another day.
Onward,
Grapeshot
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Sleepless at LAX
LAX at 2:00 a.m., 5:00 a.m. EDT. Greeted by upbeat country and western music. At the hotel, there is also music. O.K. muzak, but it's improved a lot over the years. I realize we are at the same hotel where we stayed 13 years ago after coming back from Hong Kong. So there is a kind of poetic justice about being sleep deprived in L.A. after a long flight from someplace.
There are lots of slim, pretty blonde women about. And Birds of Paradise as ground cover, an exotic sight to the New England eye.
I saw two characters from my current novel, Festival Madness, in the airport, Tia and Wayne. It was them. Always weird to see one's characters doing routine things at odd moments. They were getting boarding passes.
In the morning we flew on to Oakland, in a long arduous trek to get to San Francisco on the cheap. Time being money and all that.
Onward,
Grapeshot
There are lots of slim, pretty blonde women about. And Birds of Paradise as ground cover, an exotic sight to the New England eye.
I saw two characters from my current novel, Festival Madness, in the airport, Tia and Wayne. It was them. Always weird to see one's characters doing routine things at odd moments. They were getting boarding passes.
In the morning we flew on to Oakland, in a long arduous trek to get to San Francisco on the cheap. Time being money and all that.
Onward,
Grapeshot
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Travel Is . . .
Travel is broadening, crazy, stressful, your best day, your worst nightmare. As Goethe (I think) said, loosely translated: who takes a trip can tell a tale.
Back from San Francisco, Reno and Gerlach, Nevada via Philadelphia (stuck on tarmac for 5 count em, five hours), LA, Oakland, Frisco, Reno, Gerlach, Reno, Las Vegas, Baltimore, Providence and home sweet home. Cats overjoyed.
More anon.
Back from San Francisco, Reno and Gerlach, Nevada via Philadelphia (stuck on tarmac for 5 count em, five hours), LA, Oakland, Frisco, Reno, Gerlach, Reno, Las Vegas, Baltimore, Providence and home sweet home. Cats overjoyed.
More anon.
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Au Revoir
I'm off to the City By the Bay for a visit. Have you noticed that San Francisco is no longer referred to as "Bagdad on the Bay?" For good and sufficient reasons. And I have gone brain dead and can't spell "bagdad. Know there's a "h" in there someone. Visual memory gone.
I will return full of observations of travel, food, Frisco, Reno and whatever.
Late yesterday an agent emailed me wanting to see the whole MS of World of Mirrors. Big hacking run last night complete with printer problems to get it printed. I prevailed. My god, one always finds more typos. They multiply in Word at night. Bad typos!
Aloha,
Grapeshot
I will return full of observations of travel, food, Frisco, Reno and whatever.
Late yesterday an agent emailed me wanting to see the whole MS of World of Mirrors. Big hacking run last night complete with printer problems to get it printed. I prevailed. My god, one always finds more typos. They multiply in Word at night. Bad typos!
Aloha,
Grapeshot
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Blogger Ate My Blog
Yesterday I composed a post which blogspot ate! It wouldn’t even come back on the recover post thingy. Oh well!
I had flexed my technical wings by putting up a web site for a friend in a day and a half using some kludgey software that someone had recommended to her. We sat for hours banging square pegs into round holes. The template had to be vertical when we needed horizontal, that kind of thing.
I don’t know about you, but I never find the template I’m looking for anywhere, ever. This software (which shall be nameless) offered 40+ templates, and they all sucked. As a former programmer, I like to do everything myself. HTML? No problemo. It probably takes longer, but I am in control. Like in the kitchen: if I want to make baked beans from scratch, I buy and soak the beans and we’re off and running. Pound cake? Separate the eggs and beat the whites into peaks and fold them in.
Soon cooking, which everyone female used to be able to do, is going to be the province of just a few. I made a Mexican dip today. A layer of seasoned refried beans, a layer of seasoned mashed avocado, a layer of sour cream seasoned glop, a layer of cheese, and a nice presentation of tomato, scallion, olives and cilantro on top. Served with blue corn chips. Looked good, tasted good, and took a good amount of time, although no cooking was involved. Chopping, slicing, measuring, mixing, blending, mashing, all the culinary basics. Ten or so spices to be apportioned to the various layers. Onions to chop. The cilantro was my idea. We have a cilantro forest in the garden from last year’s seeds. The Cilantro Forest. Is that a good book title? Where the hell was cilantro 20 years ago when this recipe was published? I love cilantro.
So, doing things from scratch be they web sites or Mexican Dip is a good thing. Short cuts can be okay, too, if you are in survival mode.
Thisbe the fraidy cat came out and took a good long look at our house guest this weekend, and even sat down and relaxed in the living room when said guest was present. Cats and people surprise you.
Enough for now.
Grapeshot
I had flexed my technical wings by putting up a web site for a friend in a day and a half using some kludgey software that someone had recommended to her. We sat for hours banging square pegs into round holes. The template had to be vertical when we needed horizontal, that kind of thing.
I don’t know about you, but I never find the template I’m looking for anywhere, ever. This software (which shall be nameless) offered 40+ templates, and they all sucked. As a former programmer, I like to do everything myself. HTML? No problemo. It probably takes longer, but I am in control. Like in the kitchen: if I want to make baked beans from scratch, I buy and soak the beans and we’re off and running. Pound cake? Separate the eggs and beat the whites into peaks and fold them in.
Soon cooking, which everyone female used to be able to do, is going to be the province of just a few. I made a Mexican dip today. A layer of seasoned refried beans, a layer of seasoned mashed avocado, a layer of sour cream seasoned glop, a layer of cheese, and a nice presentation of tomato, scallion, olives and cilantro on top. Served with blue corn chips. Looked good, tasted good, and took a good amount of time, although no cooking was involved. Chopping, slicing, measuring, mixing, blending, mashing, all the culinary basics. Ten or so spices to be apportioned to the various layers. Onions to chop. The cilantro was my idea. We have a cilantro forest in the garden from last year’s seeds. The Cilantro Forest. Is that a good book title? Where the hell was cilantro 20 years ago when this recipe was published? I love cilantro.
So, doing things from scratch be they web sites or Mexican Dip is a good thing. Short cuts can be okay, too, if you are in survival mode.
Thisbe the fraidy cat came out and took a good long look at our house guest this weekend, and even sat down and relaxed in the living room when said guest was present. Cats and people surprise you.
Enough for now.
Grapeshot
Saturday, June 03, 2006
World of Mirrors
Yesterday I sent out 3 querries for the newly revamped World of Mirrors. Quite frankly, I am having a difficult time findly likely agents. Does anyone write capers anymore, mixing suspense and humor? Cozies, romantic suspense, thrillers: there are agents aplenty. I am always swimming against a literary current. Last week, the Boston Globe had a front page article on the Stasis, the East German States Security Police, who figure prominently in the book, and damned if AOL didn't mention the Baltic Island of Ruegen as an alternate less expensive vacation spot. WOM is set mostly on and in the waters around Ruegen. How cool is that?
Old stuff by the time the book is a) agented b) sold and c) in print. Makes self-publishing look appealing, but I swore I wouldn't go that route with this book. After all, WOM will go to 120 agents before I throw in the towel, and there's at least 75 left to go. Does it count it an agent NEVER responds?
My writing group discussed this, and we thought maybe a portion of agents, like the general population lead chaotic lives and are terminally disorganized, although then one wonders how they can make a living at all if that is the case. I have noticed that business people whom one emails with a request may never respond. My friend declares everyone is "overwhelmed," and I say bullshit, which is not an answer.
My short story has been published in an e-zine, and it is a cool story. No sex, no violence, and hardly any bad language.
Next blog: two new good books I have just read in the crime genre.
It's raining big time again.
Grapeshot
Old stuff by the time the book is a) agented b) sold and c) in print. Makes self-publishing look appealing, but I swore I wouldn't go that route with this book. After all, WOM will go to 120 agents before I throw in the towel, and there's at least 75 left to go. Does it count it an agent NEVER responds?
My writing group discussed this, and we thought maybe a portion of agents, like the general population lead chaotic lives and are terminally disorganized, although then one wonders how they can make a living at all if that is the case. I have noticed that business people whom one emails with a request may never respond. My friend declares everyone is "overwhelmed," and I say bullshit, which is not an answer.
My short story has been published in an e-zine, and it is a cool story. No sex, no violence, and hardly any bad language.
Next blog: two new good books I have just read in the crime genre.
It's raining big time again.
Grapeshot
Friday, June 02, 2006
Women and Thrillers
Page B7 yesterday from the New York Times: Book review of Alan Furst's The Foreign Correspondent. Left of the review, ads to two Jan Sandford thrillers. Right of the review an ad for Lee Child's The Hard Way. Below left, an ad for Joseph Finder's Killer Instinct. Lower left of the the review Philip Roth ad for Everyman (not a thriller).
What stands out here? All guys. No women need apply on Thursday. I've noticed the NYTimes and the Wall Street Journal consistently review books by males on Thursday. Obviously, the ads are a tie-in. I'm not a marketing illiterate. I know also, that Philip Roth, Joseph Finder, Lee Child and Alan Furst are excellent writers. Haven't read (yet) Mr. Sandford but he's in august company on page B7 on June 1, 2006.
A few blogs ago, I asked, where are the female thriller writers? I know Gayle Lynds has a new book, The Last Spymaster out. Plenty of women write true crime. Mysteries, by the gross, and lots of so-called cozies, yeah. Knitting and cat mysteries.
Otto Penzler never misses a chance to dis them.
I don't write thillers (don't write cozies, either), so this is not sour grapes, but gee, it still seems like an old boys club on page B7 of the New York Times on June 1, 2006. Looks like Grapeshot may not be the only one to have to suck it up.
As always,
Onward
What stands out here? All guys. No women need apply on Thursday. I've noticed the NYTimes and the Wall Street Journal consistently review books by males on Thursday. Obviously, the ads are a tie-in. I'm not a marketing illiterate. I know also, that Philip Roth, Joseph Finder, Lee Child and Alan Furst are excellent writers. Haven't read (yet) Mr. Sandford but he's in august company on page B7 on June 1, 2006.
A few blogs ago, I asked, where are the female thriller writers? I know Gayle Lynds has a new book, The Last Spymaster out. Plenty of women write true crime. Mysteries, by the gross, and lots of so-called cozies, yeah. Knitting and cat mysteries.
Otto Penzler never misses a chance to dis them.
I don't write thillers (don't write cozies, either), so this is not sour grapes, but gee, it still seems like an old boys club on page B7 of the New York Times on June 1, 2006. Looks like Grapeshot may not be the only one to have to suck it up.
As always,
Onward
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