Sunday, 11 December 2011
Raymond Chandler's Life on Display

chandler_raymond1Few mystery writers or readers would question the influence that Raymond Chandler, left, has had on the genre.

His Philip Marlowe novels such as The Big Sleep, The Long Goodbye and Farewell, My Lovely are classics that are still read today, as timely as ever for his insights into the human condition, his strong plotting and his beautiful prose.

Chandler's impact also translated to the movies with his contributions to the screenplays for Double Indemnity (written with Billy Wilder) and Strangers on a Train. (For trivia buffs, who knows in what scene Chandler appeared during Double Indemnity?)

His only original screenplay was The Blue Dahlia (1946). According to several sources, the author had not written an ending for the script but the studio wanted to rush the film's production because it was rumored that the star, Alan Ladd, might have to return to the Army. Chandler agreed to finish the script only if he was drunk, which producer John Houseman agreed to. Apparently this worked because the script earned Chandler's second Academy Award nomination for screenplays.

Clues to Chandler's legacy and his influence will be on display when a sale of books and papers from his personal collection are auctioned off Dec. 13 at Sotheby's in New York.

Among the items will be a first edition of The Big Sleep, inscribed to Chandler’s wife, Cissy, and a copy of The Big Sleep dedicated by Chandler to himself, with the inscription, “For me without my compliments.”

There also will be a copy of The Blue Dahlia script; a first edition of the James Bond novel Goldfinger, inscribed to Chandler by its author, Ian Fleming; and a copy of James M. Cain’s novel Three of a Kind, with a personal note from Cain.

Raymond Chandler's Life on Display
Oline Cogdill
raymond-chandlers-life-on-displa

chandler_raymond1Few mystery writers or readers would question the influence that Raymond Chandler, left, has had on the genre.

His Philip Marlowe novels such as The Big Sleep, The Long Goodbye and Farewell, My Lovely are classics that are still read today, as timely as ever for his insights into the human condition, his strong plotting and his beautiful prose.

Chandler's impact also translated to the movies with his contributions to the screenplays for Double Indemnity (written with Billy Wilder) and Strangers on a Train. (For trivia buffs, who knows in what scene Chandler appeared during Double Indemnity?)

His only original screenplay was The Blue Dahlia (1946). According to several sources, the author had not written an ending for the script but the studio wanted to rush the film's production because it was rumored that the star, Alan Ladd, might have to return to the Army. Chandler agreed to finish the script only if he was drunk, which producer John Houseman agreed to. Apparently this worked because the script earned Chandler's second Academy Award nomination for screenplays.

Clues to Chandler's legacy and his influence will be on display when a sale of books and papers from his personal collection are auctioned off Dec. 13 at Sotheby's in New York.

Among the items will be a first edition of The Big Sleep, inscribed to Chandler’s wife, Cissy, and a copy of The Big Sleep dedicated by Chandler to himself, with the inscription, “For me without my compliments.”

There also will be a copy of The Blue Dahlia script; a first edition of the James Bond novel Goldfinger, inscribed to Chandler by its author, Ian Fleming; and a copy of James M. Cain’s novel Three of a Kind, with a personal note from Cain.

Tuesday, 06 December 2011
Tnt Movies Capture Novels' Spirits

deckthehalls_scottiethompsonkathynajimyclark

 

Mystery novels don't always make a smooth transition to movies or television because, I believe, the scriptwriters don't respect the source material.

Want proof? Think of Lawrence Block's Bernie Rhodenbarr novels that turned into the film Burglar with Whoopie Goldberg.

Those books that make the smooth transition to film are because of that respect. Think Gone Baby Gone; the Swedish versions of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo; The Town, Shutter Island. And on the smaller screen, there’s the series Dexter on Showtime and Rizzoli & Isles on TNT and just about anything on PBS.

Give TNT more credit for its series of mystery movies based on best-sellers by contemporary authors. These movies are capturing the spirit of the novels and showcasing the plots and characters that readers have long enjoyed.

Just this week it was announced that Lisa Unger’s Fragile has been picked up for this series.

Here are mini reviews of the three movies scheduled for this month.

HIDE: Airs at 9 pm Dec. 6 with frequent encores; based on the novel by Lisa Gardner. The appealing and always watchable Carla Gugino stars as Boston police detective D.D. Warren, a complicated, stoic character who has been in several of Gardner’s best sellers. Gugino perfectly captures D.D.’s aloofness, devotion to the job and her compassion. Much is made of D.D. being blonde in the novels, but we’ll take the dark-haired Gugino any day. D.D. and her team’s investigation of bodies found on a long abandoned mental hospital leads to a young woman who has been a victim of a stalker since her birth. Gardner’s novels straddle are gripping and involving, straddling that line between terrifying and gruesome. The TNT movie captures all this and this viewer hopes to see more Gardner novels on the screen, especially with Gugino and Kevin Alejandro (True Blood) as Det. Bobby Dodge.

silentwitness_dermotmulroneypattersonSILENT WITNESS: Airs at 9 pm Dec. 7 with frequent encores; based on the novel by Richard North
Patterson. Dermot Mulroney smolders and tight-lips his way as he plays defense attorney Tony Lord who
comes back to his hometown to defend a coach (Michael Cudlitz) accused of murdering one of his students. One reason Tony agrees to help his old friend is because in high school Tony was accused of killing his girlfriend, a murder that was never solved. Patterson’s novel didn’t set new ground as a legal thriller but it was a solid plot that holds up quite well in the film version. Judd Hirsch always brings a level of intelligence to any role and he does that again as Saul Ruben, a close friend and associate of Tony Lord. Silent Witness was one of Patterson’s stand-alone novels and he has plenty more that would make gripping movies.

DECK THE HALLS: Airs at 9 pm Dec. 20 with frequent encores; based on the novel by Mary Higgins Clark and daughter Carol Higgins Clark. This was the first of the mother-daughter series of holiday mysteries that introduced cleaning woman turned private-eye (and lottery winner) Alvirah Meegan (Kathy Najimy) and detective Regan Reilly (Scottie Thompson). In Deck the Hall, the women investigate the kidnapping of Regan’s father and his female driver just before the holidays. Jane Alexander plays Regan’s mother, famed mystery writer Nora Regan Reilly. This series of novels are light and charming with unmemorable but entertaining plots. And that’s exactly what the TNT movie is. But then again, maybe this is what we need for the holidays, but then again, my favorite holiday movie is The Ref.

PHOTOS: Scottie Thompson, Kathy Najimy in Deck the Halls; Dermot Mulroney in Silent Witness. Courtesy TNT

Tnt Movies Capture Novels' Spirits
Oline Cogdill
tnt-movies-capture-novels-spirit

deckthehalls_scottiethompsonkathynajimyclark

 

Mystery novels don't always make a smooth transition to movies or television because, I believe, the scriptwriters don't respect the source material.

Want proof? Think of Lawrence Block's Bernie Rhodenbarr novels that turned into the film Burglar with Whoopie Goldberg.

Those books that make the smooth transition to film are because of that respect. Think Gone Baby Gone; the Swedish versions of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo; The Town, Shutter Island. And on the smaller screen, there’s the series Dexter on Showtime and Rizzoli & Isles on TNT and just about anything on PBS.

Give TNT more credit for its series of mystery movies based on best-sellers by contemporary authors. These movies are capturing the spirit of the novels and showcasing the plots and characters that readers have long enjoyed.

Just this week it was announced that Lisa Unger’s Fragile has been picked up for this series.

Here are mini reviews of the three movies scheduled for this month.

HIDE: Airs at 9 pm Dec. 6 with frequent encores; based on the novel by Lisa Gardner. The appealing and always watchable Carla Gugino stars as Boston police detective D.D. Warren, a complicated, stoic character who has been in several of Gardner’s best sellers. Gugino perfectly captures D.D.’s aloofness, devotion to the job and her compassion. Much is made of D.D. being blonde in the novels, but we’ll take the dark-haired Gugino any day. D.D. and her team’s investigation of bodies found on a long abandoned mental hospital leads to a young woman who has been a victim of a stalker since her birth. Gardner’s novels straddle are gripping and involving, straddling that line between terrifying and gruesome. The TNT movie captures all this and this viewer hopes to see more Gardner novels on the screen, especially with Gugino and Kevin Alejandro (True Blood) as Det. Bobby Dodge.

silentwitness_dermotmulroneypattersonSILENT WITNESS: Airs at 9 pm Dec. 7 with frequent encores; based on the novel by Richard North
Patterson. Dermot Mulroney smolders and tight-lips his way as he plays defense attorney Tony Lord who
comes back to his hometown to defend a coach (Michael Cudlitz) accused of murdering one of his students. One reason Tony agrees to help his old friend is because in high school Tony was accused of killing his girlfriend, a murder that was never solved. Patterson’s novel didn’t set new ground as a legal thriller but it was a solid plot that holds up quite well in the film version. Judd Hirsch always brings a level of intelligence to any role and he does that again as Saul Ruben, a close friend and associate of Tony Lord. Silent Witness was one of Patterson’s stand-alone novels and he has plenty more that would make gripping movies.

DECK THE HALLS: Airs at 9 pm Dec. 20 with frequent encores; based on the novel by Mary Higgins Clark and daughter Carol Higgins Clark. This was the first of the mother-daughter series of holiday mysteries that introduced cleaning woman turned private-eye (and lottery winner) Alvirah Meegan (Kathy Najimy) and detective Regan Reilly (Scottie Thompson). In Deck the Hall, the women investigate the kidnapping of Regan’s father and his female driver just before the holidays. Jane Alexander plays Regan’s mother, famed mystery writer Nora Regan Reilly. This series of novels are light and charming with unmemorable but entertaining plots. And that’s exactly what the TNT movie is. But then again, maybe this is what we need for the holidays, but then again, my favorite holiday movie is The Ref.

PHOTOS: Scottie Thompson, Kathy Najimy in Deck the Halls; Dermot Mulroney in Silent Witness. Courtesy TNT

Sunday, 04 December 2011
Enroll at the Crime Fiction Academy

block_lawrence01Learning is a lifelong occupation. I don’t care how old you are or how many degrees you have, we never stop learning.

At least we shouldn’t stop.

I think this is especially true of mystery writers—and readers—as each time we delve into a novel we learn something new.

The Crime Fiction Academy is designed for aspiring writers who want to keep learning about the genre,
especially from teachers who lead by example, making us want to succeed.

The Crime Fiction Academy’s dream faculty includes some of today’s top mystery/thriller writers: Megan Abbott, Lawrence Block, left, Lee Child, Thomas H. Cook, Linda Fairstein, Susan Isaacs, Dennis Lehane, Laura Lippman, Val McDermid, Joyce Carol Oates, SJ Rozan, Jonathan Santlofer, Karin Slaughter.

rozan_sjAnd you can learn in the very building in which Edgar Allen Poe wrote.

This is the first ongoing, rigorous program exclusively dedicated to crime writing in all its forms. The
curriculum includes a 14-week writing workshop; monthly master classes; a crime fiction reading seminar; special lectures and discussions with editors, agents and others involved with crime fiction and publishing.

How intense will the workshops be? Each workshop will include about 12 students for 14 weekly two-hour sessions. The writer/teacher will set the tone for the workshops but expect in-class writing and analysis of student work. Some students may want to develop short stories or a novel. Spring 2012 workshops will be taught by Jonathan Santlofer, SJ Rozan, left, and Thomas H. Cook.

Megan Abbott is scheduled to lead the 2012 spring’s monthly seminar designed to make students well versed in the genre, focusing on historically significant crime fiction of the 19th and 20th centuries and on contemporary works of note. Students will be encouraged to read and analyze crime fiction as writers and to improve their own work.

Lee Child, Dennis Lehane and Laura Lippman, and others, are scheduled to lead the master classes series.

During these lectures, award-winning authors will each focus on one aspect of crime writing—plot, pacing, dialogue, research, etc., and how this relates to their own work.

All classes, workshops, and lectures will be during the evening at the Center for Fiction, 17 E. 47th St.,
Manhattan. That’s in the Mercantile Library, where Edgar Allen Poe wrote.

Students may enroll for one term, but a year-long commitment is suggested to take full advantage of the
program.

The Crime Fiction Academy costs $2,800 for the 14-week term. Partial scholarship support may be available.

Admission is limited and competitive and is based on work samples. Applications are now being accepted for the term beginning in February 2012. Visit www.centerforfiction.org/crimefiction for details.

Enroll at the Crime Fiction Academy
Oline Cogdill
enroll-at-the-crime-fiction-academy

block_lawrence01Learning is a lifelong occupation. I don’t care how old you are or how many degrees you have, we never stop learning.

At least we shouldn’t stop.

I think this is especially true of mystery writers—and readers—as each time we delve into a novel we learn something new.

The Crime Fiction Academy is designed for aspiring writers who want to keep learning about the genre,
especially from teachers who lead by example, making us want to succeed.

The Crime Fiction Academy’s dream faculty includes some of today’s top mystery/thriller writers: Megan Abbott, Lawrence Block, left, Lee Child, Thomas H. Cook, Linda Fairstein, Susan Isaacs, Dennis Lehane, Laura Lippman, Val McDermid, Joyce Carol Oates, SJ Rozan, Jonathan Santlofer, Karin Slaughter.

rozan_sjAnd you can learn in the very building in which Edgar Allen Poe wrote.

This is the first ongoing, rigorous program exclusively dedicated to crime writing in all its forms. The
curriculum includes a 14-week writing workshop; monthly master classes; a crime fiction reading seminar; special lectures and discussions with editors, agents and others involved with crime fiction and publishing.

How intense will the workshops be? Each workshop will include about 12 students for 14 weekly two-hour sessions. The writer/teacher will set the tone for the workshops but expect in-class writing and analysis of student work. Some students may want to develop short stories or a novel. Spring 2012 workshops will be taught by Jonathan Santlofer, SJ Rozan, left, and Thomas H. Cook.

Megan Abbott is scheduled to lead the 2012 spring’s monthly seminar designed to make students well versed in the genre, focusing on historically significant crime fiction of the 19th and 20th centuries and on contemporary works of note. Students will be encouraged to read and analyze crime fiction as writers and to improve their own work.

Lee Child, Dennis Lehane and Laura Lippman, and others, are scheduled to lead the master classes series.

During these lectures, award-winning authors will each focus on one aspect of crime writing—plot, pacing, dialogue, research, etc., and how this relates to their own work.

All classes, workshops, and lectures will be during the evening at the Center for Fiction, 17 E. 47th St.,
Manhattan. That’s in the Mercantile Library, where Edgar Allen Poe wrote.

Students may enroll for one term, but a year-long commitment is suggested to take full advantage of the
program.

The Crime Fiction Academy costs $2,800 for the 14-week term. Partial scholarship support may be available.

Admission is limited and competitive and is based on work samples. Applications are now being accepted for the term beginning in February 2012. Visit www.centerforfiction.org/crimefiction for details.