StanleyWheeler

The Books of August There has been a whole lot of reading going on around here. I have a word to say about that, but first, a quote from Touch of Evil staring Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, and Orson Welles: "A policeman's job is only easy in a police state." I thought it was a great movie. Both Heston's and Welles' characters had some great lines. I may do a full review later. It's currently on Netflix. Marlene Dietrich, Zsa Zsa Gabor, and Dennis Weaver also have supporting roles. Back to the Guns Books of August. Let's begin with Salammbo by Gustave Flaubert  (of Madame Bovary fame) published in 1862--so it's not going to be found on the New Releases list. General Thoughts : If it is possible for a story to be entirely obscured, covered like a coffin in the grave by great heaping scoops truckloads of descriptive detail, and yet still hold promise enough to keep me reading, this is the best example that I've found. I nearly gave up se...

Smoke is finished! I sat down this morning and wrapped it up. It's a bittersweet pill, completing this work. I put a lot into it, and enjoyed every bit of it. Of course, I still have to do the cover (for which I need someone to give me a cigarette to use; part of the cover photo will feature diaphanous tendrils coiling upward from the cancer stick), and have it proofread, and complete the formatting...but the creation, the writing, the assembly of the monster is complete; the rest is just connecting the wires and calling down the lightning. I'll be treading on the wafting ether for a few days contemplating the completion of the endeavor. The book is inspired by the likes of The Big Sleep , The Maltese Falcon , This Gun for Hire , and a slew of others, including My Favorite Brunette . Bogey would have been a great choice to play the protagonist; Alan Ladd might have been an even better choice. Some other time, I'll think about living actors who might play the roles o...