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Murder on a Monday – June 2020Fact/fiction crime authors I have metWelcome to the record of the “virtual” June 2020 meeting of Murder on a Monday. This month’s topic was suggested by Annie Kiefer, who is staying at her daughter’s Snowy Mountains home, parts of which were damaged in the summer bushfires. Annie has recently been in hospital, but has now sent her paper on Fact/fiction authors I have met.?We send her our best wishes for good health as she plans to return to Sydney in the future.Here is Annie’s paper on the topic:Thanks Peter for your ongoing thoroughness in keeping us all abreast of our MOM doings! It is very much appreciated.?I am now out of hospital and get all my stitches out next week. I have had some large melanomas removed from my face and will probably be sporting a Phantom of the Opera mask forever. I blame my father for my melanomas because as a young child he used to plonk me out in the sun, covered in coconut oil.?I thank you all for your wonderful response to this month’s topic.?In the 1960s I travelled with my parents to Liverpool, UK where my father was assigned to several schools and Universities.?During this time the three of us (only child) travelled to Piraeus, Greece, picked up a small sailing vessel and sailed around the Greek Isles. We reached Hydra where my father was anxious to catch up with an old school friend whom I’d never heard of. The friend turned out to be George Johnston and we stayed with him and his wife Charmian Clift for several days. I was more interested in playing with their three children than sitting and listening to the adults yarn all day. One of the highlights though was the delivery for them of a toilet that flushed. The first such toilet to reach the island! Islanders came from far and near to observe this modern marvel. Then came the fridge. Neighbours were allowed to use it as well.?About twelve months later when I was still living in Liverpool I saw a notice on the University notice board saying that Ian Fleming was to be their next guest speaker. I had just finished reading You Only Live Twice his then latest novel.?I turned up super early and so did he. We were both locked out we were so early, we had a chat outside in the dark. He told me about the selection process and his input into choosing Sean Connery to play his James Bond. He also spoke about his beloved home in Jamaica ‘Goldeneye’. I can’t help but wonder what he would think about the James Bond portrayal today and all the gadgetry that comes with it; what he would think about the various actors who have played the title role and how far from the original story lines we have wandered. He was a charming man, who waxed lyrical about his beloved James and who then went off on a tangent to speak excitedly about Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. An amazing departure from spy novels. He was an elegant man and I thoroughly enjoyed his talk. He smiled and smoked non stop during the evening and no question was too trite for him to answer.?During the 90s I was working in New York and my daughter came over to meet me in Los Angeles. We were staying in Beverly Hills in a hotel where the Golden Globe Awards were to be held. My daughter, Tonya, went down super early to breakfast and I was to join her an hour later. An hour later she was nowhere to be found. I ate my breakfast and decamped to the lobby to sit and wait. I observed firemen and police running all over the place. It turned out that she and the actor Anthony Hopkins were stuck in one of the lifts and had been there for two hours. He was there as he had been nominated for Howard’s End. Tonya and Tony became friends from that day and he invited her as his guest to the Awards for that year. She went with him and his then wife, Jenny. I met them after as she was being introduced to Stephen Spielberg. I observed as she took SS to task as in his acceptance speech for Schindlers List he had not thanked Tom Keneally for writing the original book. She and Anthony Hopkins are still in touch. And Spielberg thanked Mr Keneally when he won the Oscar.?During the late 90s and early 00s I ran a book club. My daughter was the Manager at the InterContinental Hotel in Sydney and sometimes let me know if a famous author was in town. I would send a handwritten note and found that very rarely did they refuse to come speak with us - among some of my favourites were -David Attenborough, (who said his favourite animal was the “human being”)Jane Fonda (who regaled us with horror tales of plastic surgery!)Michael Palin (who spoke of the making of A Fish Called Wanda)Colleen McCullough (who said she’d never sell another book to be made into a movie after what they did to her Thorn Birds.Keep reading. Keep happy. It will be lovely when we can all meet face to face.? Annie xx------oOo------As well, a good number of members have sent the following interesting comments on the theme, as well as on what they are reading and/or recommendations for what the rest of us might like to read:Helen FalconerI don’t have anecdotes to share about close encounters with famous writers or crime writers. The writer in the family died well before I was born.I finished reading the Phryne Fisher ebooks?in Sutherland and SMSA libraries. I think that there are some books that I will have to source in hard copy.To stay in the “classic” period I decided to read some Georgette Heyer mysteries. So far, I’ve read Duplicate Death and have yet to read Footsteps in the Dark and Why Shoot a Butler? ?I think that I should have chosen to reread Dorothy Sayers...Stephanie GarlandI apologise to the group as I have not really been able to come to grips with this topic.?I have read all the Nicola Upson books which feature author Josephine Tey solving mysteries. All of the books are in the SMSA Library. They combine references to Tey’s own books, interesting insights into her life and the time and social?period in which she lived and wrote. This occurs in the context of interesting and engaging mysteries.?I feel as if I know Josephine after reading the books. I am not sure whether this is actually true but I have certainly found I enjoy her books, the better for having read the Nicola Upson novels.?Best wishes?Stephanie GarlandJane HandleyHello everyone. I hope all is going well. I can’t believe time is going so quickly.Thank you for keeping us all in touch. And thank you Annie for this interesting topic…and the chance to tell stories/lies! I hope everyone is well and relatively OK. And I hope our leaders can hold onto the cooperation and thoughtfulness that this pandemic has thrown up, and that we don’t snap back to the pre-Covid ratbaggery. The following is my bit for the meeting. ___________________________________________________________________Fact or Fiction?Wenzel and Waldo are smooth-haired miniature dachshunds. Their little legs and fragile backs don’t carry them very far, but they enjoy their twice daily miniature outings; to the local coffee shop in the morning sun, and along the windy beach in the afternoon as the sun slips beneath the hills. Vinnie und Vollie are fully self-contained, needing just each other and, at times, me. But they give themselves up jovially to the locals, being pals of all patters and chatters. They tolerate the adulation while privately on the look-out for their morning br?tchen, and later, the salty air. All usually goes well for the doggy brothers. Except for the day they encountered the rectangular man with too much dark hair that fell in a lump across his rectangular forehead. We were all battling a wild westerly and high seas. The stranger was pressed into the gale, unsure of his footing with the dogs and tide and sand blast all bearing down on him. They danced around each other clumsily. ‘It’s a wild day’ I yelled.‘That’s for sure’ he returned. ‘Is that Schnitzel von Crumb and his mate Pretzel?’ he bellowed.‘Wenzel and Waldo. And I’m sorry they’re getting in your way,’ I hollered back.‘No worries. I should always beware of the dog!’ And he pushed onwards into the wind.The dogs perched indignantly on the wet sand, miffed at the gymnastics and weather. But they became their genial selves once again after a short ride tucked under an arm each. We blew home with the wind. I wondered for a long time why this stranger on our beach had mentioned being careful of just one dog, when he knew there were two. Were his words snatched by the wind? I thought so. Until I found his well-thumbed, dare I say, dog-eared book in the local library. The author’s photo was familiar…that hair…that oblongish face…Beware of the Dog by Peter Corris. ___________________________________________________________________I haven’t met Peter Corris, but I have met Thea Astley. She’s not a crime writer, even though she did write about the terrible things people do to each other. When I worked for the Royal Blind Society in Rehab, her partner developed Macular Degeneration, which prevented him from reading. Terrible for anyone. He was quiet, unassuming and charming. She, a Force With Which to be Reckoned! So much humour, and curiosity, and steel-trap alertness to hypocrisy and general stupidity. What a mind! She terrified me. She was hugely entertaining and thought-provoking. There is a BBC Radio 4 Drama called Eric the Skull by Simon Brett, about a group of 1930s detective story writers (Dorothy L Sayers, GK Chesterton, Agatha Christie etc) forming their own exclusive club. They agree not to allow thriller writers entry. This is a fun spoof of the crime genre of the time. All fictional, of course.___________________________________________________________________I’ve found it very hard to read during the Pandemic. I think because we’ve taken this time to do so many things like ‘tidy up under the house’ and ‘let’s give the kids back all their junk’ and ‘we need to do something with all these photos’ and ‘we should fix all those things which have been in a state of disrepair for as long as we can remember’. Not exciting, and time consuming, but finally totally satisfying. But I have read Agent Running in the Field by John Le Carré. A short tale, and a gorgeous ending. All the characters are interesting oddballs.Death in August by Marco Vichi. Another easy and happy read, set in Florence. There are no heart-stopping moments – and not much crime. The characters and food are the objects of interest.Fatherland by Robert Harris. This was also an entertaining read.And I listened to (as I repaired, sorted, cleaned, chucked out, sewed and cooked...)Shell by Kristina Olsson. Great history writing about the Sydney Opera House and left wing politics.The Deceptions by Suzanne Leal. I liked how she handled the way her characters rose to the challenges in their lives.See you all soon, hopefully. Jane HandleyPete MachinFirstly may I thank Annie Kiefer for recommending we look at fact/fiction crime authors I have met. Also thanks to Peter Maywald who has taken on a de facto coordinator’s role for MoaM. Sincere thanks to you both.I’m drawing a long bow on this particular topic because I cannot claim to know any of the authors personally. So instead I’ll rely on my dodgy memory and recall ‘anecdotes of close encounters with famous or perhaps lesser-known crime writers’. SIR JOHN BETJEMAN: English PoetI believe I may have met the popular English poet Sir John Betjeman in 1961, the year before he was appointed the Poet Laureate of Great Britain. I had to rely on a calculator to work out I was 14 at the time; and if I didn’t meet him personally I certainly became aware of Sir John before, during, and after he visited my home town of Orange during a hectic schedule organised by The British Council. At the time my father was mayor and no doubt would have met John Betjeman resplendent in the mayoral robes complete with a chain and medallions marking previous office bearers and trimmed with the fur of some unfortunate animal. I can remember my father being somewhat surprised by Betjeman’s interest in many old commercial as well as residential buildings in Orange that were, for the most part, neglected at that time. The city fathers no doubt would have been keen to show off examples of a progressive regional city. Instead, Betjeman was interested in historical examples regardless of condition. At the conclusion of his short visit I’m sure there would have been an exchange of gifts and I became aware that a book of Sir John Betjeman’s verse became part of our modest home library. At the time, I’m sure few understood or appreciated Sir John’s verse having been raised on the works of Patterson, Lawson, Ogilvy and so forth. Did it contain any works about villains? I’m unsure, however I know, that at least one of his well-known works was Death in Leamington. This was one of Betjeman’s first published poems, appearing in the 1932 volume Mount Zion, Betjeman’s first collection. It describes the lonesome death of an old lady in the English midlands spa town. Death in Leamington John BetjemanShe died in the upstairs bedroomBy the light of the ev'ning starThat shone through the plate glass windowFrom over Leamington SpaBeside her the lonely crochetLay patiently and unstirred,But the fingers that would have work'd itWere dead as the spoken word.And Nurse came in with the tea-thingsBreast high 'mid the stands and chairs-But Nurse was alone with her own little soul,And the things were alone with theirs.She bolted the big round window,She let the blinds unroll,She set a match to the mantle,She covered the fire with coal.And "Tea!" she said in a tiny voice"Wake up! It's nearly five"Oh! Chintzy, chintzy cheeriness, (cont’d)Half dead and half alive.Do you know that the stucco is peeling?Do you know that the heart will stop?From those yellow Italianate archesDo you hear the plaster drop?Nurse looked at the silent bedstead,At the gray, decaying face,As the calm of a Leamington ev'ningDrifted into the place.She moved the table of bottlesAway from the bed to the wall;And tiptoeing gently over the stairsTurned down the gas in the hall.SMSA holds a biography: Betjeman / by A.N. Wilson. (BIO BET)THE COURAGEOUS FICTION WRITERToo many years ago I was dining with a group of work colleagues at a Chinese restaurant in a Sydney suburb. Our group had gathered around the circular table complete with the customary Lazy-Susan. I was introduced to a chap opposite who I already knew was a recognised writer for a crime series in production for Australian television. My introduction to a real writer! I was impressed with his appearance befitting what I thought must be the accepted garb for writers; thick horn-rimmed glasses, a tweed jacket with leather patches on the sleeves plus an appropriate shirt complete with a cravat. It was long ago so my memory is hazy however I distinctly remember him smoking a pipe and seemingly ‘oozing’ with creativity. Engaged in conversation, he rotated the turntable and selected something that I identified as being extremely hot - possibly a chilli - and thrust it into his mouth! I was quite stunned and thought that not only was he a writer, he was so bloody courageous! What an image! Soon his expression changed and his face became florid and very anxious! From memory, he all but exploded and frantically sought a glass of water or wine or both to extinguish the internal fire before commencing a coughing fit that caused great concern to those gathered. As it happened I was seated next to his wife and told her of my observations and assumptions before he selected the chilli! I continued to tell her how I thought him to be extremely brave and in keeping with an established writer not only overflowing with creativity but supported by gastronomic daring and courage. The writer’s wife all but exploded by accusing me of knowingly observing his sacrificially courageous act and the dramatic after effects! So in the end, it was not a particularly auspicious introduction to a crime fiction writer! R.M. WILLIAMS – Australian Bushman, Writer, Poet, EntrepreneurI met R.M. towards the end of his life when he was living on a small property outside of Toowoomba in south-east Queensland. His earlier years had seen this ‘legend’ write several books including poetry that reflected his experiences in the bush. After I had filmed an interview with him he presented me with a beautifully leather-bound copy of Will Ogilvy’s verse. Ogilvy, the Scottish-born bushman was the lesser-known of his contemporaries ‘Banjo’ Patterson and Henry Lawson and yet he wrote more than 860 poems. R.M. Williams was to become a champion of Will Ogilvie’s and was instrumental in the publication of Ogilvie's collection of poetry in Saddle for a Throne. R.M. also wrote the foreword.So many of our early writers and poets shared their firsthand experiences of death and dying with their enthusiastic city cousins who relied on various publications to deliver faraway tales from the Australian outback. During the production of the associated television documentary, we visited the R.M. Williams factory in Adelaide and painstakingly shot the process of boot-making before visiting some cattle stations in the Northern Territory. I quickly noticed the stockman were NOT wearing R.M. elastic-sided boots and asked why. “Mate,” one stockman said, “they don’t bloody last!” He then showed off the tooled leather boots with square toes that did not originate from the R.M. Williams factory were had recently visited and spent much time and film stock filming the production process. I was quite shattered and asked for more details, “We can’t get a season out of ‘em so we wear these Yankee boots and at least we can get a season outta them!” he added, “Only poofters and city-slickers wear R M’s!” Claire Keegan During May of 2018, I attended a workshop by the award-winning short-story writer Claire Keegan in the Tom Keneally Centre. Keegan’s workshop was entitled ‘How Fiction Works’, a masterclass introducing and focusing on fiction as temporal art. At the conclusion I purchased a copy of her second collection of short stories Walk the Blue Fields. And although not a dedicated factual or fiction crime writer she often mentions death and dying.Claire Keegan was born in County Wicklow, south of Dublin in 1968, and is the youngest of a large family. She would probably stress that she is a member of a staunch Roman Catholic family!On that morning Keegan quickly hit full stride in front of a good-sized audience in the T. K. Centre; I believe it was my first experience with a professional writer since becoming interested in what I call the writing caper. I found Claire Keegan engaging and forthright; her approach to writing was down-to-earth and illustrated with hand-drawn pointers often emphasised with some colorful expletives as she swung her long red hair and rather severe expression to reinforce various tips for wannabe writers. I clearly remember a well-spoken lady in the group enquiring whether Keegan subscribed to some writing format or formula which of course I’d never heard of. Keegan quickly turned her gaze and replied with an all but dismissive monosyllabic answer to this author-struck lady who I suspected wished to display her knowledge of the writing caper! I had to presume this Irish author didn’t take kindly to these types of questions that assumed an academic or formulaic approach to writing. To my inexperienced writer’s brain, Keegan was quite brilliant and very clear about her award-winning approach although she didn’t bang on about any of her efforts. I must have recorded her talk or been busy taking notes and I’ve included a few points she made during her talk:FICTION is based on time – it comes from our knowledge of timeFiction consists of TROUBLE & LOSSA SHORT STORY will begin AFTER the drama/eventFICTION (or novel) will begin BEFORE the drama/eventLearn to write EVENLY and ACCURATELYPLOTTING is not the way to get into a storyFLASHBACKS have to be earned and RELEVANT to the reader and only work well if the quality of the writing is goodREMEMBER HEMMINGWAY’S inbuilt SHIT DETECTOR: The Most Essential Gift for Writers: Hemingway once referred to his Shit-Detector as: “The most essential gift for a good writer is a built-in, shock-proof, shit-detector.” No doubt Keegan has written about death by misadventure in her short stories set in contemporary Ireland. I quickly learned to respect Claire Keegan and her easily digestible tips for writing fiction. Time to share a few more: Claire Keegan suggests that each sentence in a paragraph should lean on the next. ?Sentences are social – they need other sentences around them!?In terms of time each paragraph should start wide and then narrow to a finish. ?Watch out for an intro that builds quickly then flattens or worse dips before building up to another climax.?Make an incision in time and then go in!You can enjoy two of Claire Keegan’s collections of short stories located in the SMSA library; Antarctica and Walk the Blue FieldsOur very own living treasureMost will be familiar with the unpleasant reality (or imagined reality) of fingernails scratching on a blackboard. How about multiple fingernails scratching on multiple blackboards? This is the real or imagined sound of Tom Keneally’s voice! Our very own Australian Living Treasure! How does one share the experiences of having met Tom Keneally for two, yes two, one-on-one sessions except that I felt like a teenage ‘groupie’ and yes, Tom can talk! He is ever eager to talk about writing in general and only occasionally detours to talk about his works and usually only if prompted.I first had the opportunity to speak with Tom in June 2018 as he unselfishly shared his thoughts about writing for close on an hour. Amongst his words of encouragement was adopting a writing style as though I was writing a lengthy thank-you letter to an Aunt who had given me an inappropriate present! And while I can’t remember adopting this philosophy I have attempted to remember his unabashed enthusiasm for writing. The man lives and breathes his love for the written word and has produced more than 50 fiction titles as well as non-fiction novels and plays. As a consequence, he has received many national and international awards including being the first Australian to win a Booker Prize for Schindler's Ark.I believe I can remember him discussing why he chose to write many of his novels that are drawn from history and adapted to a more modern style. Again, from memory, he replied that by adopting this style he could avoid all the pitfalls of modern technology including scientific as well as forensic investigations.My advice? Never miss an opportunity to speak with or listen to this wonderful Australian writer.Everybody Counts or Nobody CountsThis is the motto for crime-author Michael Connelly’s crime-busting character Harry Bosch and is usually inscribed by Connelly at book signings. Depending on the length of the queue inscriptions are often shortened to ‘Everybody Counts’.My encounter with Michael Connelly was at Castle Hill Library in November 2019. A long queue snaked until readers and fans reached a desk where he was surrounded by copies of his then latest thriller The Night Fire.If I ever had any delusions about becoming a successful author they stopped when I saw this bloke posing with people who grabbed a copy and then stood proudly while a variety of mobile phone cameras snapped away. The irony for me at least was that the bespectacled Connelly’s facial hair covering his mouth prevented any expression!I estimated he had signed over a hundred copies of The Night Fire before his interview and the Q & A followed by at least that number after his talk. “That’s what authors do!” I was told by someone! Fortunately, I was able to snatch a few words with Connelly and probably sympathised or lamented about the numbers of signings. In my copy of The Night Fire he wrote; ‘Pete, Good to meet you. Good Luck and good writing.’ Followed by his initials.His on-stage interview held the attention of a few hundred in the audience although his voice had a monotonal almost guttural sound in stark contrast to the interviewer’s gushing over-enthusiastic questions. I’d like to share some of Connelly’s thoughts about his writing:He plants clues so the reader is basically past the clue before they realise and then it becomes clear in a rush via his protagonist Harry Bosch.When he is writing NO plotlines go on paper.He has a cadre of cops and lawyers to assist and provide technical advice.Don’t write a whodunnit, write a book that moves across the social strata.His characters are not 9 to 5’ers. Connolly wants characters who get involved.His writing style has changed somewhat and he has become more aware of momentum.He usually writes 3 drafts cutting down each time. He usually starts with around 110,000 words. He edits/changes pretty heavily in the 2nd draft cutting back to around 100,000 words before basically ‘polishing’ the 3rd and final draft.He likes to write thinking he should be looking back over his shoulder.He doesn’t strive for any daily word count, so long as his stories move forward. His advice is not to set word counts.His sentimental favourite is The Last Coyote written and published in 1995, his first year as a fulltime writer.He cites major influences as:Raymond ChandlerRoss MacdonaldJoseph WarmbaughE.L. DoctorowKurt VonnegutThe SMSA library has over 20 of Connelly’s titles and there are plenty of online biographical references. Still, I was bloody horrified by the long lines and the ever-present posing and mobile phone flashes. Not ever part of my delusional dreams for this little black duck! Books I have read or partially read during the past month of this ‘Covidian Lockdown’*Adventures in the Screen Trade: A Personal View of Hollywood - William Goldman. A brilliant book for anyone interested in writing screenplays or writing in general.* The Prophet - Kahlil Gibran. A must-read anytime but especially during these times.*City of Girls - Elizabeth Gilbert. I’m enjoying what I’ve read so far. I figured if I was going to write about women I should know more about women because I’m sure I don’t know much! *The Writing Book - Kate Grenville. An invaluable aid for any aspiring writer to have nearby. *Walk the Blue Fields – Claire Keegan. A fantastic short-story writer. *7 Best Short Stories – Zane Grey. An old cowboy who gave up his dentist’s drill to become the most recognised western fiction writer in the world. *On Writing – Stephen King. He shares unselfishly and is a brilliant read for anyone who would like to write fiction.*Sharing Writing Skills – Randwick Writers’ Group. Close to home and worthwhile reading the anecdotes by local writers.*The Virginian - A Horseman of the Plains - Owen Wister 1902. This is supposed to be the very first western novel. Just started reading - beautifully written. *Criticism of the Cowboy Novel: Retrospect and Reflections - Don D. Walker. Not a thesis however a very interesting article about western fiction. I like the reference by the publisher to Covid-19 pandemic – last line of acknowledgements next page; Western American Literature, Volume 11, Number 4, Winter 1977, pp. 275-296 (Article) Published by University of Nebraska Press. DOI: For additional information about this article. [This content has been declared free to read by the publisher during the COVID-19 pandemic.] *Larry and Stretch #14: Lone Star Fury – Marshall Grover. 100 pages of fast-paced action written by an author who published approximately 740 books. More about Marshall Grover to come.*Larry and Stretch #1: Drift! - Marshall Grover (as above).*Larry and Stretch #18: Don't Count the Odds – Marshall Grover (as above and above that).Carolyn MartinI hope everyone has stayed well during the past weeks. It appears that we can look forward to slightly more ‘normal’ times somewhat sooner than we may have anticipated.This month’s topic allows us to indulge in a little name dropping so here goes…When I started to think about brushes or almost brushes with fame that I’ve had I was quite surprised at the number. Possibly my first encounter with crime fiction was when I discovered the novels of Kenneth Cook in the early seventies and racing breathlessly through Tuna, Wake in Fright and others. I also enjoyed his Lens on Lilliput on ABC television. I was quite thrilled when I met him at The Butterfly Farm, which he was then running at Wilberforce on the banks of the Hawkesbury River. In the old farmhouse on the property he had set up an extensive insect collection. This is where I encountered him and took the opportunity to tell him how much I enjoyed his books. He also talked about the brush tail possum which lived in the farmhouse roof and which, during this conversation was sitting above us with its tail dangling through a hole in the ceiling above where we stood.Later, in the eighties I worked on a bush regeneration project with Mick Dark and others on Dark’s Common at Lapstone (the location of a navvies’ camp which existed there between 1910 and 1914). Dark’s Common was named after Mick Dark, the son of Eleanor and Eric Dark. He and others successfully campaigned against a proposed housing development on the site. A few years later I drank port beside a blazing fire with Keri Hulme (The Bone People) and some friends at Varuna. This was soon after Mick Dark had gifted his late parents’ home, Varuna at Katoomba to the people of Australia as a writers’ centre. Still in Katoomba, at about the same time I was giving a mask making workshop involving using plaster of Paris bandages on a person’s face to make a cast which formed the basis of a mask. The poet Dorothy Porter was a participant and volunteered to be my model while I demonstrated the technique.Kylie Tennant died in early 1988, not long after this I attended an auction of her books and other possessions at her property in the Megalong Valley. I came away the proud possessor of two boxes containing an assortment of books written by her and others – one of these was her copy of Precious Bane by Mary Webb (1924).From 2000-2017 I worked as a Librarian with the City of Sydney Library network mostly at Kings Cross and Surry Hills; very fertile ground for encounters of a literary kind. Many writers were frequent visitors to both branches and attended many events and celebrations. Christmas parties at Kings Cross Library were particularly memorable occasions. They included: Peter Robb, Louis Nowra, Mandy Sayer, Nicholas Jose and Julian Morrow.I also met Stephen Booth on three occasions in Lincoln, Doncaster and also at a wonderful bookshop, Scarthin Books in Cromford, Derbyshire. (No I wasn’t stalking him!)The only crime fiction that I have read since last month is Darkness and Light (Frank Elder 4) by John Harvey. I particularly enjoyed this as it is set in Nottingham, a city that I know quite well. Cheers and happy reading,Carolyn MartinBoni MaywaldFor 1 June 2020 MoaM: From Annie Kiefer - fact/fiction crime authors I have met… to share anecdotes of close encounters with famous or perhaps lesser-known crime writers. So: Of origins, bones, and life mystories…Thanks Annie. Crime writers I have known is a tantalising topic – though, as I tend to do, I prefer to roam wider than just limit comments to crime writers. I could start with where I was born in 1953, at Bowral Hospital in the Southern Highlands (though we lived the other side of the railway tracks in Moss Vale). My hard-scrabble grandfather used to do gardening at a property in Bowral, owned by one of Australia’s early Neanderthal archaeologists… And my aunt and uncle bought the house at Bowral that had been lived in by F J Thwaites – he wrote The Mad Doctor of Harley Street and left a cellar full of his published books (he sold 4 million copies of his 31 adventure novels and had set up his own publishing firm in England, Harcourt Press). Also resident in Bowral (where he died in 1964) was Arthur Upfield, who gave the world its first Aboriginal detective “Bony”. We have his full collected writings (so popular even now in the US; somewhat non-PC but incredibly evocative of the outback, based on his 20 years of wandering after return from his WW1 exposure).I could then go on to muse on the many (not so crime) writers I met in Canberra during our various work-life stints there: Xavier Herbert (wrote that wonderfully heavy antihero tome Poor Fellow My Country which I held in one hand and read as I fed our firstborn). In his books, characters died with a frequency that made impossible any heroic poses. We met, accommodated and fed Herbert for a conference, about a decade before his death in 1979. He was a wizened shrunken old body and soul even when we got to know him – wondered at him still having energy to write and speak.Bryce Courtenay (1933-2012) lived his last oh-so prolific writing years in Canberra. He spoke at the same fast pace as he wrote – with incredible elan and self-possession (like Herbert, also defying his small stature, seemed larger than life). His oh-so popular novels give us life stories, from South Africa and Australia’s foundation stories, that mystify even if they don’t quite typify crime writing.Alexander McCall Smith we met and heard speak in Canberra – at last, you say, a more typical writer of (female) detection. His titters and self-unassuming humour are infectious.Jackie French (a woman local to the wider Canberra region) we have met and closely admired as a children’s literature laureate and environmental defender; she has more recently, with her Miss Lily’s Lovely Ladies books, branched into historical espionage (again not quite typical crime).Michael Connelly – now, at last you say, she gets to the hard core crime. Yes, we met and heard him speak in Canberra. He is so much the seemingly archetypal American detective writer. Yet his books defy being boring. They have grabbed us both - at different times we have read through his collected works. The significance of art by Hieronymus Bosch has never been ignored since.As we gradually moved more of our life to Sydney, we ventured to larger writers’ festivals and launches, the highlights for me being:Kathy Reichs at Dymocks: Yes, I have bought and read all 19 of her Temperance Brennan forensic crime novels. The latest of these, A Conspiracy of Bones, written after a gap year (when she didn’t publish her annual Tempe book), reflects Reichs’ own confronting experience with a brain aneurism. But in this latest cyber-puzzling work Reichs does give insights into her threefold writing process: from the initial ant phase (collecting and stashing tidbits); to the second paper phase (making lists, drawing charts, scribbling outlines – who’d have thought pen and paper would feature so!); and then the final computer phase (bum down, eyes to screen, fingers to keyboard). Who would have thought one of her source materials would be from Adelaide: the cold case, Somerton Man’s body, found in 1948, still a profound mystery.Ian Rankin: We surprised him at his latest Sydney writers’ festival talk by asking him to sign a rare hard copy of his book on Edinburgh. He writes to support a life habit of providing better arrangements for his child living with disability challenges. An even better reason why we buy his books – they read well, and engage us.Peter Corris and Jean Bedford: This husband and wife life-partnership survived through so much writing effort, until his recent death. We both felt so privileged - to live near locations where they had rented, researched and written about: from ANU to the South Coast and then Glebe (not the least interesting location being the Toxteth pub); and to meet them both at his last public Sydney writers’ festival talk. Will live writers’ festivals survive COVID?Peter MaywaldBoni has already detailed many of the prominent authors we have jointly met, so I will not repeat what she has said. We lived for a number of years in Norfolk Island, which held its own annual writers’ festival. Because it was regarded as an exotic location, quite a few well-known authors took part. Given the infrequent air services, most of them stayed for a week. This meant that after giving their presentation at the festival, they had several days to enjoy the sights, cuisine and unique history and people of the Island. It also meant that it was quite common to bump into them in the only shopping precinct, and to invite them to share a coffee, glass of wine or a pot of tea. So it was that we were able to spend extended times with a few of these otherwise very busy authors. Below are just some of them. Chester PorterChester Porter QC is one of Australia’s most celebrated barristers, and is the father of the late Dorothy Porter, who wrote a marvelous verse novel/crime mystery, The Monkey’s Mask.Wikipedia gives some details of Chester Porter’s illustrious career:Chester is notable for his participation in the Voyager and Chamberlain Royal Commissions. He defended notorious police officer Roger Rogerson on bribery charges against fellow police officer Michael Drury. He was portrayed by John Hargreaves in the miniseries Blue Murder, about the trial of Roger Rogerson. His defence of Judge John Foord was considered so miraculous that the headline "Chester Porter walks on water" was used in a newspaper. Porter was known in court for his charm, great politeness and his forensic questioning. He served at the Bar for 52 years (1948-2000), and was appointed a Queens Counsel in 1974. He strongly pursued improvement in forensic science as a tool as a result of cases and the Chamberlain Royal Commission. His work and that of others resulted in the National Institute of Forensic Science. Among his legal peers, Chester Porter became known as “The Smiling Funnelweb.” But after his string of spectacular courtroom successes, Macquarie Street's more larrikin lawyers produced a limited edition t-shirt proclaiming “Chester Porter Walks on Water.” Chester used this as the title of his 2005 autobiography, which was the subject of his writers’ festival address in Norfolk Island. Our discussions with Chester were mainly about his definitive role as Counsel Assisting the Chamberlain Royal Commission, which finally absolved Lindy Chamberlain of any guilt in the death of her baby daughter Azaria. The case had split public opinion across the nation and made headlines all over the world. Chester’s view was that the defence lawyers in the original trial made the basic error of trying to prove that a dingo had taken and killed the child. They overlooked that the task of the prosecution was to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Lindy was guilty. When the defence failed to convince a jury that a dingo was responsible, they concluded that it must have been Mrs Chamberlain. Eventually, the Royal Commission, guided by Chester Porter, overturned the verdict and Lindy Chamberlain was freed after three and a half years in prison. The need to show guilt beyond reasonable doubt in criminal trials has hit the headlines again recently in the matter of Cardinal George Pell. Chester was a quietly-spoken, urbane man with strong principles and reminded me a little of the fictional Horace Rumpole made famous on television by Leo McKern. He talked at some length about honing his legal skills in the hard school of remote circuit courts, where he learned the peril of implying improper conduct by police and that a guilty plea usually resulted in a much lesser sentence than a guilty verdict after a trial. Chester Porter is now 94 and lives in Sydney..Merlinda BobisWe met the charming author, performance artist and academic Merlinda Bobis when she came to Norfolk Island to promote her novel Banana Heart Summer, and became proud owners of a signed first edition.She was born in the Philippines, where she obtained an Arts Degree from Aquinas University and undertook postgraduate study. She moved permanently to Australia in 1991 and completed a Doctorate in Creative Arts at the University of Wollongong. She has written in various genres in both Filipino and English and her work integrates elements of the traditional culture of the Philippines with modern immigrant experience. She is also an accomplished dancer and visual artist.She has won numerous awards, including the 1998 Awgie for Best Radio Play and the international Prix Italia of the same year. In 2000 White Turtle won the Steele Rudd Award for the Best Collection of Australian Short Stories and the 2000 Philippine National Book Award. Shortly after her 2006 visit to Norfolk Island, she received the Gintong Aklat Award (Golden Book Award, Philippines) for her novel Banana Heart Summer, from the Book Development Association of the Philippines. Since then, among many others, she has won the 2016 Christina Stead Prize for Fiction and the NSW Premier's Literary Award for her book, Locust Girl: A Lovesong. She has also won prizes for art, music and dancing. For more than 20 years, she was a popular teacher of creative writing at the University of Wollongong. She now lives in Canberra, where she says she “continues to dream new stories.”Peter CorrisMy first meeting with Peter Corris was when he became an instant favourite among the Norfolk Island descendants of the Bounty mutineers with the release of his “non-fiction” book The Journal of Fletcher Christian, in which he used his formidable storytelling skills to tell the “true story” of the events surrounding the mutiny on the Bounty. Peter was an enigmatic and engaging man who loved to share a drink and tell a ripping yarn. Penguin promoted his book as: A fascinating and brilliantly-told tale of rollicking ship life and the seductive charm of the Pacific Islands. While researching his family ancestry, historian Peter Corris discovers an old Manx connection to history's most famous mutineer, Fletcher Christian. Years later a mysterious parcel addressed to Corris arrives, containing two old journals. The first, an intimate and adventurous chronicle of American Henry Corkill's life at sea, is inextricably bound through history and blood to the second - that of Fletcher Christian, acting lieutenant on the Bounty and English rebel. Translated from eighteenth century Manx, Christian's journal reveals the dark and violent history of the mutiny and the fateful beginnings of Pitcairn Island.Binding together three lives, two histories and a fractured world of new - and old - cultures, The Journal of Fletcher Christian is a riveting tale of men and madness.In our enjoyable conversations, Peter was coy about whether his best-selling mystery book was a work of fiction, faction or non-fiction. But eventually Penguin gave the game away, declaring that the book is a dazzling work of the imagination.Morris GleitzmanMorris Gleitzman was chatty and personable, and gave generously of his time to discuss his popular works with children and adults in Norfolk Island. School students especially appreciated his hilarious educational talks and asked lots of questions about his many books. He is a person you could happily invite to your formal dinner party or backyard barbecue.On his chatty personal website, Morris Gleitzman details the background to two of his better-known and controversial works, Boy Overboard and Girl Underground. Our children loved these compelling books when they were at high school, and we also found them challenging and powerful. It’s worth repeating much of what Morris Gleitzman had to say about these works:Usually characters appear in my imagination unexpectedly, seemingly for their own reasons. But sometimes I go looking for them. When I do it’s often because of something that’s happening in the outside world.Which is how it was with Jamal and Bibi and Boy Overboard. For weeks I’d been seeing small overcrowded boats on the TV news. Back then we didn’t know much about who was on those boats, and the government didn’t seem to want us to. News cameras were kept at a distance. We never saw interviews with the people. Just far-off glimpses.Certain government ministers and media commentators had plenty to say about them. They were criminals, we were told, health-risks, cheats, queue-jumpers, and some of them, it was claimed, were probably terrorists.Big and scary accusations. But still we weren’t getting to meet any of the people ourselves. No chance to form our own opinions.Gradually I realised we were being told a story, a very familiar story. I call it the Nameless Faceless Fear story. There’s always a monster or a maniac or an evil presence in this type of story, one we never see up close. We’re never told its name or its favourite TV show or what it likes to have for breakfast. It’s kept at a distance so we have to fill in the details in our imagination, and there’s nothing like our imagination to make things scarier.Which can be lots of fun in the dark in front of a movie screen or curled up late at night with a scary book. But I felt it was very unfair of the government and certain media commentators to tell this type of story about people who seemed pretty scared themselves as far as we could glimpse, and miserable and in danger.So I decided to tell a different kind of story. A sort of antidote to the nameless faceless fear one. A story where the people on the boats have names and faces, and as we get to know them, thoughts and feelings and hopes and dreams and grumpy moments and anxious moments and loving moments.It was the first time I’d written a story partly set in a place I’d never been to. Afghanistan was a violent dangerous place then, and in many ways still is. But most of its people are ordinary families who want to live the same peaceful loving lives we all do.I was lucky enough to meet such a family. They had come to Australia as refugees, had been locked up in a detention centre in Western Australia for two years, and then released. I got to know them and they kindly read the first draft of Boy Overboard and helped me hugely with details of life in Afghanistan. I dedicated the book to them, and the friendship I have with them is one of the most precious things my writing career has given me.It didn’t feel fair to them for me to bring my next Jamal and Bibi story to a happy ending that must have felt so far away for so many of them. But I wanted to write more. During the research and writing of Boy Overboard I’d been struck by the huge differences in the responses of ordinary Australians to the arrival of refugees. Everything from empathy and compassion to bitter, even cruel, hatred. What makes people respond so differently to the plight of other humans? It was a question I wanted to explore, and it’s a question I’ve continued to explore since in Once and the other Felix books.So I decided that rather than write a sequel to Boy Overboard, I’d write a companion book. Girl Underground is the story of Bridget, an Australian girl with some big family problems of her own, who joins forces with Menzies, a boy whose father is an Australian government minister. Together they become pen friends with Jamal and Bibi, who by this stage are in a detention centre in the Australian desert.Girl Underground takes place after the end of Boy Overboard, but it isn’t strictly speaking a sequel. I hope, though, that readers of Boy Overboard will enjoy returning to Jamal and Bibi’s journey, even though it’s through the eyes of two new characters.I can promise that the ideas and themes woven into Boy Overboard are very much a part of Girl Underground. Friendship, families, loss, hope, and some of those aspects of our daily world that make our mouths hang open with amazement. Mine still does when I’m reminded that I live in a country where being poor lessens your chance of receiving sympathy and protection, whereas being rich opens every door. Including those of a very luxurious and exclusive boarding school, even when that wealth, as in the case of Bridget’s loving and caring and fun parents, comes from crime.Last time I looked, Morris Gleitzman had produced 41 books. He continues to write, and to garner numerous awards for his humorous and challenging books for children and young adults.Gaby MearesI hope all our members are coping with the situation we are in. I’m finding myself a little lost at sea, with all my usual moorings gone. I’ve found if I just take each day as it comes, then I’m not overwhelmed by it all.Thanks again to Peter for organising us all!I haven’t much to offer in regard to meeting crime authors. I have seen quite a few at writers’ festivals: Alexander McCall Smith, Ian Rankin, Barry Maitland, Val McDermid and many more that I can’t remember. However, my dad was a writer, although not crime fiction. He wrote westerns under the pseudonym Marshall Grover and managed to produce over 740 books in his lifetime! He was very organised, and wrote solidly from 9 in the morning until 5 in the afternoon, with a lunch break, Monday through to Friday. He used an old Corona manual type-writer, and was a lightening two-finger typist. The sound of his typing was the soundtrack to my childhood. For each new story he would have a list of characters up on his board, together with a sketch of the township and sometimes small sketches of characters to prompt his memory. He was a stickler for accuracy, so had a small library of reference books relating to American history, geography and firearms. He had never travelled to America!So for me, I’m not under any illusions about the ‘romance’ of being a writer - for my father it was his job, and it was enough for us to live off, but there were never any holidays or grand extravagances of any kind. When I needed braces, he took a second job counting money for Mayne Nickless which he did at night-time. I was a very lucky girl!So I guess this explains why books have always been in my blood. If I’m not reading them, I’m promoting them, and I’ve worked all my life either in libraries or bookshops. I’m sure I’ll die with a book in my hand!What have I read in the last month?I’ve discovered Harlen Corben and have listened to two of his novels as audiobooks: Don’t Let Go and Fool Me Once. Although this style of crime/thriller is not my usual fare, I found both these books engrossing and very well structured. They are fast paced and have unpredictable endings.Stephen King’s new book, If It Bleeds, contains 3 short stories and a novella. I know King is an acquired taste, but I am a huge fan and this latest did not disappoint. I think his short stories are outstanding: he has to pare back his tendency to get carried away with himself, so you’re left with the best he has to give. These stories are not horror per se but rather he uses the supernatural to explore themes such as grief and writer’s block.I discovered Barbara Pym last year, reading Excellent Women and Quartet in Autumn, both of which I adored. Pym’s books are set in the 1950s-70s and are about ordinary people. They are very English, but her themes are universal. Philip Larkin wrote, ‘She has a unique eye and ear for the small poignancies and comedies of everyday life - [her novels] are miniatures perhaps, but will not diminish.’ This month I read No Fond Return of Love. After I finish a Pym novel, I feel a little kinder toward my fellow humans! SMSA has all her novels. Inga Simpson is fast becoming another favourite author. I read Nest last year and loved it. This month I read Where the Trees Were. In 1987 Jay and her four childhood friends discover a grove of carved trees on her family property, and make an oath to always be friends, protect each other and the trees.Fast forward to 2004 and Jayne now works as a conservationist in Canberra. In alternating chapters Simpson reveals what happened in that last summer holiday before Jay and her friends started high school, and how those events impacted on all their lives.Without judgement, Simpson explores the tensions created by the burgeoning land rights claims; tensions not only between white farmers and the local indigenous population, but between family members and friends. Museum and gallery collection policies came under scrutiny in the early 2000s, revealing practices that showed no respect for indigenous artefacts.Simpson seamlessly interweaves these political issues through Jay’s life journey as she struggles to find her way towards redemption and peace. Her love for the Australian bush shines throughout and transforms?Where the Trees Were?from a mere polemic to something much more nuanced and memorable.?Highly recommended. SMSA holds both these titles.If anyone is interested, you can find my full reviews on Goodreads. Loraine PunchHi Everybody!!!! I hope everyone is looking after themselves, keeping mind and body fit and keeping their distance. We live in the strangest of times…First up since bingeing on Agatha Christie for the topic of novel to movie adaptation, I have to admit I haven’t indulged in as many books (especially crime related) as I anticipated but there have been some of varied genres.Continuing the Nicci French – Frieda Klein series I read Thursdays Child. By this stage I feel I know the central character well and love her need to walk everywhere to clear her mind – a woman after my own heart. I have the next 3 lined up.I read One More Day by Mitch Albom of Tuesdays with Morrie fame. A slender novel that packs a punch. A story of wistful nostalgia that asks the question, If you were given the chance to go back in time and fix what you did wrong, would you take it??? I read this novel word for beautiful word in two days and found myself with wet cheeks often. Highly recommended.I sped through Black Rock, White City by AS Patric. A novel that portrays the premise that we cannot move forward in a normal manner once we have witnessed gross cruelty. Well written.Currently wading through Saving Missy by Beth Morrey. A bitter sweet tale of a mature woman who by chance meets two people in a park who change her mundane life. She comes to realise how much she gave up for the love of a man who did not reciprocate the feeling and the need to make up for lost time!Now to the current topic – Brushes with fame of crime novelists!I have to admit I’m a book launch/festival junkie and I love to ask a pertinent question of the writers I admire.At last year’s BAD Crime writing festival the main guest was Val McDermid and I, with many others, attended her Q&A with Michael Robotham. She was absolutely fascinating. At the signing of her book I asked her how she wrote; did she spend 8 hours at the computer each day and treat it like a job or what? I told her I enjoyed writing but I found I loathed the idea of being stuck at the computer all day. She told me she puts the alarm on her clock for 30 minutes and then commences to write anything. If a thread or an idea doesn’t gel when the alarm goes off, she answers emails or makes a cup of tea. Then starts again. If a thread takes hold then she admitted they had to prise her fingers from her laptop. She advised to not feel guilty about a blank spot as she sees it as just the mind taking time out “to think”! I have found this to be sage advice indeed. No guilty feelings anymore if there is nothing “in the tank”.At last year’s Sydney Writers’ Festival I attended a session with Dervla McTeirnan, of the Cormac Reilly crime series, Candice Fox who has written violent novels such as Hades, Eden and Fall and has written with the great James Patterson, together with Mark Brandi who has penned Wimmera and The Rip. What a trio. I made sure I spoke to each one of them and from their working or family backgrounds it is easy to see how they have been able to put together what they have written. All advised me that you must write what you know because the reader will soon suspect you are a fraud as your writing style may prove to be clunky. Finally I had a long conversation with Leigh Straw at last year’s BAD Crime Festival. Leigh has written a number of books about Sydney in the days of the Razor Gang wars. Her books have dealt with the life of Kate Leigh, the sly grog queen of the day, Lillian Armfield the first NSW Policewoman and Dulcie Cameron who was known as the “Angel of Death” coincidentally the title of her book about her. Dulcie was a spectacularly beautiful prostitute, one of Tilly Devine’s girls who saw many of the men she walked “out” with (or rather stayed “in” with) murdered.My great aunt was an SP bookie who ran a successful business from the cellar of a grocer’s shop across from her home in Riley Street near Moore Park during the time. I was gathering information from Leigh about where to gain authenticity about crimes and general living conditions of the time. I took a lot of notes and I have to confess I have not put pen to paper yet. There’s that easily distracted nature of mine bursting forth.I must admit this period of self-isolation has made me focus more on what I want, where I wish to spend my time (and money) and what I want to write. I think I know where to start – finally!That’s all from me for this month! Looking forward to reading everyone’s contributions. Hopefully we might all be able to meet up in person in a few months.Claire TilleyThank you again, Peter, for keeping us going in these socially-distanced times. Thank you also, Annie, for a topic which has pleasantly led me along memory lane.During my twenties, I worked in customer service/sales for a couple of publishers and, in the course of my duties, met, usually only very briefly, quite a few authors.? However, I only remember meeting one crime writer, and that was P D James.? She was already popular in the UK but hadn't quite cracked the Australian market, so had been sent out from England for the "publicity tour".? This was a gruelling schedule of 2-3 days being shepherded around between radio and television talk shows, literary editors and major booksellers.? No wonder the recipients of this treatment were often exhausted by the time they arrived at the informal drinks party in the office, their reward for completing the course.? My first impression of P D James (Phyllis) was that she was an old lady, but I have looked up her birth date and found that she must have only been between 57-60, so younger than I am now!? As T S Eliot said "youth is cruel, and has no remorse." Phyllis talked a little about how, to kick off her writing career, she had to get up and write before work because her husband had died and she still had two daughters to support.? She then went on to talk about her daughters who were married by then, and about boating with them on the river.? My main memory of her is of a very pleasant, contented woman.I have read The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel recently.? Hilary Mantel never disappoints, and the way she breathes life into historical characters and situations is quite phenomenal.? I won't talk too much about that because I suspect that those of you who want to read it have already done so.I have hugely enjoyed another book?- A Theatre for Dreamers by Polly Samson.? The pleasure in this book comes very much from the people and the setting, if it was a joyous romp through Dubbo with Fred and Mary Blogs it just wouldn't work. It is a fictionalised account of the bohemian literary, artistic colony on the Greek island of Hydra in the mid-1950s to mid-1960s, but some of the real participants are characters in the novel, principally Charmian Clift and George Johnston, Leonard Cohen and Marianne, and a smattering of beatniks.? My first knowledge of this glamorous, exciting life was from my mother's Women's?Weekly when I was a teenage schoolgirl.? Jackie Onassis marrying Aristotle Onassis in 1968 rolled the whole Greek island thing into a delicious melange of the jet set meets Bohemia, what was it those Peter Stuyvesant ads used to say, "wherever life is young, vital, exciting".? A character in A Theatre for Dreamers is reading Ithaka by Cavafy, another of my youthful favourites, so I immediately got it down from the shelf and reread it.? I can't claim total wisdom, but I am wise enough to have "understood what these Ithakas mean".? Now I can say "So Long, Marianne" with no regrets ...well, hardly any.Very best wishes to you all, ClaireBrian WallsBrian here. I have met an incredible amount of authors: P D James, Walter Mosley, James Elroy, Neil Gaiman, Andrew Caches, Kinky Fireman ("the second most famous New in Texas" - his words), Lawrence Block, J. Deaver, Alan Moore (before he was a big name), etc.This year the Sydney Sherlock Holmes met by coincidence the Sydney playwright Sandra Bass on seeing the Sunday matinee showing of the latest play at the Genesian Sherlock Holmes and the Death on the Thor Bridge. This was unexpected!My strangest story was this: I bought a book on martial arts movies in Hollywood, travelled by train to Manhattan and went to Bogey's mystery restaurant on a quiet Sunday evening and talking to the restauranteur Bill Palmer and wife Rennie in the back and realised they had written the book I had purchased a week before!! As I knew mystery authors are at this restaurant I asked if there were any here. Well, I introduced myself to a chap with two ladies; his name was Kenn Davis, author of the Carver Bascombe series (a highbrow black P.I.); I apologised that I had not read him - but the kicker was I had! One paperback original Bogart '48 - and where did I meet him but at Bogey's! I did NOT buy the Maltese Falcon available for purchase...Yours in strangeness,BrianKay Templeton (SMSA Library; Saturday Crime Reading Group)Hi PeterYou’ve reminded me of a mad Sunday evening in Brisbane many, many years ago (1972) when the poet Judith Wright (who was very deaf even then) and I drove around in our separate cars, semi-lost, trying to find the home of the UQ Professor of Russian. ?We managed to communicate and find our way there. ?The occasion was a reading by the Russian poet Andrei Voznesensky who was in Oz for the Adelaide Festival. ?Another poet from the festival lineup was with him, beat poet Allen Ginsberg, and he sat cross legged while the great and the good of Brisbane’s literary establishment (plus a few Hons Russian students) milled and sipped.Our group is also communing by email, including about books! Two members give me their review by phone because they’re not equipped for email and I include them in the compilation. ?One of our members emails a Dropbox chat to camera. ?No carrier pigeons yet! ?Let’s hope we can meet in person before too long. ?I am really missing all my physical activities. ??CheersKayNext Month: Virtual meeting on 6 July – The Slough House seriesThe July meeting will be introduced by Lyn Stephenson on the topic of Mick Herron – The Slough House series (the “slow horses”). Lyn has recently sent the following message:Sorry that I have not been very forthcoming with my talk on Mick Herron. ?I have been taking things very easily at home; reading, quilting, knitting and television watching. ?Certainly going at a slow pace.Also my computer broke down and I could not type anything and searching the internet was extremely slow. ?I now have a new small laptop and am ready to go. ?My presentation will be very small as I have had very little experience at presenting a talk. However, I will get some notes together in the next week or two. Mick Herron has written many books and is well known for his Slough House Series. ?There are 7 books and two novellas. ?The first in the series is Slow Horses. I would recommend reading that one first as it sets the place and characters.Maybe we will be able to meet in the city for the July meeting? ?That would be so good.Kind regardsLyn-------oOo------Time will tell whether we will be able to meet together in July. At this stage, it seems unlikely, but we will be in touch if anything changes. Best wishes,Peter Maywald For Murder on a Monday ................
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