James Crumley is basically the Raymond Chandler of the American west. I mean that as both a compliment and a dig. I like Chandler and appreciate his status as the OG of the contemporary American mystery novel but I wouldn’t say I’m one of his acolytes. His plots were often heavily convoluted and though I don’t like applying 2018 sensibilities to works published sixty-plus years before, the vast majority of his female characters and how they are treated by Marlowe is nothing shy of misogynistic. Nevertheless, […]
Just Enjoy The Ride
Part of my sudden interest in reading James Crumley was the news from this past spring which suggested Mel Gibson’s interest in adapting this book with famed Chinatown screenwriter Robert Towne. Gibson described the story as “basically Chinatown set in a 7-11 in 70s Montana, with a lot of cocaine.” First and foremost, Mel Gibson is a lousy human being whose continued popularity in the film industry is a national disgrace. I hope he doesn’t make this movie. But I hope someone less vile than him does (the Coens, […]
You’re Such A Boy
My mother raised two boys. She loves spending time with my son, her grandson, who has a tendency to bouncing-off-the-walls physical craziness in the manner of many toddlers. When he does something along those lines, my mother, who would know, is fond of saying “You’re such a boy.” I read mostly male authors but I have done better in recent years. I’ve tried really hard to get away from tough-talking PIs who put women in their place and screw them when the case is solved. […]