Hot on the heels of Charles Ardai’s discussion concerning verse as short story and Rob Lopresti’s account of ballads as crime fiction, Edgar Allan Poe, the inventor of the mystery short story, weighs in on the subject. Being Edgar Allan Poe, he has a lot to say, so I’ve divided his column into four parts. […]

BANDERSNATCH IN THE RAIN by Steven Steinbock Time for another break from my rundown of favorite mystery anthologies. I’ll be back next week with two more mystery collections to critique. But for now, some thoughts on short-shorts. (No, not hot-pants). Short stories that are really short, also known as “flash fiction.” Stories that run a […]

END OF TRAIL by Deborah Elliott-Upton I have just returned from Cowboy Heaven, a.k.a End Of Trail, the annual World’s Championship of Cowboy Action Shooting, the fastest growing sport in the country. Over 600 competitors plus vendors and tourists crowded the New Mexico valley this past weekend. I admit, I find nothing cuter – no […]

SING A SONG OF SIX-GUNS By Robert Lopresti I warned you that folk music would creep into this blog from time to time. Now’s your chance to flee and listen to your favorite Britney Spears album. Folk music is full of short stories, but how many of them are mysteries? Depends on your definition, of […]

CRIMINALLY BRIEF by Melodie Johnson Howe I am in the midst of teaching at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference so my time is limited. Here are some random thoughts and random passions. Can a passion be random? Tim Rutten recently wrote in the Los Angeles Times about why there is no western outcry about the […]

THE FIRST CHECK by James Lincoln Warren As you have already read, Leigh almost didn’t make yesterday’s deadline. He called me and asked if I could fill in for him in case his internet woes defeated him. Of course I agreed, and ginned up the following—when he came through, I decided this piece would do […]

THEY DO IT WITHOUT WIRES by Leigh Lundin It’s Friday and my broadband network has died. After following tech support’s rigmarole, which in this case I knew would be fruitless, they promised to have a guy show up. Sunday. Maybe. A maybe promise? Isn’t that also promising he might not show up? But, I have […]