DOORWAYS by James Lincoln Warren Jim Morrison, the famous Dionysiac rock’n’roll star, claimed that his cult band the Doors was named after a line in the mad genius William Blake’s pseudo-Biblical prophetic manifesto, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, […]

PARTING SHOT by Leigh Lundin Much as I dislike the thought, journeys come to an end and the CB superhighway has made for a great trip. I expect one of my colleagues could estimate how many bloody words we’ve splattered on this platform, but as we’ve learned, it’s not the number of words but how […]

WRITING TIGHT by John M. Floyd No, this title isn’t a description of the way William Faulkner created most of his stories. I’m referring to tight prose, not tight pro’s. Long ago I was browsing through YouTube videos and found a clip from an old Leave It to Beaver episode. (In fact I think I […]

FASTEN YOUR SEATBELT by Steven Steinbock We have reached a cruising altitude. You may now use approved electronic devices. I’m writing this—my final entry in the Bandersnatch journal—while sitting in Seat 9C aboard Delta 6013 en route from LaGuardia to St. Louis. Has anyone else noticed how the pages of books warp while you’re in […]

ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD by Deborah Elliott-Upton Saying goodbye has never been one of my favorite things. Instead, I’d like to say thanks for the opportunity to be a part of your life for these past years at Criminal Brief. This isn’t goodbye as I know we’ll still be bumping into each other again. […]

COMMUNITY CHEST by Rob Lopresti So once again Bouchercon time has rolled around and I will not be in attendance. To tell the truth, I usually am not, because I am the worst traveler outside of a coral reef. And frankly, I am not the most social of animals. Hanging around a noisy bar for […]

BLOGGING SHOES by Melodie Johnson Howe I’m hanging up my blogging shoes after this last column for Criminal Brief. Leigh very kindly asked if I would guest blog at the new Sleuth Sayers. Guys, could you come with up a name that doesn’t make me sound like Daffy Duck when I pronounce it? By the […]