Tuesday, September 13: High-Heeled Gumshoe
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 way, I often quote Daffy. In the midst of a chase scene in one of his cartoons he abruptly stops, stares at the audience, and says with his famous lisp, “This doesn’t make sense and neither do I.” Then he begins to run for his life again. I often feel like Daffy Duck. But I digress. I intended to talk about our blog.
Criminal Brief is neither. It isn’t criminal. It’s thoughtful, funny, erudite, curmudgeonly and simply wonderful. And it isn’t Brief. It ran for four and a half years. That’s a pretty good run.
When James asked me to come aboard, my first inclination was not to do it. I’m a slow writer. And time is fast. So I thought I couldn’t possibly write a column a week. But then I began to think about all the things I wanted to say. And most of them didn’t have anything to do with the short story.
I wanted to write about what was bothering me, confounding me. I wanted to get down on paper what I observed in my daily life. Also I had never written about my acting career. And then there was my marriage. I wanted to capture the dialogue and the relationship between a husband and wife, who happened to be two creative people. In other words I wanted to explore; open my horizons as a writer. So I told James I would be glad to do it if I could write about anything I wanted and he agreed. And a whole new world opened up to me.
It never occurred to me I would develop friendships on the Internet. Janice and Deborah are the only two of our comrades in crime I haven’t met in person. But I feel I know these two women and would like to sit down and have cup of coffee with them. How about a G & T? And when I met the others in person I felt as if we’d been friends for a long time; and that’s because we got know each other through our writings first. The point of a writer is to connect with readers. And we were readers of each other’s columns.
Criminal Brief has also allowed me to share thoughts with the likes of Jon Breen, David Dean, Stephen Ross, and other writers I admire. And last but not least are the CB readers who have supported us with their vast knowledge, depth, and wicked humor.
My favorite moment in CB history was creating the virtual Criminal Brief Headquarters. Not only was it fun to write but also it was hilarious. And our virtual offices became skewered metaphors for each of us.
We had the longest book signing in history. I think it took us a year to get that damn anthology of short stores to our prizewinner ABA. I’m sure Leigh will correct me, but I think it all started to go wrong when he lost the book. We never had another contest after that.
James deserves a big CB Medal and a smoochy kiss for creating this blog in the first place and then keeping it going. We were not an easy group to herd. So it is with fond memories and love that I will watch Criminal Brief sink into the ether and disappear. She was yar.
I’m gonna miss you and your columns, Melodie. Thanks for your contributions to CB over the years.
Be well,
–Hamilton
And that’s why I’ve always loved CB. Where else could you find Daffy Duck appearing alongside Katherine Hepburn?
Always a class act, already sadly missed.
It’s been a pleasure reading your columns, Melodie. I’m going to miss them.
I will miss you and your columns too, Melodie. In fact, I will miss all of you. It was a real pleasure meeting you, James, and Steven at the last Dell cocktail party; a pleasure that I hope to repeat some day soon.
Now you tell me that CB HQ is ‘virtual’! I’ve been combing the mean streets of any city that I pass through trying to find it. I felt like I was so close!
Melodie-
It’s been a pleasure sharing the Intertubes with you. I am sure I speak for the rest of Sleuth Sayers when I say that any time you or James or Steve get the itch to toss in a blog entry we would be honored to fit you in.
If memory serves, you gave this up once before, only to return after a brief hiatus.
Hiatus. Nice word. Very useful, especially these days.
So any time you get the urge to tell us another story, please bear it in mind.
“Never say never …”
Melodie — You know how much I’ll miss your columns, because I hated so to see you leave earlier, for the “hiatus” that Mike mentioned. I still like to think my pestering you to return was one of the reasons you came back . . .
I can’t believe how much I’ve learned over these past four years, about mysteries and about writing, from you and our cohorts and our readers. It’s been great fun.
I do hope you’ll be supplying a guest column for SS now and then. Meanwhile, best of luck in ALL your endeavors. Keep us posted.
I do like a grand entrance and a grand exit. I should have said hanging up my blogging shoes for awhile.
But then I wouldn’t t have gotten all the wonderful comments. Thank you.
I won’t say good-bye, because there is absolutely no conceivable scenario where I could abandon such a rewarding friendship as ours has been. But I will make two parting shots:
(1) You should absolutely let everybody know when the first Diana Poole novel is published. I want the first signed copy and I will hie my way to Santa Barbara through rain, sleet, snow, and dark of night to make sure that I get it. (If we actually had rain, sleet, and snow in SoCal, that is.)
(2) I think that a Hollywood memoir from you might be a worthy project; not so much a structured autobiography as a series of vignettes, of which you are one of the most masterful writers I have ever met, something along the lines of Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast describing the Lost Generation, especially since your era is one that is now in the public eye. I know that there are hundreds of CB fans who would agree with me. Again, I’ll be first in line.
I’m second in line.
What a wonderful and classy way to go out! I’ve enjoyed every second of (or letter of)your columns. This whole project was well worth your (and everybody’s) time and effort and is well-appreciated! (I’ll be right behind James for the copy of the novel and memoir!)
All The Best!
—–jeff
Your stylish and imaginative columns will be much missed!
It’s been fun being your colleague.
The anthology may have taken the scenic route, but I assure you it was well worth the wait. (Velma probably mislaid it somewhere in CB HQ.)
Thank you, MJH, for your contributions – it’s been interesting having behind-the-scenes peeks into a world with which I’m so unfamiliar, especially from someone in the know.
Good wishes —ABA
I’ll miss you but will always follow you through Diana Poole and her adventures. and who knows, Bouchercon Cleveland is only a year away and perhaps we’ll both be there and perhaps we’ll speak for a bit as we did in Baltimore and in San Francisco.
Hope springs eternal.
Hugs, Terrie
Melodie, I’m already planning a “Sooth Slayer’s” article after mispronouncing it once too often. And yes, you’re right about the book. (Sorry ABA!)
It has been a lot of fun. James does indeed deserve the CB medal, but he’s NOT getting any damn smoochy kiss from ME!
I look forward to meeting Diana in the bookstores.
James, thank you for the great advice.
And if this Diana Poole novel ever comes out I’ll be in line with everyone else.
Thank you guys for all your good thoughts, and please remember I’m not going THAT far away.