'Secretariat' Opens Today

i have a feeling this is not just another horse story. i'm hearing good things about it. and i love diane lane so i'm giving it a shot.

Kiwis love crime fiction, but what about our own?

A few months ago I wrote an article for the 'Soapbox' section of the New Zealand Book Council's excellent quarterly publication Book Notes, about New Zealand crime fiction. In the article I noted that local readers do have a large appetite for crime fiction, but traditionally we have been pretty poor at reading local authors in the genre. "When will New Zealanders embrace locally penned tales of murder, mystery, and mayhem?," I asked.

Since I wrote the Book Notes article some of the things I addressed have been further evidenced by specific statistics and other comments and observations in excellent articles by Mark Broatch in the Sunday Star-Times (read here) and Philip Matthews in Your Weekend (read here). In particular, I found it very interesting that my comment about the popularity and dominance of crime fiction on New Zealand's international bestseller lists as compared to how much we buy and read our own authors was borne out in Broatch's article by Neilsen Bookscan statistics showing that crime was probably the most popular type of fiction reading for New Zealanders last year (taking more than 30% of the market), but less than 1% of the crime novels sold here were written by locals.

This is an appalling statistic, especially given the quality of some of the crime fiction being produced by local writers. But what might be some of the reasons for this shockingly low level of support from the buying public? Is it the way our writers are publicised? Cultural cringe from the readers? Or something else. In my Soabox article in the Winter issue of Book Notes, I took a look at some possible reasons, and the reality behind the perceptions.

The article can now be read online. Click here to view the article.

Why do you think New Zealand readers haven't yet truly embraced our great New Zealand crime writers? Are things improving? Is there a realtive lack of support for crime writers from the books industry, or at least some parts of it? What more could be done? Is this even an issue/should we care? I'd love to read what you think about all of this. Please share your comments.

'City Island' Rates ***1/2stars

'city island' opened this past april with little or no fanfare and where it did open it disappeared quickly. unfortunately this is the fate of many films especially those labeled as 'art house' films. but thank the cinematic gods that they get a second life on home video.

'city island is a 'slice of life' film that begins and ends in a matter of days. at it's core is secrets. secrets kept and secrets exposed. at the center of it all is the brilliant performance of andy garcia in his best role to date. he is the dad in a secretive family. their secrets are non-malicious. they are kept out of love or just because the other characters think they are no big deal or because the owner of the secret thinks they are, simply put, silly.

this film is charming and delightful. that julianna margulies has her best film role to date makes it worth seeing even more. but have no doubt that this is andy garcia's movie. and he deserves an oscar nomination for it. in fact with the best picture field still at the ridiculous ten nominations the movie itself deserves a nom.

rent this film. you will hopefully be as pleasantly surprised as i was. i love finding these small gems. in an otherwise slim film year so far this small gem is a diamond.

trailer

 

Song of the Day: 'Vienna'

i feel in love with linda eder when i saw her in 'jekyll and hyde' on broadway.

'vienna', not from the musical, is just a beautiful song delivered by a beautiful woman with a beautiful voice. but i warn you: in concert she is a total bore. she has zero stage presence. buy her cd's and listen to them at home.

9mm: an interview with Joyce Yarrow

Welcome to the latest instalment in Crime Watch's ongoing series of author interviews; 9mm - 9 Murder Mystery questions put to a variety of New Zealand and international crime, thriller, and mystery authors.

When I started this series earlier this year, one of my aims was to provide a series of interesting author interviews with a diverse array of crime writers; Kiwi and international, nascent to longstanding, award-winning to lesser-known. Hopefully you've been enjoying the mix - finding both some new authors to try, and some new things about authors you've already read.

For the 37th instalment in the rapidly growing 9mm series, Crime Watch is talking to New York-born, Seattle-based crime writer Joyce Yarrow, who has led an intriguing creative life away from the crime writing page as well; she's been a screenwriter, a multimedia performance artist, a poet, a singer-songwriter, a member of a vocal ensemble, and a teacher of workshops on 'The Place of Place in Mystery Writing'. She is a Pushcart Nominee whose short stories have appeared in Inkwell Journal, Whistling Shade, Descant 2007, Arabesques, and Weber: The Contemporary West.

Her debut 'Bronx Noir' crime novel ASK THE DEAD was published in 2005, and introduced poet and private detective Jo Epstein. Next month Epstein returns in THE LAST MATRYOSHKA. I have a review copy of this new book, which is set in Brooklyn and Russia, and am very much looking forward to reading it. I will post a review as the book becomes available. You can see a short 'preview trailer' for the book on YouTube:

You can read more about Yarrow and her writing at her website here, or at her blog Travels with the Muse, here. But for now, Joyce Yarrow stares down the barrel of 9mm.


The Crime Watch 9mm Author Interview: Joyce Yarrow

Who is your favourite recurring crime fiction hero/detective?
My favourite recurring crime fiction hero is John D. MacDonald’s Travis McGee. He is an environmentalist in an era when the term has yet to be coined and he lives the life he loves, on board The Busted Flush. As a Salvage Consultant, McGee often recovers more than the goods – he salvages the self respect of his clients.

What was the very first book you remember reading and really loving, and why?
I vividly remember reading The Little Princess at the age of eight. Growing up in the Southeast Bronx, it was easy to relate to someone who survived by living entirely in her imagination.

Before your debut crime novel, what else had you written (if anything) unpublished manuscripts, short stories, articles?
Before my debut mystery novel, Ask the Dead, I published a series of poems and four or five short stories in literary magazines, such as Whistling Shade and Inkwell. One story was nominated for a Pushcart Prize, which was a tremendous encouragement. I try to blur the line between literary and “genre” writing in my books—one of the reasons that Jo Epstein is a dedicated performance poet as well as a highly competent private investigator.

Outside of writing, and touring and promotional commitments, what do you really like to do, leisure and activity-wise?
I love to travel and journeying to Russia to research The Last Matryoshka was the epitome of mind-expanding adventure. My son and I stayed in what was once a communal apartment in Moscow and when we toured Vladimir Central Prison, he said, “Mom, this is not the usual tourist experience, is it?” In Seattle, we live near Lake Washington and canoeing is another favorite activity, along with pitch ‘n putt golf. I also have a lot of fun singing with a world vocal and percussion ensemble, Abráce.

What is one thing that visitors to your hometown should do, that isn't in the tourist brochures, or perhaps they wouldn’t initially consider?
Take the light rail south from downtown to Columbia City, an historical district that is located in the most diverse zip code in the nation—98118.

If your life was a movie, which actor could you see playing you?
I can imagine Jodie Foster playing me as a wide-eye child in New York City – after that it’s anybody’s guess.

Of your books, which is your favourite, and why?
My favourite book is always the one I’m currently writing—how else could I muster the energy to go the distance?

What was your initial reaction, and how did you celebrate, when you were first accepted for publication? Or when you first saw your debut story in book form on a bookseller’s shelf?
When Ask the Dead was accepted for publication, I was elated and at the same time, humbled. As Ernest Hemingway said, “We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.”

What is the strangest or most unusual experience you have had at a book signing, author event, or literary festival?
I perform with a world vocal and percussion group and it’s always strange when someone mentions my life as an author to the audience at a festival or in a club. For a moment I feel like I’ve wandered onstage by mistake and then I remember that it’s alright to do more than one thing!


Thank you Joyce Yarrow. We really appreciate you taking the time to talk with Crime Watch.

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So what do you think of this 9mm interview? Have you read any of Joyce Yarrow's books, short stories or poems? Or listened to any of her music? Do you like the sound of the Jo Epstein series? Of crime novels set in Russia? I'd love to read your comments. Please share your thoughts.

Song of the Day: 'Jambalaya'

i have no ides why i find myself humming and singing this song as much as i do. it was a catchy tune the first time i heard it.

 emmylou harris

the first time i heard it was this recording by jo stafford and the version that is gladly stuck in my brain

Remembering Carole Lombard on Her Birthday

carole lombard was the zaniest film comedianne of all time. she died too young in a plane crash while selling war bonds during world war 2. she lives on film forever.

my two favorite lombard films