Alistair Kimble's Blog, page 4

In A Lonely Place

In A Lonely Place Movie Poster From 1950

In A Lonely Placeis one of the few films that nearly equals the novel upon which it was based. The novel of the same name, by Dorothy B. Hughes, is a masterpiece and quite daring for the time, the 1940s. Hughes compares quite favorably with James M. Cain (author of Mildred Pierce, Double Indemnity, The Postman Always Rings Twice) and in many ways surpasses him as a writer of noir. Her character development exceeds Cain's, in my opinion.

I highl...

The Streak

The streak isn't a new concept. Streaks are ever-present and are tracked in sports, the stock market, and gambling for starters. We may not think about streaks when it comes to our daily lives with things such as fitness or abstaining from alcohol or whichever vice(s)one may have, but they're there. They may not even be healthy streaks.

But what about writing? The idea of the streak in writing isn't new at all. I didn't see writing as something capable of a streak,like Joe DiMaggio's streak of...

Rogues In Saratoga Springs: World Fantasy 2015

I'll be on the road again this week and attending World Fantasy in Saratoga Springs NY, November 5th-8th.The con organizers have graciously put me on a panel the opening day--Thursday, November 5th at 4pm. Here is a description along with the panel participants from WFC's website:

The Rogue
Assassins, thieves, rogues of all stripes, it seems that no quest party is complete without a wisecracking roguish sidekick. But is there more to the Rogue than that?
Ellen Kushner (mod.), Alistair Kimble, C...

Lone Wolves & Loose Cannons

I attended Bouchercon, the world mystery convention, earlier in October. This year it was held in Raleigh, NC, a city I'd never visited before. A friend of mine, and a very generous one at that, (be sure to check out his Jon & Lobo series, published by Baen Books),allowed me to stay at his home while I was in town.

The trip to North Carolina was really two trips in one: the convention/writing and friends/food/entertainment.

Bouchercon:This was my first time attending Bouchercon, an...

Murder Under The Oaks - Bouchercon 2015

I'll be leaving for Raleigh, North Carolina around midnight tonight to attend Bouchercon 2015,the world mystery convention.Even though this is my first Bouchercon, the organizers were kind enough to invite me to participate in the program!

I'll be a panelist on Lone Wolves & Loose Cannons in Thrillerswith some wonderful writers. My fellow panelists will be: Andrew Grant, Ben McPherson, Bruce DeSilva, and Mick Herron.It's an early panel--8:30am on October 9th.

I'm looking forward to Bouchercon f...

Cheese Bomb At The Satellite

While I love fine dining, I also love more pedestrian fare. I grew up in Northern New Jersey for crying out loud and enjoyed such wonderful treats:Hostess cupcakes and Twinkies? Tastykakes? Ellio's Pizza? Steak-umm? Pork roll sandwich? Dunkin' Donuts? French Fries and gravy?

I could go on and on, and while my diet has improved over the years, I still enjoy comfort food and junk food. Just ask people at my office and they'll tell you I can pack away the glazed donuts with the best of 'em.

I was...

Twin Peaks & Sasquan

My wife and I decided we'd use traveling to Spokane for Sasquan (World Science Fiction Convention) as an excuse for a mini-vacation at Snoqualmie Falls for a stay at the Great Northern--I mean the Salish Lodge & Spa.

The Salish Lodge and nearby towns were the inspiration for the town of Twin Peaks in the David Lynch mystery/drama of the same name. We booked the 'Twin Peaks' package at the Salish Lodge which included a map of locations used in the filming of the show, Dale Cooper cocktails (a...

The Loss Of A Loved One

On July 29, 2015 we lost Pepper. The loss of Pepper devastated us since upon adopting him, he'd always been our most sturdy and healthy cat and we thought we'd have many more years with him. We'd only adopted him 3 years earlier after he'd spent 9 months in the Evergreen Animal Protective League's no-kill shelter. The shelter believed he was around 8 or 9 when we adopted him. Pepper's story touched us--his previous owner (I don't like that word, so perhaps his previous human or his previous...

Turner Classic Movies

I recently dumped my satellite television service, and the channel I watched the most was TCM. This isn't a post about satellite or cable or even TCM the cable channel (which is the only reason I was even holding on to my satellite for so long).

Have you ever wanted to see Jaws on the big screen? How about Gone With The Wind or Casablanca? How about Grease? Hitchcock films?

Guess what? You can.

Turner Classic Movies has been bringing classic films back to the big screen. These films usually only...

The Brown Palace Hotel

The Brown Palace in Denver, Colorado has been open since 1892 and every U.S. President since Theodore Roosevelt has visited (except Calvin Coolidge). The Brown is truly one of Denver's treasures, and there is much to experience within beside the wonderful accommodations.

My wife and I will be staying at the Brown this evening for Halloween (we don't get any trick-or-treaters up in the mountains, unfortunately). We'll be taking part in a tour of the Brown featuring a medium, who will provide u...