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Hunting Buffalo With Bent Nails
While he is probably best known as a novelist and short-story writer, Lawrence Block has produced a rich trove of nonfiction over the course of a sixty-year career. His instructional books for writers are leaders in the field, and his self-described pedestrian memoir, Step By Step, has found a loyal audience in the running and racewalking community. Over the years, Block has written extensively for magazines and periodicals. Generally Speaking collects his philatelic columns from Linn’s Stamp News, while his extensive observations of crime fiction, along with personal glimpses of some of its foremost practitioners, have won wide acclaim in book form as The Crime of Our Lives. Hunting Buffalo With Bent Nails is what he’s got left over. The title piece, originally published in American Heritage, recounts the ongoing adventure Block and his wife undertook, criss-crossing the United States and parts of Canada in their quixotic and exotic quest to find every “village, hamlet, and wide place in the road named Buffalo.” Other travel tales share space with a remembrance of his mother, odes to New York, a disquisition on pen names and book tours, and, well, no end of bent nails not worth straightening. Where else will you find “Raymond Chandler and the Brasher Doubloon,” an assessment of that compelling writer from a numismatic standpoint? Where else can you read about Block’s collection of old subway cars? Highly recommended.
- GenresNonfictionTravel
Kindle Edition
Published December 9, 2019
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About the author
Lawrence Block
768 books2,989 followersLawrence Block has been writing crime, mystery, and suspense fiction for more than half a century. He has published in excess (oh, wretched excess!) of 100 books, and no end of short stories.
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., LB attended Antioch College, but left before completing his studies; school authorities advised him that they felt he’d be happier elsewhere, and he thought this was remarkably perceptive of them.
His earliest work, published pseudonymously in the late 1950s, was mostly in the field of midcentury erotica, an apprenticeship he shared with Donald E. Westlake and Robert Silverberg. The first time Lawrence Block’s name appeared in print was when his short story “You Can’t Lose” was published in the February 1958 issue of Manhunt. The first book published under his own name was Mona (1961); it was reissued several times over the years, once as Sweet Slow Death. In 2005 it became the first offering from Hard Case Crime, and bore for the first time LB’s original title, Grifter’s Game.
LB is best known for his series characters, including cop-turned-private investigator Matthew Scudder, gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, globe-trotting insomniac Evan Tanner, and introspective assassin Keller.
Because one name is never enough, LB has also published under pseudonyms including Jill Emerson, John Warren Wells, Lesley Evans, and Anne Campbell Clarke.
LB’s magazine appearances include American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Linn’s Stamp News, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and The New York Times. His monthly instructional column ran in Writer’s Digest for 14 years, and led to a string of books for writers, including the classics Telling Lies for Fun & Profit and The Liar’s Bible. He has also written episodic television (Tilt!) and the Wong Kar-wai film, My Blueberry Nights.
Several of LB’s books have been filmed. The latest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, stars Liam Neeson as Matthew Scudder and is scheduled for release in September, 2014.
LB is a Grand Master of Mystery Writers of America, and a past president of MWA and the Private Eye Writers of America. He has won the Edgar and Shamus awards four times each, and the Japanese Maltese Falcon award twice, as well as the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Diamond Dagger for Life Achievement from the Crime Writers Association (UK). He’s also been honored with the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award from Mystery Ink magazine and the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement in the short story. In France, he has been proclaimed a Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice been awarded the Societe 813 trophy. He has been a guest of honor at Bouchercon and at book fairs and mystery festivals in France, Germany, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and Taiwan. As if that were not enough, he was also presented with the key to the city of Muncie, Indiana. (But as soon as he left, they changed the locks.)
LB and his wife Lynne are enthusiastic New Yorkers and relentless world travelers; the two are members of the Travelers Century Club, and have visited around 160 countries.
He is a modest and humble fellow, although you would never guess as much from this biographical note.
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., LB attended Antioch College, but left before completing his studies; school authorities advised him that they felt he’d be happier elsewhere, and he thought this was remarkably perceptive of them.
His earliest work, published pseudonymously in the late 1950s, was mostly in the field of midcentury erotica, an apprenticeship he shared with Donald E. Westlake and Robert Silverberg. The first time Lawrence Block’s name appeared in print was when his short story “You Can’t Lose” was published in the February 1958 issue of Manhunt. The first book published under his own name was Mona (1961); it was reissued several times over the years, once as Sweet Slow Death. In 2005 it became the first offering from Hard Case Crime, and bore for the first time LB’s original title, Grifter’s Game.
LB is best known for his series characters, including cop-turned-private investigator Matthew Scudder, gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, globe-trotting insomniac Evan Tanner, and introspective assassin Keller.
Because one name is never enough, LB has also published under pseudonyms including Jill Emerson, John Warren Wells, Lesley Evans, and Anne Campbell Clarke.
LB’s magazine appearances include American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Linn’s Stamp News, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and The New York Times. His monthly instructional column ran in Writer’s Digest for 14 years, and led to a string of books for writers, including the classics Telling Lies for Fun & Profit and The Liar’s Bible. He has also written episodic television (Tilt!) and the Wong Kar-wai film, My Blueberry Nights.
Several of LB’s books have been filmed. The latest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, stars Liam Neeson as Matthew Scudder and is scheduled for release in September, 2014.
LB is a Grand Master of Mystery Writers of America, and a past president of MWA and the Private Eye Writers of America. He has won the Edgar and Shamus awards four times each, and the Japanese Maltese Falcon award twice, as well as the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Diamond Dagger for Life Achievement from the Crime Writers Association (UK). He’s also been honored with the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award from Mystery Ink magazine and the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement in the short story. In France, he has been proclaimed a Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice been awarded the Societe 813 trophy. He has been a guest of honor at Bouchercon and at book fairs and mystery festivals in France, Germany, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and Taiwan. As if that were not enough, he was also presented with the key to the city of Muncie, Indiana. (But as soon as he left, they changed the locks.)
LB and his wife Lynne are enthusiastic New Yorkers and relentless world travelers; the two are members of the Travelers Century Club, and have visited around 160 countries.
He is a modest and humble fellow, although you would never guess as much from this biographical note.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 30, 2021
There’s a section in this hoard of bits and pieces (odds and sods we call them here) where Block and his wife, Lynne, decide to sell their home in Florida and spend the next year or two on the road, visiting any place they can find with Buffalo in its name. In truth, they found a whole lot. Then there’s the account of how they joined a group called The Travellers Century Club, home to anyone who’s visited more than one hundred countries, and remain hungry to tick off yet more (his update on this one suggests he’s up to around a hundred and seventy now). And apart from collecting Buffalos and countries the author has also collected stamps and coins – and written about those hobbies too.
So LB is a collector, but he’s also a writer with a prodigious output, churning out material for sixty years or more. He’s one of my favourite writers and I’ve lost count of how many of his books I’ve worked my way through, but it must be closing on a hundred. I have another waiting in the wings too, a self-penned musing on the first quarter century of his life. In fact I have two copies of this book: a handsome, signed limited edition and an e-book version too (so I can protect the aforementioned).
Aside from his skills as a wordsmith, one thing that’s always amused and impressed me about Block is his ability – and his tenacity – in ruthlessly monetising as much of his output as he possibly can. In recent years I’ve come across numerous collections of his writings as well as re-publications of plenty of his early books, many of which were written under one of his various pseudonyms. This group of pieces is fairly typical, including as it does various articles and other writings drawn from a multitude of sources. It’s eclectic, sometimes frustratingly repetitive (LB’s first trip to Manhattan with his late father earns several mentions), but mainly it’s just great fun.
I’ve been picking away at this one for a while – it’s that sort of book – but I’ve always been pleased when I’ve re-emersed myself in Block’s musings. It’s hard to pick out a favourite but a long article on his mother certainly stands out as one that particularly pricked my interest: it’s a strangely dispassionate rumination and perhaps it tells us more about the writer than the subject. Either way, I found it fascinating.
A book that probably best suits a fans of LB’s writing – of which there will be many. I’m glad I spent some time with it and I hope many others will too.
So LB is a collector, but he’s also a writer with a prodigious output, churning out material for sixty years or more. He’s one of my favourite writers and I’ve lost count of how many of his books I’ve worked my way through, but it must be closing on a hundred. I have another waiting in the wings too, a self-penned musing on the first quarter century of his life. In fact I have two copies of this book: a handsome, signed limited edition and an e-book version too (so I can protect the aforementioned).
Aside from his skills as a wordsmith, one thing that’s always amused and impressed me about Block is his ability – and his tenacity – in ruthlessly monetising as much of his output as he possibly can. In recent years I’ve come across numerous collections of his writings as well as re-publications of plenty of his early books, many of which were written under one of his various pseudonyms. This group of pieces is fairly typical, including as it does various articles and other writings drawn from a multitude of sources. It’s eclectic, sometimes frustratingly repetitive (LB’s first trip to Manhattan with his late father earns several mentions), but mainly it’s just great fun.
I’ve been picking away at this one for a while – it’s that sort of book – but I’ve always been pleased when I’ve re-emersed myself in Block’s musings. It’s hard to pick out a favourite but a long article on his mother certainly stands out as one that particularly pricked my interest: it’s a strangely dispassionate rumination and perhaps it tells us more about the writer than the subject. Either way, I found it fascinating.
A book that probably best suits a fans of LB’s writing – of which there will be many. I’m glad I spent some time with it and I hope many others will too.
September 7, 2021
Hunting Buffalo With Bent Nails is a collection of Block’s travel essays and anthology introductions that shows off his writing ability and acerbic wit. In short, if you are familiar with Block’s writing, you’ll recognize his narrative voice and enjoy his insights on Matt Scudder, Bernie R., Keller, and Jill Emerson. It’s filled with wit, grace, and is surprisingly a fun read. Absent from it is any of Block’s fiction, but your bookshelves are probably already filled with that. Rather, you get to hear about Block and his wife traveling around the country searching out towns named Buffalo, how comforting antiseptic Holiday Inns are, how odd the creative process is, and all manner of prattling details. Although probably not for everyone, there’s a lot to like here.
February 9, 2020
Man, I love Lawrence Block.
When I was young and almost exclusively a Stephen King reader, my diet of King was omnivorous. The man was writing horror novels? Sure! There’s a children’s fantasy book? Yes! A novel about a woman who may have killed her husband and her employer, with virtually no supernatural elements? Please! It was the voice I came back for, time after time. It didn’t matter what Stephen King wrote, as long as it was him writing it.
People who didn’t think this way baffled me. When I first became extremely online, I would find Stephen King nuts who would say, “Eh, that new one doesn’t look interesting to me. I’ll skip it.” My paroxysms at such insouciance were legendary.
As I got into the larger world, though, my viewpoint began changing. Not on King - god, never - but on other authors. I would attempt to approach them as I’d done King, and that would work for awhile ... but a great deal of authors write in a variety of styles and I’m not always interested in them. More, I’m not as into the completionist mindset. If I don’t read every sentence an author wrote, it doesn’t mean I’m not a fan. Even my beloved John Irving wrote a book of essays that were, to my weary brain, interminable.
That’s why Lawrence Block has been such a treat. I got in through the Scudder novels, moved into his comic Rhodenbarr thief books, and became a Blockovore with the Keller books. Last year, he came out with two books of collected nonfiction: one about stamp collecting, and this one - a clutch of essays from his long writing life that don’t center around a particular theme.
Hunting Buffalo With Bent Nails is, then, a rococo clutch of dispatches from the world and mind of one of America’s best and most entertaining writers. In here, there’s a short essay about traveling the world and a long essay about traveling the USA - in search of towns with Buffalo in the name. Essays on audiobook abridgment, on Raymond Chandler’s connection with one of Block’s occasional passions, coin collecting. And the best essay, a long and incisive pocket history of the life of his mother, at once beautiful and engaging.
I loved this collection. I think I’d have loved it even if I wasn’t a Block nut, but there’s something thrilling about finding a writer through their fiction and then diving deeper. It’s like getting a peek behind the curtain. Or, in this case, many peeks.
Now I have to finish that stamp collecting one. I don’t care a whit about stamps, and yet I already know I’ll love it.
When I was young and almost exclusively a Stephen King reader, my diet of King was omnivorous. The man was writing horror novels? Sure! There’s a children’s fantasy book? Yes! A novel about a woman who may have killed her husband and her employer, with virtually no supernatural elements? Please! It was the voice I came back for, time after time. It didn’t matter what Stephen King wrote, as long as it was him writing it.
People who didn’t think this way baffled me. When I first became extremely online, I would find Stephen King nuts who would say, “Eh, that new one doesn’t look interesting to me. I’ll skip it.” My paroxysms at such insouciance were legendary.
As I got into the larger world, though, my viewpoint began changing. Not on King - god, never - but on other authors. I would attempt to approach them as I’d done King, and that would work for awhile ... but a great deal of authors write in a variety of styles and I’m not always interested in them. More, I’m not as into the completionist mindset. If I don’t read every sentence an author wrote, it doesn’t mean I’m not a fan. Even my beloved John Irving wrote a book of essays that were, to my weary brain, interminable.
That’s why Lawrence Block has been such a treat. I got in through the Scudder novels, moved into his comic Rhodenbarr thief books, and became a Blockovore with the Keller books. Last year, he came out with two books of collected nonfiction: one about stamp collecting, and this one - a clutch of essays from his long writing life that don’t center around a particular theme.
Hunting Buffalo With Bent Nails is, then, a rococo clutch of dispatches from the world and mind of one of America’s best and most entertaining writers. In here, there’s a short essay about traveling the world and a long essay about traveling the USA - in search of towns with Buffalo in the name. Essays on audiobook abridgment, on Raymond Chandler’s connection with one of Block’s occasional passions, coin collecting. And the best essay, a long and incisive pocket history of the life of his mother, at once beautiful and engaging.
I loved this collection. I think I’d have loved it even if I wasn’t a Block nut, but there’s something thrilling about finding a writer through their fiction and then diving deeper. It’s like getting a peek behind the curtain. Or, in this case, many peeks.
Now I have to finish that stamp collecting one. I don’t care a whit about stamps, and yet I already know I’ll love it.
July 1, 2022
This 2019 collection is an odds-and-ends assortment ("bent nails not worth straightening") of nonfiction essays, articles, introductions, and afterwards that are more easily defined by what they are not than by what they are. These pieces are not how-to advice for authors (Block's writing advice has filled seven other books). They are not reviews or opinions on crime fiction (those are collected in The Crime of Our Lives, 2015).
Furthermore, they do no concern race walking (see Step by Step, 2019), restaurant reviews (see Real Food Places, 1981), largely made-up case studies of people's sex lives (see the complete works of John Warren Wells), numismatics (see Fell's Guide to Investing in US and Foreign Coins, 1965), philately (see Generally Speaking, 2019), or introductions/afterwards to his own books (see Afterthoughts, 2011).
This, then, is everything that is left. Lawrence Block's observations and opinions are wry, poignant, and always worth reading:
"Abridge This!" -- Block discusses his work as an audiobook narrator and reviewer, as well as the butchery done to his own novels by audiobook abridgers.
"All My Best Eyes Are Private" -- The author pontificates on his personal experiences with police officers and private detectives, and how their stories sometimes made their way into his Matt Scudder novels.
"Alone Too Long" -- An introduction to Charles Ardai's anthology Great Tales of Madness and the Macabre.
"Apocalypse in a Small Town" -- A brief discussion of the evolution of Block's post-9/11 New York novel, Small Town.
"Back in the Day with DVR" -- A reminiscence on the author's 40-year friendship with folk musician Dave Van Ronk.
"The Ballad of the Pound" -- A humorous poem written in the mid-1960's about Britain's attachments to pounds, shillings, pence, and quid.
"The Bumpy Road to Inspiration" -- Where do authors get their ideas? As it turns out, they get them in the most unlikely places…
"Cheers for the Much-Maligned Motel" -- An ode to America's roadside motels.
"Collecting Old Subway Cars" -- The author discusses his life-long love of the NYC subway system. Includes the lyrics to the song "Georgie and the IRT" which Block wrote for Dave Van Ronk in 1958.
"Donald E. Westlake" -- An interesting overview of the works of Donald E. Westlake. Contains extensive information about my favorite Westlake novel Memory.
"East Side, West Side" -- Block writes about his father and their shared love of baseball and boxing.
"Follow the Serendipity Road" -- Block expounds on his philosophy of travel: "Our happiest moments as tourists always seem to come when we stumble upon one thing while in pursuit of something else."
"Gangsters, Swindlers, Killers and Thieves" -- An introduction to a nonfiction anthology that explores why we are so drawn to villains.
"Getting Busted" -- The author relates an incident from his own youth, when he got arrested in Mexico and shaken down by the cops.
"Greenwich Village Through the Years" -- Reflections on the famous neighborhood and how it has evolved over the author's lifetime.
"Ham for Breakfast" -- A long, windy, aimless introduction to the short story anthology Jewish Noir II.
"How to Be a Writer Without Writing Anything" -- Three essays on quirks of the publishing industry--ghostwriting, editing anthologies, and retiring. .
"How We’ve Changed" -- Reflections on how regional differences are disappearing.
"Hunting Buffalo" -- Block and his wife spent two years traveling around America, visiting every city, valley, and river with the word Buffalo in its name. Buffalos are like quantum particles; the more you look for them, the more of them spring into existence.
"Introducing Manhattan: a Dark Duet" -- Introductions to Manhattan Noir and Manhattan Noir 2: The Classics.
"Listowel, a Special Place" -- Block discusses his love for Ireland.
"The Magic of Minneapolis" -- Humorous anecdote from the 1987 Bouchercon
"The Mean Streets of Gotham" -- Block's introduction to a Batman-related comic explores the connections between the fictional city of Gotham and its real life counterpart New York City.
"No Slings, No Arrows" -- A bit of groan-inducing wordplay written for the book Bred Any Good Rooks Lately?
"A Pen Name? Really? After All These Years???" -- Discusses the author's frequent use of pen names and his decision to revive Jill Emerson in 2011.
"A Rare and Radiant Mother" -- Block writes about his mother's life. This is the most autobiographical piece he has written, but I'd likely agree with his mom's assessment when she said "I am considerably more interesting than this."
"Raymond Chandler and the Brasher Doubloon" -- Discusses the numismatic aspects in the plot of The High Window.
"Travel by Number" -- Anecdotes from the Travel Century Club.
"The Whole World Is Listening" -- Discussion of the website Overheard in New York.
“Writing My Name” – Block pontificates on the history and discomfort of book signings.
Furthermore, they do no concern race walking (see Step by Step, 2019), restaurant reviews (see Real Food Places, 1981), largely made-up case studies of people's sex lives (see the complete works of John Warren Wells), numismatics (see Fell's Guide to Investing in US and Foreign Coins, 1965), philately (see Generally Speaking, 2019), or introductions/afterwards to his own books (see Afterthoughts, 2011).
This, then, is everything that is left. Lawrence Block's observations and opinions are wry, poignant, and always worth reading:
"Abridge This!" -- Block discusses his work as an audiobook narrator and reviewer, as well as the butchery done to his own novels by audiobook abridgers.
"All My Best Eyes Are Private" -- The author pontificates on his personal experiences with police officers and private detectives, and how their stories sometimes made their way into his Matt Scudder novels.
"Alone Too Long" -- An introduction to Charles Ardai's anthology Great Tales of Madness and the Macabre.
"Apocalypse in a Small Town" -- A brief discussion of the evolution of Block's post-9/11 New York novel, Small Town.
"Back in the Day with DVR" -- A reminiscence on the author's 40-year friendship with folk musician Dave Van Ronk.
"The Ballad of the Pound" -- A humorous poem written in the mid-1960's about Britain's attachments to pounds, shillings, pence, and quid.
"The Bumpy Road to Inspiration" -- Where do authors get their ideas? As it turns out, they get them in the most unlikely places…
"Cheers for the Much-Maligned Motel" -- An ode to America's roadside motels.
"Collecting Old Subway Cars" -- The author discusses his life-long love of the NYC subway system. Includes the lyrics to the song "Georgie and the IRT" which Block wrote for Dave Van Ronk in 1958.
"Donald E. Westlake" -- An interesting overview of the works of Donald E. Westlake. Contains extensive information about my favorite Westlake novel Memory.
"East Side, West Side" -- Block writes about his father and their shared love of baseball and boxing.
"Follow the Serendipity Road" -- Block expounds on his philosophy of travel: "Our happiest moments as tourists always seem to come when we stumble upon one thing while in pursuit of something else."
"Gangsters, Swindlers, Killers and Thieves" -- An introduction to a nonfiction anthology that explores why we are so drawn to villains.
"Getting Busted" -- The author relates an incident from his own youth, when he got arrested in Mexico and shaken down by the cops.
"Greenwich Village Through the Years" -- Reflections on the famous neighborhood and how it has evolved over the author's lifetime.
"Ham for Breakfast" -- A long, windy, aimless introduction to the short story anthology Jewish Noir II.
"How to Be a Writer Without Writing Anything" -- Three essays on quirks of the publishing industry--ghostwriting, editing anthologies, and retiring. .
"How We’ve Changed" -- Reflections on how regional differences are disappearing.
"Hunting Buffalo" -- Block and his wife spent two years traveling around America, visiting every city, valley, and river with the word Buffalo in its name. Buffalos are like quantum particles; the more you look for them, the more of them spring into existence.
"Introducing Manhattan: a Dark Duet" -- Introductions to Manhattan Noir and Manhattan Noir 2: The Classics.
"Listowel, a Special Place" -- Block discusses his love for Ireland.
"The Magic of Minneapolis" -- Humorous anecdote from the 1987 Bouchercon
"The Mean Streets of Gotham" -- Block's introduction to a Batman-related comic explores the connections between the fictional city of Gotham and its real life counterpart New York City.
"No Slings, No Arrows" -- A bit of groan-inducing wordplay written for the book Bred Any Good Rooks Lately?
"A Pen Name? Really? After All These Years???" -- Discusses the author's frequent use of pen names and his decision to revive Jill Emerson in 2011.
"A Rare and Radiant Mother" -- Block writes about his mother's life. This is the most autobiographical piece he has written, but I'd likely agree with his mom's assessment when she said "I am considerably more interesting than this."
"Raymond Chandler and the Brasher Doubloon" -- Discusses the numismatic aspects in the plot of The High Window.
"Travel by Number" -- Anecdotes from the Travel Century Club.
"The Whole World Is Listening" -- Discussion of the website Overheard in New York.
“Writing My Name” – Block pontificates on the history and discomfort of book signings.
October 30, 2022
Essays that didn't fall into his collections on the craft of writing (the excellent Lawrence Block on Writing, Three Volumes in One: Writing the Novel, The Liar's Bible, and The Liar's Companion), or introductions to his favorite authors (the charming Afterthoughts).
The lack of focus is felt throughout, and while every sentence from Block's typewriter is vaguely pleasing, this particular book fails to justify its existence.
The lack of focus is felt throughout, and while every sentence from Block's typewriter is vaguely pleasing, this particular book fails to justify its existence.
January 1, 2021
An interesting (and eclectic) collection of various essays and introductions written for and about other projects.
Dating from 1964 to quite recently, with brief contextual commentary added, these articles range from a coin collector's take on Raymond Chandler's The High Window (which centers on a missing rare coin) to travels both exotic and domestic to thoughts on book anthologies to... Well, this, that, and the other thing.
It's a bit rambling at times, not quite stream of consciousness so much as snippets taken from different conversations over a period of time. I don't know if those unfamiliar with the author will find it as interesting but, as a long time Block fan, I found it fascinating.
***I received a free digital copy of this title through NetGalley.
Dating from 1964 to quite recently, with brief contextual commentary added, these articles range from a coin collector's take on Raymond Chandler's The High Window (which centers on a missing rare coin) to travels both exotic and domestic to thoughts on book anthologies to... Well, this, that, and the other thing.
It's a bit rambling at times, not quite stream of consciousness so much as snippets taken from different conversations over a period of time. I don't know if those unfamiliar with the author will find it as interesting but, as a long time Block fan, I found it fascinating.
***I received a free digital copy of this title through NetGalley.
November 26, 2020
Clearly a skilled writer but definitely not the best book to introduce you to his work. Appears to be a collection of introductions he wrote to other people's writing. Ends up being a bit of overlap in tales trotted forward. Really one of the more interesting anecdotes was how he came up with the title for this book. I may look for his other work to see what he has to offer as a writer.
September 20, 2022
Block has such a distinctive voice, to listen to and to read. I always hear him as I read. This is a fun collection of personal stories through the years. He is also a good self-promoter and never overbearing.
September 2, 2022
Collection of Forwards, introductions, Travel Stories etc, all written in Block's unmistakable voice. Top Notch
October 18, 2022
This is a great collection of essays.
October 26, 2024
My 101st Block book, this a miscellany of his non-fiction writing
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews