If You Only Knew

Appearing in the webzine BEAT to a PULP this week is the wry story "If You Only Knew" by Lineup #4 contributor John Stickney, inspired by fellow contributor Mary Christine Delea's poem, "If You Only Knew How Easy It Is To Break Into My House".

In February, BEAT to a PULP editor David Cranmer posted The Lineup #4's first review. In May, he hosted BEAT to a PULP's first-ever week of poetry, featuring poems by Frederick Zackel, Gerald So, and Keith Snyder.

Keith Rawson and Bill Cameron on The Lineup #4

Two stops today on the So Dark For April blog tour: Lineup #4 contributor Keith Rawson recounts his creative past and return to poetry.

And author and friend of The Lineup Bill Cameron takes us through not one, not two, not three, but four readings of Issue 4, concluding along the way that:

A poem differs from a story in that a poem may not exist to lead us to resolution. A poem may not be concerned with replacing what we think with know with what we need to know. A poem may, in contrast, winnow down to the interstices between life's darkest details and so illuminate and reveal. It may not answer, but rather lead us to further questions. And in the very act of asking we may achieve understanding the clearest answer can't always provide.

Thank you, Sara J. Henry.

Vermont novelist and jack-of-all-trades Sara J. Henry mentioned The Lineup 4 pre-order offer on her blog this morning, including a comment from co-editor Reed Farrel Coleman.

Crimespree #39

The Nov/Dec 2010 issue of Crimespree begins with an 11-page remembrance of Murder By The Book's David Thompson by several fans, authors, and editors. Due to the vicissitudes of layout, my name is at the bottom of the left column on page 9, but my words of tribute are at the top of the right column:

David was the first bookseller to believe in The Lineup: Poems on Crime, undoubtedly opening several more doors for us. The Lineup #4 (2011) will be dedicated to David's memory and include a poem by Ken Bruen recommended by David.

Lineup 4 Cover Photographer Kathy Slamen

While searching Flickr in September, I found a self-photo of Kathy Slamen called "Tea time". I was also impressed by the tone of her website, www.kathyslamen.com, and e-mailed her.

Also a writer, Kathy enthusiastically agreed to work with us. Our graphic designer, John Collis, will have the Lineup 4 cover ready next month. Until then, curious viewers may be able to find the cover photo on Kathy's site.

My YOUNG JUNIUS Special Edition

Here's a video showing off my special edition copy of Young Junius by Friend of The Lineup Seth Harwood:



Seth has twice featured The Lineup on his CrimeWAV podcast (Episodes 36 and 55), and we look forward to more metered mayhem.

TOWER by Ken Bruen and Reed Coleman wins Macavity Award for Best Novel

Announced this past week at Bouchercon in San Francisco, Tower, co-written by Lineup alums Ken Bruen and Reed Coleman and published by David Thompson's Busted Flush Press, won the Macavity Award for Best Novel presented by Mystery Readers International.

The Lineup on the Do Some Damage Podcast

Hear Jay Stringer and Russel D. McLean chat with Gerald So about The Lineup and Reed Coleman's Moe Prager.

Reed Coleman on the Do Some Damage Podcast

Host/authors Jay Stringer and Russel D. McLean chat with Reed Farrel Coleman about Innocent Monster and a number of topics including his background in poetry.

Also tune in next week for Jay and Russel's chat with me about Reed's work.

Lulu.com's Free Shipping Summer Deal Ends August 23

You have one more week to stock up on multiple issues of The Lineup and get free shipping from Lulu.com on orders over $19.95. Issues 2 ($6) and 3 ($7) along with one issue of the ad-free, all-noir fiction journal Needle ($7) is just one way to get there.

Still time to pre-order YOUNG JUNIUS

The Special Edition Pre-Order offer on Young Junius by CrimeWAV host and friend of The Lineup Seth Harwood ends July 31. Use promo code "Family" to save $5.

Houston's Lineup Reading a SRO Success!

(L to R: Joe Barnes, Sarah Cortez, Larry D. Thomas)

Thanks to David Thompson, host-extraordinaire at Murder By The Book Bookstore in Houston, TEXAS for hosting the first ever poetry reading last night, July 14, 2010 at his booksstore. Houston poets, Joe Barnes, Larry D. Thomas, and Sarah Cortez read from Lineup: Poems on Crime, issue 3 (2010), and from recent work. Each shared thoughts on poetics, crime, and the writing life.

Cinco de Junius CrimeWAV Special

Are you a fan of gritty crime fiction? Have you enjoyed The Lineup's two episodes of CrimeWAV? Join me in thanking CrimeWAV host Seth Harwood by pre-ordering a special edition of his novel Young Junius.

An Excerpt from Young Junius with the player below.

When you buy a copy, you'll also be supporting fast-rising independent publisher Tyrus Books, home of intriguing works such as Hello Kitty Must Die by Angela S. Choi, The Deputy by Victor Gischler, and Day One by Bill Cameron.

Use our promo code "Poet" and you'll support The Lineup while saving $3 on Young Junius.

THE LINEUP Wins an Edgar®

Not The Lineup: Poems on Crime, but The Lineup: The World’s Greatest Crime Writers Tell the Inside Story of Their Greatest Detectives edited by Otto Penzler. The book of essays last night won the award for Best Critical/Biographical presented by the Mystery Writers of America.

Congratulations, Otto, and thanks to The Mysterious Bookshop for carrying both the poetic and critical Lineups.

Six days 'til Cinco de Junius

In six days, May 5th starting at high noon ET, you can pre-order Seth Harwood's next novel Young Junius. Use our promo code "Poet" to let Seth know The Lineup sent you and save $3.

Right up our sordid, trash-strewn, bloodstained alley

The entry title is paraphrased from Scott Phillips's Lineup 3 blurb to introduce my comment on a blog post by friend of The Lineup Peter Rozovsky.

Citing how rising crime in Ireland and South Africa has benefited the crime fiction scenes in those countries, Peter asks, "Does real-life crime influence crime writers? In what ways?"

I commented:

I'd say crime inspires writers as anything else can. Crime writers specifically are, of course, inspired by crime--or, to broaden things, what they see as crime.

Every locale has a different flavor of crime. To paraphrase Bruen's comment, one can't write about crime in a particular place until one knows the nuances of a crime there.

To Roger Smith's point, writers are called to reflect their times to an extent. Now that crime is more prevalent in South Africa, he's writing about it.

While I don't wish crime on anyone, at the most basic level, one can't imagine how it feels to be wronged, how it feels to want revenge, until one has been wronged or closely observed others wronged.

Keen eyes will note my allusion to The Lineup's basic guideline: We want poets' honest, powerful reactions to what they see as crime. Gratuitous anything is discouraged.

CrimeWAV 55: The Lineup Returns

Episode 55 is live!

Seth Harwood and I introduce The Lineup's second CrimeWAV podcast. Lineup 3 contributors Carrie McGath, James M. McGowan, and Jackie Sheeler read with Richie Narvaez and me.

Listen to CrimeWAV #55: The Lineup Returns.

Carrie reads her poem, "The Crimes of Cat-Calling".

Jackie reads her poems, "Anthony Baez" and "Another Hallway Altar in the Projects".

James reads his poem, "Running For Home".

Richie reads "Ride-along" and "Tuesday A.M." by Sarah Cortez, "Community Service" by David Hernandez, and "Other Conclusions" by James Sallis.

Finally, I read "Takeout (as we roll)" by Henry Chang, "Certain Methods" by David S. Pointer, and "Independence Day, 1976" by Wallace Stroby.

If you enjoy poems from this episode, you can buy The Lineup 3 in print, Kindle, or Nook format.

Huge thanks again to Seth, the contributors, and performers.

CrimeWAV Update

Seth Harwood will post The Lineup's return to CrimeWAV, Episode 55, sometime tonight Eastern. It's not a live show, so there's no need to tune in at a certain time, and CrimeWAV.com keeps a full archive of episodes.

I'll post a playable link to the episode as soon as I can. In the meantime, our episode number reminds me of this song:

CrimeWAV's Seth Harwood and Cinco de Junius

The Lineup's second crime poetry podcast will be posted tomorrow at Seth Harwood's CrimeWAV.

A graduate of the Iowa Writers Workshop, Seth made a splash as "the first name in crime podcast fiction". His novel Jack Wakes Up, originally podcast in 2009, was published in trade paperback last year by Three Rivers Press.

I'm grateful to Seth for opening CrimeWAV, usually a crime short story podcast, up to The Lineup.

Beginning May 5, you can pre-order a feature-packed special edition of his novel Young Junius from Tyrus Books.

Count on Seth for powerful writing inspired equally by the likes of Ernest Hemingway, Raymond Carver, Scarface, and The Wire.

Crimespree #35

Crimespree is, in my opinion, the most down-to-earth magazine covering the crime and mystery fiction community, epitomizing its camaraderie.

Editors Jon and Ruth Jordan are longtime supporters of The Lineup. Ruth co-chaired Bouchercon 2008, where I was on the "Poetry in Motion" panel with Reed Coleman, Sophie Hannah, and John Harvey, who all went on to be Lineup contributors.

Crimespree #35 features a half-page Lineup ad by John Collis on p. 35.