MetaFilter posts tagged with crime and books

Sex and Violence

fearfulsymmetry — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 03:04:28 -0800

London's 30 Most Erotic Writers, 50 Crime Writers To Read Before You Die

Rebus Retires

fearfulsymmetry — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 13:46:24 -0800

Exit Music. The King of Tartan Noir, Ian Rankin has retired his detective John Rebus. Ageing him with each novel, Rebus has finally reached the retirement age at Edinburgh CID; Although that may not stop him... Though Rebus will probably now have more time to spend in the Oxford Bar, his creator had not slowed down, producing a newspaper serial, writing for and appearing on television including his 'Evil Thoughts'- here interviewing Anne Perry, writing a libretto and a comic book, giving away Kidnapped, having a public row with "bloodthirsty lesbians" and starting spurious rumours about that other famous best-selling Edinburgh writer.

"There was no one ever in American life who was remotely like Truman Capote", says Norman Mailer

matteo — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 12:18:23 -0800

Truman Capote's Blood Work Two soon-to-be released films on Truman Capote's life, Capote and Have You Heard? begin as the novelist drops into rural Kansas to begin work on what became "In Cold Blood". More inside.

Edward Bunker, 1933-2005

matteo — Mon, 25 Jul 2005 03:05:06 -0800

"It has always been as if I carry chaos with me the way others carry typhoid. My purpose in writing is to transcend my existence by illuminating it."
Crime novelist Edward Bunker, who died last Tuesday at age 71 (LATimes obit), became at 17 the youngest inmate at San Quentin after he stabbed a prison guard at a youth detention facility. It was during his 18 years of incarceration for robbery, check forgery and other crimes that Bunker learned to write. In 1973, while still in prison, he made his literary debut with "No Beast So Fierce", a novel about a paroled thief James Ellroy called "quite simply one of the great crime novels of the past 30 years" and that was made into the movie "Straight Time" starring Dustin Hoffman. Also a screenwriter ("Runaway Train"), Bunker appeared as an actor in nearly two dozen roles, most notably as Mr. Blue in "Reservoir Dogs." (more inside)

He writes darkly, Henning Mankell.

mr.marx — Fri, 04 Mar 2005 06:07:44 -0800

Winter Lit. He has written 40 books that have been published in more than 35 countries and sold more than 25 million copies worldwide. Why isn't Swedish writer Henning Mankell better known in the United States? (via Stefan Geens)

What I had come looking for were the secrets to my father's murder.

kirkaracha — Mon, 13 Dec 2004 17:03:53 -0800

What I had come looking for were the secrets to my father's murder. [LA Times link] In 1972, when Mark Arax was 15, his father was killed by two unknown gunmen. He spent nearly three decades trying to solve the crime, and wrote a book about his investigation. Then a break in the case led to some suprising discoveries.

Notorious CRIPS founding member speaks out

aacheson — Thu, 14 Aug 2003 10:42:57 -0800

Can the man who started the CRIPS really be reformed? A great article from the NY Times. Stanley "Tookie" Williams, one of the two founders of the LA gang, the Crips, has written numerous books and now does "public" speaking to young men to warn them away from the gang life. Is he serious? Is he reformed? Or is he just trying to make himself look good to get off death row? Does this "Scared Straight" stuff really work?

mr_crash_davis — Fri, 08 Feb 2002 21:38:41 -0800

Someone please get this man some pancakes.