tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-297930182009-12-08T08:56:39.782-06:00The blog of Chicago crime writers Sara Paretsky, Libby Hellmann, Barbara D'Amato, Michael Allen Dymmoch, Kevin Guilfoile, Marcus Sakey and Sean Chercover. Come join the conversation!Sean Chercoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00939494866272006802noreply@blogger.comBlogger633125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-26797627971590673332009-12-06T21:39:00.004-06:002009-12-06T21:55:49.727-06:00

By David HeinzmannSo my first novel, A WORD TO THE WISE, is published Wednesday. My wife asked me today what I wanted to do to celebrate. But I’m so anxious and nervous about it that the idea of celebrating the actual publication date hadn’t really crossed my mind. The other thing I thought about was a little gem of reality that my agent, Jeff Gerecke, gave me a few years ago when he took me on

David Heinzmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07441680884534611327noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-53861587398230644842009-12-04T10:32:00.007-06:002009-12-04T15:47:29.776-06:00

I was a chubby kid. When we lived in town, a couple of boys in my school used to stand on the sidewalk and chant a rude verse at me on the way home ("Fatty," it began. I sometimes think that if my brain disintegrates with age and I begin to regress like Hal, instead of "Daisy, Daisy," I'll start chanting the "Fatty, Fatty" rhyme. ) I was almost thirty when I lost close to 60 pounds through

Sara Paretskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17803185134430978343noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-77091752880847291752009-12-03T08:32:00.003-06:002009-12-03T08:42:30.613-06:00

By Laura CaldwellI’m not a big fan of vilification, whether it's in fiction or in life. But more and more, I seem to be the only one who doesn't have the stomach for it. Public figures these days are either on pedestals or, once they have committed some transgression (at least in the mind of the media), they are smacked to the figurative ground, then beaten silly by gossip and strident

Laura Caldwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06396533460653770101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-26026465431869929912009-12-02T11:54:00.006-06:002009-12-02T12:02:18.790-06:00

by Marcus SakeyI had a gig in Los Angeles the week before Thanksgiving—just a quick in and out, sorry to the peeps I didn’t call—and while there, I took a cop buddy up on his offer to visit the LAPD’s Davis Training Facility.This is one of the best things about being a writer. You get to do so much fun stuff. I spent the whole day saying, “Yes!”"Would you like to fire a gas-operated Benelli

Marcus Sakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13255187621937702784MarcusSakey@gmail.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-71097977053911916762009-11-29T16:34:00.004-06:002009-11-29T16:36:19.338-06:00

At the Outfit we tend to shine a light on Chicago’s political, legal, and police corruption. But we shouldn’t forget that Chicago has some of the best sports scandals in the nation as well. And when sports intersects with politics and religion, the stories can be fascinating. Like this one by guest poster, Mike Bohn. Bohn is the author of Heroes & Ballyhoo: How the Golden Age of the 1920s

Libby Hellmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693555214699897283noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-52338410543617132232009-11-26T07:15:00.003-06:002009-11-26T07:19:12.794-06:00

by Barbara D'AmatoSeveral years ago a friend who had been in a writing group told me this: “There was a lot of competitiveness and sniping at each other. I changed groups and the next one was good, but I had expected published writers to be competitive and envious, too. I’ve been very grateful for the mutual support I see in the mystery world. Friends are actually happy when I get a contract

Barbara D'Amatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03991495702239085323noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-29494869868862337952009-11-25T11:39:00.004-06:002009-11-25T12:11:43.571-06:00

by Michael Dymmoch…to avoid writing a thesis. At the time—40 years ago—writing a thesis seemed like an impossible task. All that research. All that writing. All those pages to fill. (With no Wikipedia or spell-checker!) I’d never written anything longer than a college term paper, and that was a month late because I kept putting it off. Doing a bit more research. Taking a few more notes.

Michael Dymmochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06424057697796493279noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-61836585137834806952009-11-23T22:51:00.005-06:002009-11-23T23:09:56.442-06:00

By Sean ChercoverOkay, so I'm getting better from my flu-bug, but not 100% quite yet. Not up to a clever post this week. Promise I will have one for you next time.In the meantime, check out this really cool video:Here are the lyrics:[deGrasse Tyson]We are all connected;To each other, biologicallyTo the earth, chemicallyTo the rest of the universe atomically[Feynman]I think nature's

Sean Chercoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00939494866272006802noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-76077247216963184962009-11-23T07:31:00.004-06:002009-11-23T08:01:08.230-06:00

By David HeinzmannI forget which one of my fellow bloggers told me a while back that when you have a book coming out—as I do next month--it’s acceptable to shamelessly self-promote for at least a couple months worth of posts here on the Outfit. But interesting Chicago crime stuff keeps happening that I think people might want to read about. This week is no different.Last Monday morning, a little

David Heinzmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07441680884534611327noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-77752503908562813302009-11-20T11:59:00.004-06:002009-11-20T12:16:58.168-06:00

A violinist I know who's part of The New Millennium Orchestra told me they're working on a business plan these days. Up to now, if they had money they paid the musicians; if they didn't, everyone played for free. The musicians are all young, energetic, and very hard working. They travel long distances to teach to make enough money to continue with their art. Or their profession.They grapple

Sara Paretskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17803185134430978343noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-63839356017440402972009-11-19T09:50:00.004-06:002009-11-19T09:58:49.933-06:00

by Laura CaldwellDick Devine, the former Cook County State's Attorney, is now a law professor at Loyola University Chicago School of Law. In particular, Dick is teaching a death penalty seminar, which I have been fortunate enough to audit. As the former prosecutor, some might assume Professor Devine is a dogged proponent of the death penalty and that he might push his views on the students. On

Laura Caldwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06396533460653770101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-86172545140061197422009-11-18T10:08:00.003-06:002009-11-18T10:21:00.198-06:00

by Marcus SakeyI love to travel. Cultural hotspot or primeval forest, demanding tour or beach paradise, I’m in. So when a high school buddy emailed to see if I would be interested in doing some kind of adventure trip, I was all over it. We started chatting, and decided that we were both in the mood for something that was a bit of a challenge. Something we’d have to prepare for, something

Marcus Sakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13255187621937702784MarcusSakey@gmail.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-55551514195485217222009-11-17T01:33:00.005-06:002009-11-17T01:41:22.351-06:00

by David EllisI’ve had a couple of interesting things happen with regard to my latest book, THE HIDDEN MAN. One is just a lesson I learned, which I will share briefly. The other one has become a debate in my mind that I’d ask for your feedback on.And before that, I guess I should give one of those trendy SPOILER ALERTS! This entire blog will give away a minor surprise, by which I mean, not the

David Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17506278726202948673noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-36147750802263846182009-11-15T18:25:00.025-06:002009-11-15T22:11:01.645-06:00

by Libby HellmannAs some of you know, I've been on tour the past few weeks. Does it help? Is it worthwhile? I don't know. I just know that, notwithstanding today's difficulties in the marketplace, as described here and here, I'm afraid NOT to tour... afraid my work will be forgotten or ignored. The bad news: I'm bone tired, cranky, and way behind in my writing. The good news: I got to meet new

Libby Hellmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693555214699897283noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-36391627711815725202009-11-13T08:41:00.005-06:002009-11-13T14:27:30.252-06:00

By Kevin GuilfoileThis week I received a box of new foreign editions of CAST OF SHADOWS. That's always a special thrill, seeing new covers, new page layouts, new visual interpretations of your novel.When I opened the Chinese edition, I discovered this beautifully designed, tri-fold insert advertising EVERY SECRET THING by Laura Lippman. And I couldn't stop looking at it. I spent much more time

Kevin Guilfoilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08239157460247794910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-28703127523337000762009-11-12T14:13:00.001-06:002009-11-12T14:15:26.215-06:00

by Barbara D'AmatoFrom my living room window, I can look out at Lake Michigan. In many ways this is very, very nice. I enjoy seeing the clouds and seagulls. The colors of Lake Michigan change as the sun moves. It’s never the same and always interesting.However, I also see people jogging, rollerblading, racing, power-walking, and bicycling on the esplanade. And swimming until a week or so ago.

Barbara D'Amatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03991495702239085323noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-17719809549174318212009-11-11T11:16:00.011-06:002009-11-11T12:41:46.380-06:00

by Michael DymmochSaw this sign on a gas pump recently and I had to take a photo. (With a digital camera, photos are quicker than notes and proof of things you’d have to see to believe.)Anyway, I shot the sign because I was under the impression that trafficking blood was illegal in Illinois. And I wanted to verify or disabuse my assumption. Because I’ve spent too much time in the last year

Michael Dymmochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06424057697796493279noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-87172524272269011702009-11-09T18:24:00.006-06:002009-11-09T19:02:38.199-06:00

-Sean ChercoverNOTE: To those of you attending (and you should) Murder & Mayhem In Muskego this coming weekend ... rest assured, I'm headed to the doc in the morning, so if I'm there, I'm not contagious.Okay, so I'm sick. Had this stupid cold for a few days, no big deal, but now I've got a fever......and a monster headache......and other symptoms too unpleasant to report here, so it seems to

Sean Chercoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00939494866272006802noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-30562113158477316812009-11-09T07:18:00.003-06:002009-11-09T07:48:29.766-06:00

By David HeinzmannWhenever I walk up the sprawling front steps of the Cook County Criminal Courts Building, I murmur to myself that this is the happiest place on earth. That’s stolen from my friend Jeff Coen who would call it that whenever something particularly medieval happened within the walls of that giant meatgrinder of American justice in the years that he covered 26th and Cal for the

David Heinzmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07441680884534611327noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-67406776194554683562009-11-05T21:16:00.005-06:002009-11-06T16:23:03.358-06:00

I'm reading short stories for the Edgars, and I confess that I'm dismayed by the amount of graphic and degrading sex contributors use. Eight-year-old girls are abused by sexual predators and no detail is omitted. Beautiful rich girls are decapitated in technicolor. Time Magazine's October 14 issue proclaimed that women have more power but are unhappy. Maybe because we're being raped and

Sara Paretskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17803185134430978343noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-68830390106829201802009-11-05T08:58:00.005-06:002009-11-05T09:09:36.609-06:00

by Laura CaldwellTitles are the one of trickiest parts of writing a book. I learned that years ago with a novel of mine that was, ultimately, called The Night I Got Lucky. Originally, the book had been named What You Wish For. It was about a woman who got everything she ever wanted overnight and not only has to deal with the consequences but with the feeling of not having contributed to her life

Laura Caldwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06396533460653770101noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-54447481775471393562009-11-04T10:47:00.013-06:002009-11-04T11:09:06.601-06:00

by Marcus SakeyI do maybe 30% of my writing on a laptop from various locations: in front of the window, standing at the counter, on the porch with a cigar. The remainder I do in the second bedroom we've rigged as a den. The split system works for me; mobility shakes me up when necessary, but generally, what I need is a room with a door that closes and a window that looks out onto a brick

Marcus Sakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13255187621937702784MarcusSakey@gmail.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-86112429593825497162009-11-03T08:24:00.003-06:002009-11-03T08:30:16.661-06:00

by David EllisYesterday on the Wall Street Journal editorial page, Peggy Noonan wrote that Americans no longer have hope, that they no longer think their leaders can solve the problems facing them. She made the point that during the economic troubles of the 70s and early 80s, Americans still had optimism that things would turn around; today, she argued, they do not have such hope.I suppose the

David Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17506278726202948673noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-73983694098237566432009-11-02T09:41:00.000-06:002009-11-02T09:42:49.828-06:00

by Libby HellmannI'm still on the road with DOUBLEBACK, and my mind is mush. The highlight so far has been Sedona, AZ, which I'd never visited before. I did a workshop at Kris Neri's wonderful Well Red Coyote Bookstore (Thanks again Kris and Joe). Btw, Kris has a new book out, too. So I used the event as an excuse to spend the night in Sedona. My friend Terry and I went hiking the next morning,

Libby Hellmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693555214699897283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-88917604511523750782009-10-30T01:36:00.006-05:002009-10-30T08:10:53.798-05:00

By Kevin GuilfoileTwo weeks ago I posted about little coincidences outside of your reading that often increase your appreciation of a novel. I talked about it with respect to Theresa Schwegel's great new book, Last Known Address, but I also mentioned that I had just finished reading our own Sara Paretsky's outstanding new novel Hardball. And son of a gun if it didn't happen to me again.In

Kevin Guilfoilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08239157460247794910noreply@blogger.com4