In Reference to Murder

Learn From the Best

If you are serious about learning the craft of writing crime fiction and have the time and money, the new Crime Fiction Academy may be just for you. The Center for Fiction in New York City is launching the academy in February 2012 to include a 14-week workshop, a monthly Master Class, a Crime Fiction Reading seminary, special lectures and discussions with editors and agents, and access to the Center's book collection (which received a Raven Award for its comprehensive library of mystery and thriller titles). The admission process is fairly rigorous and limited to a few participants, the organizers prefer a year's commitment, and the workshop costs $2,800. However, if you're accepted, you'll be taught by the likes of Megan Abbott, Lawrence Block, Lee Child, Thomas H. Cook, Linda Fairstein, Susan Isaacs, Dennis Lehane, Laura Lippman, Joyce Carol Oates, SJ Rozan, Jonathan Santlofer, Karin Slaughter and more. Give it a shot, but make sure all application materials are received by November 28th.

Bouchercon-fined

 

Due to the Bouchercon mystery conference, with a large percentage of the crime fiction community converging on St. Louis this weekend, Patti Abbott's Friday's Forgotten Books is taking a one-week hiatus. If you're unable to join the festivities at this year's Bouchercon (like moi), there are several ways you can keep up with the proceedings:

Bloggers on hand are promising to try and provide updates as possible. Bill Crider is one of those, as well as Mystery Fanfare's Janet Rudolph;  Shotsmagazine colleagues Ayo Onatade, Mike Stotter and Ali Karim; and Peter Rozovsky over at Detectives Beyond Borders.

Murderati's David Corbett has a preview of two panels, "Shadows Rising: Movies for the Crime Fiction Fan," with lots of recomendations, and "Witness to an Incident: The Human Element."

Mystery Scene columnist Oline Cogdill profiles the three Missouri crime fiction authors who will be given special recognition during the conference, including  Robert J. Randisi, John Lutz, and Joel Goldman.

Bouchercon is also where several crime fiction awards are announced, including the Anthonys, Barrys, Macavity and Shamus awards, which Murder, Mystery and Mayhem itemize for you. Dan Wager, the Hungry Detective, jumps the gun with his personal picks, and The Rap Sheet will also be ready to give you updates on the awards as they are handed out. The Short Mystery Fiction Society has already chosen its Derringer winners for 2011, but they will be honored during Bouchercon.

If you're on Twitter, you can follow conference-goer tweets via #bcon11 and #bcon2011.

Chairman Jon Jordan has gone above and beyond the call of duty to create what looks to be a very special event this year. Kudos to him and all those who have helped make this event happen.

Forensics U

Time is running out for you to register for three different hands-on workshops to learn the science and logistics behind criminal investigations:

• The Art & Science of Investigation workshop for mystery writers takes place this weekend in Bryan, Texas, but there are still places left (you must register by the 9th). Speakers will include Suzanne Lowe and Jorge Molina, both forensic artists with the Texas Rangers, Jeff Tomberlin, a forensic entomologist, and Steve Smith, a cognitive psychologist and expert on memory and eye-witness testimony.

• The National Institute of Justice is holding a free 3-day Public Safety Summit on Forensic Science October 18-20 in Clearwater Beach, FL. The event is designed for non-scientists in law enforcement and officers of the court. Registration closes 9/15/11.

• The 2011 Writers' Police Academy is slated for September 23-25 at Guilford Technical Community College and Public Safety Training Academy in Jamestown, N.C.  The Firearms Training Simulator workshop is sold out, but you can still register for the other panels, including everything from crime scene investigation to handcuffing and arrest techniques.
  

As Lee Lofland, the founder of the Writers' Police Academy notes, "Sweat now, so your manuscript won't bleed red ink later."

 

 

The Best Before the Fest?

Several mystery/crime fiction conferences include writers' workshops prior to the main event, often staffed with bestselling authors and an interesting array of panels and seminars. Thrillerfest, coming up next week in NYC, has such an event called CraftFest, a two-day affair held July 6-7. The first day starts off with simultaneous panels including Steve Berry talking about "Point of View, Psychic Distance and Passive Voice"; Dr. D.P. Lyle discussing "Forensics in Fiction"; and Gar Anthony Haywood who will tell you how to "Make the Case for Your P.I." You'll also have a chance to hear several other experienced writers as they help you navigate your way through writing and publishing in the suspense/thriller field.  And there's still time to register, if you're a procrastinator.

Over on the West Coast, the Book Passage Mystery Writers Conference, held July 21-24 in Corte Madera, CA, likewise has an impressive roster of authors and panels to inspire you. Dr. Lyle will be on hand there, too, talking about "The Psychology of Characters," to get the ball rolling as part of three pre-conference classes, along with David Corbett on "Integrating Arcs and Acts" and Hallie Ephron on "Back Story, and How Not to Shoot Yourself in the Foot With It."  Then the full conference kicks off in the afternoon on the 21st with Cara Black, Tony Broadbent, Kirk Russell and Moderator Jacqueline Winspear as they "Explore the Genre." And you're in luck here, too, as there's still time to register for this learning opportunity.

BEA-ware

The annual Book Expo America is underway at the Jarvis Center in New York City. If have a chance to stop by, check out the Mystery Writers of America booth with tons of author signings, starting off with Hilary Davidson and Megan Abbott this morning and continuing through today and tomorrow.

For other author sightings and tons of information about current and up-and-coming crime fiction, look for the dozens of publishers with crime fiction/mystery titles out on the Exhibitor Floor.

If you're there tomorrow between 4 and 5 p.m., you might be able to get tickets for the Audio Publishers Association Author Tea with Karin Slaughter, Tony Horwitz and Brad Meltzer. 

To keep up with general BEA happenings, you can follow @BookExpoAmerica or the #BEA11 hashtag on Twitter or BEA on Facebook. GalleyCat also has a Cheat Sheet for you.

It's NoirCon!

If you're in the Philadelphia area, there's still time to register for all or part of NoirCon 2010, held primarily at the Society Hill Playhouse, 507 South 8th Street.

There are panels and events through Sunday, including Friday's "Pornography in Noir Fiction," a panel with Reed F. Coleman, Jay Gertzman and Christa Faust; Philadelphia Noir celebrating the anthology with authors Meredith Anthony, Keith Gilman,  Dennis Tafoya, Jim Zervanos, Duane Swierczynski and Carlin Romano; an interview of George Pelecanos by Laura Lippman; "Noir Poetry" by Daniel Hoffman, Robert Polito and Ed Pettit; and "Writers on Noir" with Vicki Hendricks, Reed Farrel Coleman, William Heffernan, Seth Harwood with Cameron Ashley (Crime Factory).

Saturday and Sunday highlights include "Through a Rearview Darkly: A Revisionist History of Noir" by  Megan Abbott and Anthony Neil Smith; and a panel with authors in Damn Near Dead 2: Live Noir or Die Trying! (from Busted Flush Press), including Patti Abbott, Scott Cupp, Christa Faust, Scott Phillips, S.J. Rozan and Reed F. Coleman.

The keynote address will be given on Saturday by playwright Joan Schenkar, biographer of Patricia Highsmith (The Talented Miss Highsmith), who told the Philadelphia Inquirer (in answer to what makes a noir writer?), "The noir author is someone who is compelled to walk always on the dark side of the street, looking for answers that are not there to questions that are barely formulable, articulating the very interesting American obsession with murder and with what murder does for you."

The Fat Lady Hasn't Sung Yet

Yes, many in the crime fiction community are still basking in the warm glow from Bouchercon, but the conference season isn't over just yet. Coming up this very weekend, October 29 - 31 in Muncie, Indiana, is the annual Magna cum Murder event. This year's guests of honor are mother/son writing duo Charles and Caroline Todd (to be interviewed by Jon Jordan), whose book A Duty to the Dead received a 2010 Macavity Award Nomination in the Sue Feder Historical Mystery category. There will be many mystery writers on hand for panels and signings, and a keynote address from J. Steven White, who is on the faculty of the Graduate Program at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and the Shakespeare Lab at the Public Theatre and has the distinction of directing fight scenes in more than 100 professional productions for ballet, film, and theatre.

Also this weekend, the Men of Mystery festival in Irvine, California, will host more than 50 male mystery writers, "everything from legal thrillers to surfer P.I.'s." The featured morning speakers are Gregg Hurwitz and Christopher Rice, and the afternoon speaker is Don Winslow. Plus, there will be plenty of time for socializing and signings. 

Two Times Crime

Coming up beginning October 22nd are two terrific events for fans of crime fiction, especially if you happen to live in a more northerly latitude. As reported on the Women of Mystery blog, the inaugural Astoria/LIC International Film Festival will take place in the New York area, with a variety of events. Although not specifically devoted just to noir or crime-themed books, plays and movies, there are several such offerings included, such as Saturday's readings by members of the New York/Tri-State Sisters in Crime chapter at The Secret Theatre in Queens. Terrie Farley Moran, Laura Joh Rowland, Lina Zeldovich, Elizabeth Zelvin, Cathi Stoler, Kenneth Wishnia and Peggy Ehrhart will all be on hand.,

Even farther up north, the International Festival of Authors in Toronto includes the IFOA Noir event, starting off with an interview/reading featuring R.J. Ellory and Jeff Lindsay and including other bestselling authors such as Louise Penny and Peter Robinson. Ahead of the festival, the Toronto Star online asked each of the participants to detail "what led them to a life of crime" (writing, that is). I love Don Winslow's comment, "People sometimes ask me if, as a crime genre writer, I live in a 'literary ghetto.' My response is, 'Yes, and I love my neighbourhood.'"

Boucher-gone

I think there are at least two of us in the crime fiction blogosphere who aren't able to attend Bouchercon in San Fran this year, but fortunately, folks who are able to attend plan to keep us informed of all the various events, and you can follow the official Bouchercon Blog.

J. Kingston Pierce and many of his Rap Sheet contributors will be there, complete with reports. Peter Rozovsky over at Detectives Beyond Borders is also on hand. Sarah Weinman has a preview of attractions, and will likely post many follow-up thoughts after Sunday's farewell. Janet Rudolph at Mystery Fanfare will post all the awards, including the Anthony, Barry, Macavity and Shamus winners. Also, if you're on Twitter, you can follow breaking news via #Bouchercon.

I almost feel sorry for attendees, because trying to choose which events and panels to attend would give me a headache, and I'd probably be like a squirrel in the headlights—this panel? that panel? the other panel? To heck with the panels and hit the book room or the bar? You brave, brave, people. I salute you.

Festival Fare

It's fall festival time again. This month, Centuries and Sleuths bookstore turns 20, and to celebrate, they've scheduled over 42 authors on various panels. Coming up on September 11 are Libby Fischer Hellmann, Stephanie Kuehnert, William Kent Krueger, Shane Gericke and Tony Perona, with more panels on September 18, 19, 25 and 26.

Across the Pond the Reading Festival of Crime Writing is holding its third event September 16-19 featuring the likes of Val McDermid, Christopher Brookmyre, Lindsey Davis, Paul Doherty, Nicci French, Sophie Hannah and Andrew Taylor.

The George Mason University Fall for the Book in Fairfax, Virginia, is coming up September 19-25. The lineup includes the mother-and-son mystery team Charles and Caroline Todd, as well as crime fiction authors Megan Abbott and Ellen Crosby.

It's also time for the annual Library of Congress National Book Festival held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Stop by the fiction and mystery booths on September 25th and catch readings and signings by Ken Follett, Martha Grimes, Karin Slaughter and Scott Turow.

The Mystery, Suspense and Thriller Pavilion at the West Hollywood Book Fair in California has six back-to-back panels on September 26th with a stellar group of authors.

And not so much a festival as a writers' conference, the Writers' Police Academy offers a great opportunity for crime fiction writers to get hands-on experience with police investigation and forensics, as well as hear from such notable speakers as Jeffery Deaver.