Will Rogers was a respected writer and cowboy entertainer whose work embodied the traditions of the American cowboy. The Will Rogers Medallion Award was originally created to recognize quality works of cowboy poetry that honored the Will Rogers heritage, but has expanded to include other works of Western literature and film. Winners of the 2020 awards include fiction winner, Land of Wolves: A Longmire Mystery by Craig Johnson; a second place tie for The Last Warrior: The Life and Times of Yellow Boy, by W. Michael Farmer, and Blood-Soaked Earth: The Trial of Oliver Lee, by W. Michael Farmer; third place to Death Stalks Apache Oro by Sam Judd Fadala; fourth place to Cut Nose by Ron Schwab; and fifth place to Promised Land: Wyatt Earp, An American Odyssey by Mark Warren. For all the finalists in the various categories, click on over here.
On February 22, the Westport Country Playhouse in Connecticut will offer the virtual "Script in Hand: A Sherlock Carol," a reading of a play by Mark Shanahan in which Tiny Tim asks the Great Detective to look into the death of Ebenezer Scrooge. If you can't make the live event, you catch the show on-demand from February 23 through February 28. (Ht to Elizabeth Foxwell)
On February 27, Left Coast Crime will present four virtual panels to introduce the 2021 Lefty Award Nominees and their books. This Zoom Webinar is free, but advance registration is required. Participating authors will include nominees for the Lefty Award for Best Debut Novel, Best Novel, Best Historical Novel, and Best Humorous Novel.
Hosted by NY Times bestselling author, Lisa Black, a virtual Noir at the Bar on March 12 will showcase ten Sisters in Crime authors offering readings from the darker side of crime fiction. Noir a the Bar is presented by the Florida Gulf Coast Sisters in Crime chapter as a Main Stage event of Southwest Florida Reading Festival, hosted by Lee County Library System.
After a thirty-three year run (1988-2021) as crime fiction critic for the New York Times, Marilyn Stasio is stepping down. Blogger, reviewer, and nonfiction author/editor, Sarah Weinman, is taking the reins from Stasio with her first column reviewing new releases by Walter Mosley, Belinda Bauer, Catie DiSabato, and Elle Cosimano. The column will run every other week. Stasio said in her email newsletter "The Crime Lady" that "There isn’t enough gratitude to express, stepping in the shoes of Stasio (who will still write for the paper after an iconic 3-decade-plus run with the column), 'Newgate Callendar' (aka Harold C. Schonberg), Allen Hubin, and Anthony Boucher, the original 'Criminals At Large' columnist."
Over at the Venetian Vase blog, James Ellroy aficionado, Jason Carter, continued his fascinating series exploring the connections between Ellroy and the true crime history of Wisconsin.
In honor of President's Day, Janet Rudolph compiled a listing of Presidential Crime Fiction, and also a list of mysteries for the Chinese New Year, while the Indie Crime Scene put together a roundup of "Indie Mardi Gras Mysteries."
The latest "victim" of the Page 69 test is Emilya Naymark, author of Hide in Place. The story follows a former NYPD undercover cop who escaped the Big Apple when her cover was blown only to land in a small town where she takes on a case that could expose her identity to her old enemies.
Experts have devised a novel approach to selecting photos for police lineups that helps witnesses identify culprits more reliably.
The latest crime poem at the 5-2 Weekly is "I Want a Film Noir Femme Fatale" by Peter M. Gordon. The 5-2 Weekly editor, Gerald So, is also seeking new poems and poem critiques to help celebrate National Poetry Month coming up in April.
In the Q&A roundup, NPR spoke with law professor and human rights activist, Rosa Brooks, whose new memoir, Tangled Up in Blue: Policing The American City, details how she volunteered to join the police force in order to understand police reform; Author Interviews chatted with Allison Epstein about her Elizabethan mystery, A Tip for the Hangman; Author Interviews also welcomed Gwen Florio about her new book, Best Laid Plans, the first installment of a new mystery series featuring Nora Best as she flees her old life and cheating husband and takes to the road with an Airstream trailer; Lida Sideris was interviewed by Grace Topping for Writers Who Kill to discuss her book, Slightly Murderous Intent: A Southern California Mystery; Laura Shepherd-Robinson, author of the award-winning debut novel, Blood & Sugar, stopped by the Shots Magazine blog to talk about her latest book, Daughters of the Night; and Scottish crime writer, Val McDermid, told The Guardian why "To survive, you had to be twice as good as the guys."
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