Dark End of the Street Release

the_end_of_a_dark_streetI haven’t blogged or written on my website in a very long time and I apologize. It just got away from me. But I’m back and I’m going to try and keep this going. So, first off, TONIGHT is the launch party for “THE DARK END OF THE STREET,” the anthology SJ Rozan & I put together for Bloomsbury Publishing.

It seems like yesterday that SJ and I were sitting in Grand Central Station talking about why crime fiction is considered 2nd rate, what we were going to do about it, and what we did: Invited crime fiction and literary writers to share a book, to write original stories on the twin subjects of crime and sex. At first we weren’t sure if the writers would agree, but just about everyone we asked not only said yes, but did so with enthusiasm, and they all turned in amazing stories. It took a year to put together but it’s finished and we’re proud of it.

Here’s the line-up, in alphabetical order:Madison Smartt Bell, Lawrence Block, Stephen L. Carter, Lee Child, Michael Connelly, Lynn Freed, James Grady, Amy Hempel, Janice Y.K. Lee, Jonathan Lethem, Laura Lippman, Patrick McCabe, Val McDermid, Joyce Carol Oates, Francine Prose, Abraham Rodriguez, Jr., SJ Rozan, Edmund White, and me.

The book goes ON SALE TODAY and I hope everyone buys it for many reasons.

1. because it’s terrific.
2. Because no one thinks a book of stories can sell and we should prove them wrong. 3. And because it’s the first book that brings together crime fiction & literary writers and therefore if you know one group you won’t know the other and will be introduced to some great writers.
4. It’s an original trade paperback, so it’s cheap!

If you’re in the Metropolitan area come join us at The Center for Fiction at the Mercantile Library, at 7:00PM, buy a book, meet many of the contributing writers, and have them sign it.

An illustration by Jonathan Santlofer for the book "Dark End of the Street."
An illustration by Jonathan Santlofer for the book “Dark End of the Street.”