Cartoon of the Day: Dogs

EDGAR ALLAN POE & ABSINTHE: National Absinthe Day

Today is National Absinthe Day. For many years Edgar Allan Poe scholars purported that Poe was a 'victim' of Absinthe. The Virtual Absinthe Museum refutes that claim.

Edgar Allan Poe has frequently described as a heavy absinthe drinker, or even a casualty of absinthism. This, like many of the stories about Poe's troubles with alcohol, is an unsubstantiated myth, albeit a longstanding one. The feeling of many of Poe’s present day admirers (and, in earlier days, his enemies) that he was the kind of person who ought to have drunk absinthe, has convinced many of them that he in fact did. In fact there is not a shred of evidence that Poe ever drank absinthe, and there is substantial circumstantial evidence that not only was he not an abuser of the green drink, but he may not even have been aware of its existence.  Read More HERE.

Of course, knowledge has not clouded AbsintheAmerica from making a Custom Etched Bicentennial Edgar Allan Poe Absinthe Bottle (2009). Check on Availability. Love the disclaimer:

NOTE: IF YOU CHOOSE A BOTTLE TO BE FILLED WITH ABSINTHE, YOU MUST BE AWARE THAT THIS IS NOT SOLD TO BE OPENED OR CONSUMED. BOTTLE WILL CONTAIN ABSINTHE MIXTURE OF 120 PROOF AND 100MG/LITER. CONTENTS IS [sic] DANGEROUS AND MUST NOT BE CONSUMED AS MIXTURE IS HIGHLY TOXIC AND DANGEROUS. THIS IS MERELY A UNIQUE ONE-OF-A-KIND DIPLAY [sic]METHOD TO CELEBRATE A TRUE LITERARY MASTER AND PIECE OF OVER-INDULGENT HISTORY. YOU MUST INDICATE VIA CHECKOUT MEMO THAT YOU ARE OVER 21 YEARS OF AGE AND WILL NOT OPEN BOTTLE OR CONSUME CONTENTS. THIS IS REQUIRED. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO ABIDE BY THESE CONDITIONS, PLEASE SELECT ANOTHER OPTION. ABSINTHE AMERICA IS NOT AND WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY HARM THAT MAY COME ABOUT BY MISUSE OF THESE NOVELTY ITEMS.

Want some Chocolate with your Absinthe? Check out my post Absinthe, Green Fairy Truffles, and Chocolate Absinthe Cocktails on DyingforChocolate.com

Cartoon of the Day: Pandemic Dating

LA Times Book Prize Finalists in Mystery/Thriller

The finalists for the 41st Los Angeles Time Book Prizes were announced today. Winners will be announced in a live-streamed virtual ceremony on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter on April 16, the day before the 26th Los Angeles Times Festival of Books kicks off its second virtual event during the ongoing pandemic. Special category winners also will be celebrated that day. Congratulations to all!

Mystery/Thriller Finalists

A Beautiful Crime by Christopher Bollen 

Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby 

And Now She’s Gone by Rachel Howzell Hall 

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier 

These Women by Ivy Pochoda

Cartoon of the Day: Dogs

Reign!

 

Paul D. Marks: R.I.P.

Such sad news. Paul D. Marks, award winning author, dog rescuer, walker, historian, lover of music, photographer, friend, and all around good guy, passed away. I just saw the news on Josh Pachter's Facebook page, so I don't have any details. I knew Paul had cancer, but we all thought he'd beat it and continue his long walks with the dogs, writing great stories and novels, illuminating the history and culture of Los Angeles, writing witty comments, and sharing his life with Amy and the dogs and cats. I will miss chatting with Paul at mystery conventions, through email, and online. He was always so supportive of everything mystery, thriller, and suspense--writers and events. My heart and sympathy go out to Amy and the family. He was way too young.

Paul D. Marks was the author of the Shamus Award-Winning mystery-thriller White Heat. His short story “Ghosts of Bunker Hill” was voted #1 in the 2016 Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Readers Award. And “Fade-Out on Bunker Hill” came in second in the 2020 Ellery Queen Readers Poll. “Windward” was selected for the Best American Mystery Stories of 2018, and won the 2018 Macavity Award for Best Short Story. Paul's latest book, The Blues Don't Care, was published in June 2020.

Paul wrote four novels, co-edited two anthologies and written countless short stories, including many award winners and nominees. His short fiction has been published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Akashic’s Noir series (St. Louis), Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Hardboiled, Switchblade, Mystery Weekly and many others. He served on the boards of the Los Angeles chapters of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. 

Though Paul wrote about other places, he considered himself an L.A. writer. He lived in the Los Angeles area with his wife, dogs, and cats.

He will be sorely missed.

Listen to the Music: Paul D. Marks guest Post on Mystery Fanfare (2016)

Q&A with Paul D. Marks: Mystery Playground, August 3, 2020