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LC Interview with Jim Daniels

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Daniels’ most recent story collection, The Luck of the Fall, was published last June by Michigan State University Press. This seventh collection is full or varied voices and the author covers all sorts of heavy subjects, including addiction and recovery, grief, and mental illness. Daniels has given a ton of interviews over the years, but in this latest one he discusses some of the stories in his recent collection, as well as his brand-new chapbook, Comment Card.

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Interview with Don Winslow for PW

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A couple of weeks ago, Mr. Winslow graciously discussed his series and this final book with me. A small but interesting piece of the interview can be read in Publishers Weekly, titled “Iliad on the Strip: PW Talks with Don Winslow.” A version of that article also appears in the 02/12/2024 issue of Publishers Weekly under the headline “Iliad on the Strip.”

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Lowestoft Chronicle #56

Lowestoft Chronicle Issue 56

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The winter 2023 volume of Lowestoft Chronicle features exceptional travel essays by Tim Morris and Daniel Robinson, poetry by David Havird, Julie Allyn Johnson, Susanna Kittredge, and George Moore, and stories by James Gallant, Mark Jacobs, Brian Sacca, Stuart Watson, and Chila Woychik. There’s also an absorbing story from Diana Senechal, author of Republic of Noise and Mind over Memes. Senechal had this to say of the current edition: “What fun! My favorite pieces include “The National Road” by Tim Morris (a magnificent piece), “High Relief” by David Havird (full of wonderful twists), “The Fires” by George Moore, “The Bear’s Bear” by Brian Sacca, and “Paris Is Still Burning” by Daniel Robinson. Something about Lowestoft Chronicle makes me savor the reading throughout. There’s a feel of curling up with a book, or a pile of books, and traveling along. Maybe it’s the travel and humor theme that generates this momentum: the mind follows the pieces’ travels and wants to keep on going (and laughing).”

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The Accused / The Snatch by Harold R. Daniels (Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield)

The Harold R. Daniels Twofer: The Accused and The Snatch

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Earlier this month, Stark House Press published both novels as a twofer. The collection includes my essay, “The Solidly Considerable Talent of Harold R. Daniels,” in which I speak about the power of these two stories and the author’s relatively short but impactful writing career. There’s a lot more I can say about Daniels. His final two novels certainly ought to be reissued. But for now, I’ll hold off and simply say that these two stories are worth seizing while you still can.

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Story “Ruinous Acting” in Pennsylvania Literary Journal

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My latest short story, “Ruinous Acting,” about an actor’s ill-fated compliment to his costar, was published today in the Pennsylvania Literary Journal. I have a nasty habit of writing stories very quickly and then spending many years (more than a decade in many cases) revising them until I can’t bear to look at them again. Once they’re published, I’m done with them, but the process is exhausting.

Sometimes, it takes weeks or months to hear back from editors. This story received an acceptance precisely five minutes after I submitted it. I think it may be the fastest yet. I’m glad PLJ deemed it worthy of inclusion, as I’ve read quality pieces in the magazine in the past and felt that this was the right venue for the story.

For the record, “Ruinous Acting” is a self-contained short story explicitly written for literary journals. However, at some point, expect some of these characters to emerge, playing small parts in future manuscripts.

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24 Hours to Kill / Blue Mascara Tears by James McKimmey (Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield)

The High-profile Prisoner and the Detective’s Obsession

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The newest compilation released this month, 24 Hours to Kill / Blue Mascara Tears, includes a couple of varied, well-written novels from the 1960s. My essay, “Idolatry and Playing God to Cure “The Fix,” which introduces the volume, explores McKimmey’s writing career and these two works in particular. Those who enjoy hardboiled fiction from the golden era will not be disappointed.

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An Adventurous Spirit Reviewed in Seattle Book Review

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Over the years, I’ve appreciated book reviews in the Sacramento Book Review and San Francisco Book Review. These websites, managed by City Book Review, are just two of the nine brands. Since the days I started reading them, the company has rapidly expanded. Apparently, a tenth brand, New York Book Review, is coming soon. Surprisingly, the content on each of the websites is distinctly different.

So, imagine my surprise and absolute delight when I stumbled across a glowing review of An Adventurous Spirit, the most recent book in the Lowestoft Chronicle Anthology Series. I wish I had seen it sooner.

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Cry Scandal & The Root of His Evil by William Ard (Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield)

The Tough and Compassionate PI Timothy Dane

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Those who like their hardboiled mysteries short and slick and with hearty dollops of wit and action would do well to ferret out the tales of the tough but likable PI Timothy Dane. Though a bit rough around the edges, Dane was a decent and honorable chap who was good with his fists and, according to one critic, “catnip to women.” Better known than many gumshoes of the Fifties, Dane proved popular with readers and had influential book reviewers like Anthony Boucher regularly singing his praises.

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What Happens in Nebraska by Cat Dixon

Book Review: What Happens in Nebraska by Cat Dixon

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This month marks the release of Cat Dixon’s engrossing What Happens in Nebraska, her fifth poetry collection, and as with Eva and Too Heavy to Carry, Stephen F. Austin University Press is the publisher. Arranged into three parts, with roughly twenty poems in each section, the general focus is on the dissolution of a romantic relationship and the process of mending.

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An Adventurous Spirit

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Although I’ve had the pleasure to edit the Lowestoft Chronicle regularly for the past thirteen years, I’ve not been quite so consistent when it comes to the magazine’s anthology series. The previous collection, The Vicarious Traveler, appeared three years ago. Since then, I’ve been stacking up writing projects until my to-do list resembles a weekly grocery list. The tenth Lowestoft Chronicle Anthology was shunted so far down the list it almost dropped off. The abundance of quality poetry and prose in the magazine’s quarterly editions made me take a closer look at that gargantuan to-do list. It was time, I realized, to shuffle things about a bit and make time for An Adventurous Spirit. True to its title, it became an ambitious project—bigger, bolder, and, arguably, better than earlier volumes.

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