Here are a four things that I’ve been thinking about.

Two Books

I recently finished reading two books. Megan Abbott’s EL DORADO DRIVE and William Boyle’s SAINT OF THE NARROWS STREET.

Abbott weaves forward and backward timelines from 2008 stretching back to the childhood of the three sisters in Grosse Pointe, MI. While not overtly historical feeling, there is a certain nostalgia and tenderness to an otherwise ugly and complex situation involving a pyramid scheme, betrayal, and ultimately murder.  Abbott goes deep and stays there. As with her other writing, she explores the bonds between women, a sense of connectedness and isolation, and a world where nobody comes out ahead.

In Boyle’s story, also set in the near past and stretching forward in time, two sisters commit a murder and spend the rest of the novel trying to keep it buried. Like Abbott, Boyle respects his characters enough to allow them to develop in complex, flawed ways. The setting, time, place felt familiar and the characters fully realized enough to remind me of people I might have known at one point.

I highly recommend both books.

Pittsburgh and the Brentwood Heist of 1982

These books made me feel oddly nostalgic for the edges of my childhood in Pittsburgh and western PA  during the 1980s. Which led me to looking at old family pictures of my grandparents and my parents and even older relatives I don’t really remember. Which let me to listening to 1980s Pittsburgh punk bands. Which led me to looking up old dive bars and music venues. Which led me to learning about the Brentwood Heist of 1982, during which two men dressed as FBI agents and stole 2.8 million from a Purolator armored truck terminal and disappeared.

Poof.

Which made me think, Man would that make a good story.

So I’ve been drinking deep from the heist well – movies, short stories, and books. I have some stellar recommendations and might organize a post about this at a later time.

The Great State of Maine

On Tuesday, my older son had his last summer ball game. He pitched well had a few solid hits, and really enjoyed himself. For those of you familiar with Portland, his home field is the one at Payson with views of Back Cove. Behind the field, the Friends of Payson Park organized a concert by the FLUKES (Fun-Loving-Ukulelele-Society). High schoolers were playing softball on the adjacent field. The pickleball court was popping. The ultimate frisbee people were making the rounds drinking things in cans with coozees. And the people dressed in medieval armor were sword fighting.

I was walking back thinking a little about how nice that moment was, how nice it is that we have a big green park by our house. How nice it is that a high school kid volunteers to coach a middle school summer ball team. How nice it is that people volunteer their time to organize concerts in the park. How nice it is that the parks put in those frisbee baskets for people. How nice the parent behind me was for saying things like, “Wow. He’s really throwing well this game.”

My Writing

I have four stories out since my last post:

“The Usual Reasons” in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine (July/August) Available in Barnes and Nobels and Books a Millions and maybe your local bookstores.

“For Laura” in Stone’s Throw (July). Available for free HERE.

“Beautiful, Dangerous Things” in Dark Yonder (available end of August).

“A Hard Night’s Sleep” In Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine (September/October).

Until next time,

Gabi