Raymond Chandler brought a level of emotional complexity to his characters that had never been seen before in hard-boiled detective fiction.
Tag Archives | watercolor
The death of a great mystery writer; and more crimes against English; newsletter Jan. 5, 2017
This newsletter was sent to everyone on Jim’s email list (3,662) on Friday, January 5, 2017. Special note: If you have unsubscribed to this list previously, I apologize for this email. I had some problems with the list this week — due mainly to my incompetence — and some unsubscribers may have been added back in. […]
High in the Air, watercolor
Even this grouchy ex-prof (football coaches are paid too much) who is not even a football fan (baseball is the only REAL game) has a touch of championship fever. Congratulations to Alabama and Georgia, and best of luck to my many friends on both sides of the stadium. For those who are interested: This watercolor […]
The private eye’s business is trouble; newsletter, Dec. 22, 2017
This newsletter was sent to everyone on Jim’s email list (4,466) on Friday, Dec. 22, 2017. Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy New Year. Tis the season to celebrate, and there are lots of good greetings out there. I wish you good fellowship, good friends and family, good food, good music, and […]
The state of Alabama, various and sundry; newsletter, Dec. 15, 2017
This newsletter was sent to everyone on Jim’s email list (4,204) on Friday, Dec. 15, 2017. The state of Alabama plays a prominent role in this week’s newsletter. So does Edgar Allan Poe (again), James Whistler, and the Washington Post. The newsletters this week and next week are a bit shorter than usual because of the Christmas season. Next week I […]
A ‘day’ becomes a ‘date’; Poe’s rules for detective fiction; a little bit of Henry Fowler
This newsletter was sent to everyone on Jim’s email list (4,140) on Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. Hi, Last week’s question: Were there no Americans before 1776? An answer came in from newsletter reader and good friend Jane P: There were many Americans long before 1776, in the numerous Native American societies and groups across what became the […]
Jean Ritchie and the dulcimer revival — and much more; your pet peeves about English
This newsletter was sent to those on Jim’s email list (4,189) on Friday, Dec. 1, 2017. Hi, Last week’s entry about America’s first published poet, Anne Bradstreet, brought this from one of our newsletter readers, Robin K., who has done a good bit of genealogical research on her family: I thought that name looked familiar – I’m […]
The Puritan woman who was America’s first published poet; another true crime podcast recommendation; expensive misspellings
This newsletter was sent to everyone on Jim’s email list (4,228) on Friday, Nov. 24, 2017. Hi, In America, we have just celebrated Thanksgiving Day with a big meal, maybe a football game or a nap, and (I hope) a thankful thought or two. I am, of course, thankful for all you readers to this newsletter. It’s […]
True crime podcasts; Amazon gift card giveaway ($200)
This newsletter was sent to everyone on Jim’s email list (3,827) on Friday, Nov. 10, 2017. Good afternoon from East Tennessee. I hope you’ve had a good week and are looking forward to a great weekend. Viewing tip: Click the display images link above if you haven’t done so already. Mystery lovers = Fans of true crime […]
Another reader on free expression; Anger as temporary madness
This newsletter was sent to all those on Jim’s newsletter list (3,873) on Friday, Nov. 3, 2017. Hi, Where did English come from? The origins of English are many and varied. If you don’t know much about it, there’s a great sub-five-minute video from Open Culture embedded at the top of the JPROF.com website. Gardening is a year-round activity: I spent […]
More from the Devil’s Dictionary; Where do a fiction writer’s ideas come from?
This newsletter was sent to those on Jim’s email list (3,926) on Friday, Oct. 27, 2017. Hi, This week has blessed me with a wide range of interesting reading — from anger to Anne Bradstreet to an excellent essay on the surprising history of higher education. Each of these topics is likely to appear in […]
At the corner of Banjo and Watercolor
A couple of weeks ago, I went onto YouTube (the modern source of all wisdom and knowledge) to find a video of someone playing or singing “Cumberland Mountain Deer Chase,” an old Uncle Dave Macon tune. My local dulcimer group was playing it, and I needed to get a good idea of the melody. I […]
Swag for the Front Page Follies, 2016, part 3
A watercolor of Ayres Hall on the University of Tennessee campus was one of my contributions to the silent auction for the Front Page Follies last year, and a couple of people told me they bid on it unsuccessfully. Well, this year they get another shot. This is a watercolor of the big building at the top of […]
Swag for SPJ’s Front Page Follies
For the past several years I have been asked (and honored to be asked) to provide some items for the silent auction for the Front Page Follies, the annual musical production of the East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists. So, here are this year’s offerings: The first is a watercolor that was posted on Facebook […]
Daniel Moore – Artist, journalist . . . or both?
The University of Alabama, where I taught for 25 years, has sued artist Daniel Moore saying that Moore’s paintings, many of which depicted memorable moments in Crimson Tide football history, violate the University’s trademark protections. Moore has responded with a suit against the University saying it is interferring with his business. Moore also makes a […]
In this week’s newsletter
Mountain Mill
Read about the new book Ole Bert: Sage of the Smokies that Jim has just edited and produced for the Blount County Public Library.
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