Archives: Sword and Scale

The 10 best true crime podcasts, profiled

January 9, 2018 | By Jim Stovall | No Comments | Filed in: journalism, podcasting.

For the past few weeks, I have been listening to true-crime podcasts and making recommendations to my newsletter readers. There are lots of such podcasts out there, and you have to admire the effort, dedication, and skill that it takes to put these together. The reporting on some of them is excellent. Here are the best • Read More »

Tags: Brian Reed, Buddy Cianci, Casefile, Chenjerai Kumanyika, Christopher, Crimetown, Dirty John, Jack Hitt, Jim Clemente, John Meehan, Laura Richards, Lisa Zambetti, Marc Smerling, Marissa Jones, Real Crime Profile, S-town, Sword and Scale, The Vanished, True Crime All the Time, Uncivil, Zac Stuart-Pontier

The private eye’s business is trouble; newsletter, Dec. 22, 2017

December 25, 2017 | By Jim Stovall | No Comments | Filed in: newsletter, Private eye.

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 • Read More »

Tags: Ambrose Bierce, Casefile, crimes against English, Crimetown. Gimlet Media, detective fiction, Detnovel.com, grammar, James Thurber, Kris Kristofferson, Leonardo da Vinci, Marc Smerling, Merlin Olsen, Movie Set, Murder on the Movie Set, podcasts, private detective, private eye, Providence Rhode Island, real crime, Real Crime Profile, Sandi Scott, Sword and Scale, The Devil's Dictionary, Trouble is My Business, True Crime All the Time, Walter Isaacson, watercolor

The state of Alabama, various and sundry; newsletter, Dec. 15, 2017

December 18, 2017 | By Jim Stovall | No Comments | Filed in: newsletter.

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 • Read More »

Tags: Ambrose Bierce, Brian Reed, Casefile, cozy mystery, Dirty John, Edgar Allan Poe, James Whistler, Murder on the Movie Set, Phifer Hall, podcast, real crime, Real Crime Profile, S-town, Sandi Scott, Sword and Scale, The Devil's Dictionary, This American Life, true crime, True Crime All the Time, University of Alabama, Washington Post, watercolor

Jean Ritchie and the dulcimer revival — and much more; your pet peeves about English

December 4, 2017 | By Jim Stovall | No Comments | Filed in: newsletter, Women writers and journalists.

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 • Read More »

Tags: Ambrose Bierce, Anne Bradstreet, crimes against English, Dirty John, dulcimer, Elegy Written in a County Churchyard, folk music, folk songs, genealogy, Henry Van Dyke, Jean Ritchie, Kill the Quarterbak, Leonardo da Vinci, Mike Ferguson, Mike Gibson, misspelling, podcast, Point Spread, real crime podcasts, Real Crime Profile, Sword and Scale, The Devil's Dictionary, The Prolific Reader, Thomas Gray, True Crime All the Time, Walter Isaacson, watercolor

More about true crime podcasts; Fowler’s English classic; and giveaways galore

November 20, 2017 | By Jim Stovall | No Comments | Filed in: newsletter.

This newsletter was sent to everyone on Jim’s email list (4,261) on Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. Hi, The county where I live, Blount (pronounced blunt) is home to a part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Smokies are beautiful any time of the year but especially so during the fall foliage season, which has • Read More »

Tags: Ambrose Bierce, Blount County, BookFunnel, Christopher Goffard, Claudia Rowe, Debra Newell, Dirty John, Doris Ulman, English, espionage, Fowler's Dictionary of Modern English Usage, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Henry Fowler, Jeannie Rousseau, John Meehan, Kill the Quarterback, Los Angeles Times, Point Spread, Smokies, Sword and Scale, Tennessee, The Devil's Dictionary, The fiddle player, The Spider and the Fly, World War II

True crime podcasts; Amazon gift card giveaway ($200)

November 14, 2017 | By Jim Stovall | No Comments | Filed in: newsletter.

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 • Read More »

Tags: Ambrose Bierce, Chicago, Claudia Tow, John McWhorter, Melvyn Bragg, Open Cluture, Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue, podcasts, serial killers, Sword and Scale, The Adventure of English, The Devil's Dictionary, The Origins of English, The Spider the The Fly, true crime, true crime podcasts, watercolor