RARA-AVIS: ross thomas & other thoughts

From: BaxDeal@aol.com
Date: 21 Feb 2001


Thomas' final novel, VOODOO LTD is a wonderful, satisfying story with a bittersweet ending made more so by the author's death not long after the book's publication. His was a great loss, still felt.

On another note, I'm of an age where I don't particularly relate to the music of "kids nowadays". I think hip hop sounds like a fight breaking out; I don't know Eminem from an enema. However, the L.A. Times today published the words to his song "Stan" which the controversial rapper will perform on the Grammies tonight with Elton John. The song is written as a series of letters in the first person from the point of view of an increasingly troubled fan of the artist, leading up to a murder suicide. I'm impressed. Whatever the criticisms of Mr. Mathers (mysoginy, homophobia, criticisms similarly leveled at Rara Avis darling J. Ellroy) the boy has talent. And he is hardboiled with a capital H.

And finally last night I read CIELO AZUL, the short story Michael Connelly wrote on a weekend and is available free to his e-mail list. Cielo Azul is a Harry Bosch story, tied in to his recent novel A DARKNESS MORE THAN NIGHT. Story however is written in the first person, rather than the third as is common in the Bosch series. Connelly has said he now intends to alternate between first and third person in the series to keep himself interested, and does so effortlessly here. Connelly also demonstrates that his particular bleak sensibility works well in short form as well as long.

John Lau

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