Yes, THE STRAIGHT MAN is the first in the Black Lizard line
(though, as you rightly point out, its appearance is markedly
different). I've also heard that Gifford wrote it, and I've
also heard the same denials--but have no idea which to
believe. I've picked it up twice and tried to read it, and
came away defeated. I've no idea why. But I had the same
problem with PORT TROPIQUE, so perhaps there's some validity
in that Gifford rumor.
Ron C.
> -----Original Message-----
> From:
rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com [mailto:
rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com] On
> Behalf Of
DJ-Anonyme@webtv.net
> Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2008 3:28 PM
> To:
rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: RARA-AVIS: recent purchases
>
> Today I ran across The Straight Man by Kent Nelson.
I looked at it,
> read the back and was wavering when I noticed it was
a Black Lizard
> book, even though its cover was like no Black Lizard
I've ever seen.
> Its copyight was also earlier than those of the few
other Black Lizards
> they had. Is this the first in the line? Is it the
only one with a
> different cover style? (Yes, I know the color of the
spines changed,
> but the overall look stayed prety much the same.) I
searched the
> archives and see that it was thought that Barry
Gifford might have
> written it, but he said it was actually someone
elese's pseudonym.
> Gifford's Port Tropique was in the line. He was also
Black Lizard's
> editor, wasn't he? For how long? The entire Creative
Arts run? Also,
> the copyright page for The Straight Man says: "This
project is supported
> in part by a grant from the National Endowment for
the Arts in
> Washington, DC, a Federal agency." I'm not sure if
that refers to this
> one book or Black Lizard got started with a Federal
grant. If the
> latter, I'm happy to see a small bit of my tax
dollars went to such a
> worthy project.
>
> I also picked up Gun, Drugs and Monsters, a Cal
McDonald mystery by
> Steve Niles. Niles has gotten mixed response in the
archives.
>
> Oh yeah, at the same place, I saw a smutty novel
called Kitty, by TS
> Boyd. Is Boyd really anyone who went on the more
fame? Should I go
> back for the book?
>
> I also saw a novel by Bernard Wolfe. I nly know him
for cowriting
> Really the Blues with Mezz Mezzrow. Are his solo
books any good?
>
> Mark
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> RARA-AVIS home page: http://www.miskatonic.org/rara-avis/
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>
>
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