Richmond Noir

First Friday at Richmond Public Library

2010-12-03T08:57:00.000-08:00

Richmond Noir will appear at the Downtown branch of the Richmond Public Library TONIGHT at 7:00 PM. Part of the library's First Friday celebration, the reading will take place in the Davenport Special Collections Room and will feature Laura Browder, Dennis Danvers and Hermine Pinson. With editors Blossom, Castleberry and De Haven on hand. Plus books for sale courtesy of Chop Suey Books. A signing will follow. This event is free to all! Hope to see you there!

Libbie Place, Here We Come!

2010-11-10T19:16:00.000-08:00

Tired of book signings? We're not! Come out and see the editors of Richmond Noir at the Barnes and Noble Libbie Place on SUNDAY NOV 14 from 2-4 pm! We'll be drinking coffee, making small talk, etc. Oh, and signing books of course. Hope to see you there!

Signing at Barnes & Noble Short Pump

2010-11-04T20:48:00.000-07:00

The editors of Richmond Noir will be signing copies of the book at Barnes & Noble Short Pump! This Saturday, November 6, from 11 am - 2 pm! Come and see us if you have the chance!

Richmond Noir in Hopewell

2010-10-11T12:34:00.000-07:00

Editors Andrew Blossom, Brian Castleberry and Tom De Haven will discuss Richmond Noir THIS THURSDAY, OCT 14 at 7:00 PM. We'll be at the Maude Langhorne Nelson Library, located at 209 E Cawson St in Hopewell, VA. Our sincere thanks to the Appomattox Regional Library System for inviting us! Hope to see you there!

Back to School, Dangerfield-Style

2010-08-19T17:03:00.000-07:00

Hey! Remember Richmond Noir? We do! And now that summer is almost over, we're gearing up for a series of fall book events. We'll post all info here. First things first: Editors Blossom, Castleberry and De Haven will be appearing at the Barnes & Noble VCU to sign books THIS SUNDAY, AUG 22, 2-4 PM. If you're on your way back to school or just happen to be in the area, come say hello!

At the Airport Bookstore

2010-07-15T15:16:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, Richmond Noir editors Andrew Blossom, Brian Castleberry, and Tom De Haven will be signing books at the Hudson Booksellers store in the Richmond International Airport on FRIDAY, JULY 16 from 2-4 PM. Going somewhere? Come see us! We've got some reading material for your trip...

This Just In

2010-07-01T10:58:00.000-07:00

Richmond Noir editor Andrew Blossom caught eating dinner at 821.

Midnight & Tacos

2010-06-02T19:57:00.000-07:00

A Richmond blogger named Midnight Hatter has finished reading Richmond Noir and posted some nice comments about it. Our favorite: "Great care was taken to ensure that all the stories in the collection captured that 'Richmond' feel without being all gutterpunks, whitedreads and PBR."

Later in the post, we find out the author is pretty good at making tacos!. Here's hoping for a recipe...

De Haven Pulls a Fast One

2010-05-29T08:46:00.000-07:00

Tom De Haven, Richmond Noir editor (and author of Our Hero: Superman on Earth, pictured above), has a review in the New York Times's Sunday Book Review this weekend! Entitled "Mean Boys," the piece covers the new book Elliot Allagash, by Simon Rich. You should check it out, because it's a great article. Plus, perhaps more importantly, Tom's managed to sneak the words "Richmond" and "Noir" into the Times via his author's bio! Huzzah! We knew we'd get there some day...

Noir Makes Sense!

2010-05-27T09:45:00.000-07:00

Al Harris of the website Richmond Biz Sense posted an article yesterday about the local response to Richmond Noir, which led immediately to a spike in same-day sales at Chop Suey Books! Talk about synergy! Our thanks to Al. Why don't y'all head on over to Richmond Biz Sense and check it out?

Gallery 5 Reading (This Weds!) Gets Poster

2010-05-10T12:50:00.000-07:00

Check out the killer poster designed by Spencer Hansen of Team 8 for the Richmond Noir reading at Gallery 5! (Click the image above to enlarge.) It's all happening THIS WEDS, MAY 12, 7:00 PM, with readers Mina Beverly, Conrad Ashley Persons, David L. Robbins, and Meagan J. Saunders! Also on hand: editors Andrew Blossom, Brian Castleberry, and Tom De Haven, and contributors X.C. Atkins, Laura Browder, and Anne Thomas Soffee! With a cash bar, and the above signing books! Sponsored by Chop Suey Books and River City Reads!

Getting Yet Internetier...

2010-05-09T22:04:00.000-07:00

Good people of the blogger.com blogosphere, we've just come across this sympathetic posting, written by a friend of Richmond Noir contributor Conrad Ashley Persons. The piece begins as a notice for our Gallery Five reading on WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, but turns into an evaluation of our presence on Facebook and in this here very blog. And we come off as okay! What a relief!

Thanks very much to Publishing Evolution for the kind attention!

CHOP SUEY BOOKS & RIVER CITY READS present RICHMOND NOIR at GALLERY FIVE!

2010-05-03T08:44:00.000-07:00

Chop Suey Books is partnering with River City Reads to present Richmond Noir at Gallery Five! Come help us celebrate the selection of Richmond Noir, from Akashic Books, as the first entry in River City Reads, Richmond's new citywide book club!

WEDS, MAY 12, 7:00 PM
Gallery Five, 200 W Marshall, RVA

Readers will include Richmond Noir contributors Mina Beverly ("Gaia"), Tom De Haven ("Playing with DaBlonde"), Conrad Ashley Persons ("Marco's Broken English"), David L. Robbins ("Homework") and Meagan J. Saunders ("Untitled")!

ALSO: editors Andrew Blossom, Brian Castleberry and Tom De Haven, and contributors X.C. Atkins ("A Late-Night Fishing Trip"), Laura Browder ("The Heart is a Strange Muscle") and Anne Thomas Soffee ("Midnight at the Oasis"), on hand to answer questions and sign copies of the book! PLUS music and a cash bar, courtesy of our kind hosts at Gallery Five! We hope to see you there!

For more information about Richmond Noir, River City Reads, Chop Suey Books, and Gallery Five, please visit the links aboce. The River City Reads program is a creation of the Frontier Project. The River City Reads/Richmond Noir poster is designed by Spencer Hansen of Team 8.

Noir Takes Manhattan, Muppet-Style!

2010-04-25T12:46:00.000-07:00

New Yorkers! We are very pleased to remind you that Richmond Noir will be appearing at Manhattan's KGB Bar THIS THURSDAY, APRIL 29 from 7:00-9:00 pm. Readers will include Clay McLeod Chapman, Tom De Haven, Conrad Ashley Persons, Hermine Pinson, and David L. Robbins. Editor Andrew Blossom and contributor X.C. Atkins will also be on hand, and a book signing is sure to follow. It's a real honor to bring this book to New York, home base of Akashic Books, and especially to KGB, where we have attended many readings we've loved! Here's hoping you can come out, have a drink, and listen to some strange tales from the River City! Tell your friends!

Brooklyn Rules with Chapman

2010-04-22T13:25:00.000-07:00

In anticipation of the Richmond Noir reading at New York City's KGB Bar next week (see the event listing here), the literary blog Vol. 1 Brooklyn. Has put up an excerpt from "The Battle of Belle Isle," by contributor Clay McLeod Chapman. Our thanks to the folks at Vol. 1 Brooklyn and Akashic Books for the idea! If you like the story, please come see us at KGB NEXT THURS, APR 29 from 7:00-9:00 PM. Clay will be reading alongside fellow contributors Tom De Haven, Conrad Ashley Persons, Hermine Pinson, and David L. Robbins, while contributor X.C. Atkins and editors Andrew Blossom and Brian Castleberry will also be on hand to sign books. Hope to see you there!

Edgar Allan Poe Museum! Thursday, April 22!

2010-04-21T11:50:00.000-07:00

It's our honor to present Richmond Noir at the Edgar Allan Poe Museum in Richmond, VA tomorrow (Thursday, April 22) from 6:00-9:00 pm! Readers will include contributors Pir Rothenberg, whose "The Rose Red Vial" is set among Poe afficionadoes, and Clint McCown, whose "The Apprentice" was inspired in part by Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart." Editors Andrew Blossom, Brian Castleberry, and Tom De Haven will also be on hand. Reception will start at 6:00, with the reading itself tol start around 7:00, and a book signing will follow. Hope to see you there!

Noir At VCU: Tonight!

2010-04-19T09:18:00.001-07:00

Richmond Noir will appear tonight at 7:00 pm in the Richmond Salons of the VCU Student Commons (907 Floyd Avenue, RVA, 23284). Readers will include Noir contributors (and VCU alumni!) X.C. Atkins, Dennis Danvers, Pir Rothenberg, and Anne Thomas Soffee! Editors Andrew Blossom, Brian Castleberry, and Tom De Haven will also be on hand. A book signing will follow.

So come on out! Unless you have to skip class. That we can't advocate. Although if you wanna...

Noir Visits Fredericksburg

2010-04-15T09:35:00.001-07:00

Good news, everybody! Richmond Noir will appear at the Griffin Bookshop & Coffee Bar in Fredericksburg, VA THIS SATURDAY, APRIL 17 from 2:00-4:00 pm. Guests will include contributors Dennis Danvers and Howard Owen, plus editor Tom De Haven, who will be reading for the first time from his piece, "Playing with DaBlonde." Of course, editors Andrew Blossom and Brian Castleberry will be in attendance, and all of the above will gladly sign books following the reading.

Fredericksburg's Free Lance-Star recently ran a nice review of Richmond Noir in their pages. You can check out that piece here. (Here's a quick correction: there were three editors on the book, not one! It says so on the cover!)

Noir Across America

2010-04-07T05:45:00.001-07:00

This week, the lads of Richmond Noir will be reppin' the book in two different cities!

Editor Andrew Blossom will be at the AWP Conference in Denver, CO with his magazine Makeout Creek. You can find their table on the bookfair floor throughout the conference. On Wednesday, April 7, at 7:30 pm -- i.e., tonight -- Makeout Creek will also cohost an event with the literary journal diode at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts's Jones Theatre. Readers will include Abaymi Animashaun, Mary Biddinger, Kara Candito, Tarfia Faizullah, Anna Journey, Cynthia Lotze, Sabrina Orah Mark, Clint McCown, Karyna McGlynn, Joshua Poteat, Nate Slawson, Mathias Svalina, Allison Titus, and G.C. Waldrep. What's all this got to do with Richmond Noir? Copies of the book will be for sale at both the reading and the bookfair.

What about Richmond itself? As previously noted here, editors Brian Castleberry and Tom De Haven will be signing copies of Richmond Noir alongside contributor X.C. Atkins at the Barnes & Noble in Short Pump on Saturday, April 10, from 1-3 pm. Around the mall this weekend? Come out and say hello!

Whoops! RE: B&N Signing Location

2010-04-03T07:18:00.001-07:00

Well, we had some bad information. Today's Richmond Noir signing (with the editors and Dennis Danvers) is at the Barnes & Noble Chesterfield Town Centre at 11500 Midlothian Turnpike. In other words, a whole different Barnes & Noble than we'd been reporting. Yikes! Sorry for any confusion, and hope to see you there!

Signing This Saturday

2010-04-02T15:24:00.000-07:00

Contributor Dennis Danvers will join editors Andrew Blossom, Brian Castleberry, and Tom De Haven to sign copies of Richmond Noir at the Barnes and Noble Commonwealth Centre this Saturday, April 3, from 2-4 pm. Live on the Southside? Come by and say hello!

Noir Takes William & Mary!

2010-03-30T22:46:00.001-07:00

On Thursday, April 1 at 7:00 PM, Richmond Noir will appear at the College of William and Mary as part of its Patrick Hayes Writers' Series. The reading will take place in Room 201 of Tyler Hall and will feature five Richmond Noir contributors with special connections to W&M: Clay McLeod Chapman, Tom De Haven, Hermine Pinson, David L. Robbins, and Meagan J. Saunders. Editors Andrew Blossom and Brian Castleberry will also be skulking about somewhere, and will join their distinguished colleagues at a reception immediately following.

In other words, we're getting classy. More information about the program can be found here.

Praise from Library Journal

2010-03-29T12:38:00.000-07:00

Somehow we managed to forget to post when the Library Journal ran a nice review of Richmond Noir on March 15. So let's make up for it now:

Richmond Noir. Akashic. Mar. 2010. 290p. ed. by Andrew Blossom & others. ISBN 978-1-933354-98-9. pap. $15.95. M

Richmond, VA, is a city of contrasts. Steeped in history—as the capital of the Confederacy and a center of slave trade—the city has become known for state politics, commerce, culture, and crime as it has become increasingly diverse, while still symbolizing Southern gentility. Although each of these 15 stories reveals a side of Richmond, its contrasts are shown most vividly in Dennis Danvers's "Texas Beach," in which a man finds the body of an immigrant killed accidentally while illegally felling trees so that a prominent white politician would have a better view of the James River from his mansion. Murder, scattered through these entries, is most chilling when it is imminent, as in Tom De Haven's "Playing with DaBlonde," in which a laid-off ad exec who's into porn sees premonitions coming true. VERDICT A lovingly compiled entry in Akashic's strong regional noir series, this could have appeal beyond the Commonwealth and its capital. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 11/1/09.]—Michele Leber, Arlington, VA

Wow, huh? (Need proof? The page is here. Scroll down until you see "Richmond Noir.")

Danvers Storms Bookstores

2010-03-28T22:08:00.000-07:00

This spring, the work of Richmond Noir contributor Dennis Danvers ("Texas Beach") can be found well beyond the covers of our little collection. His first novel, Wilderness, has just been re-released by Eos to coincide with Twilight mania -- a not-completely accurate comparison, if you ask us, but hopefully a profitable one! He also has a new story ("Healing Benjamin") in Tails of Wonder and Imagination, an anthology of cat-centered literature that also features the likes of Joyce Carol Oates, Neal Gaiman, and Kelly Link. (Check out an image of the books, below.)

Our thanks and congratulations to Dennis!

Richmond Blogs Noir, Cont'd

2010-03-22T09:22:00.000-07:00

1. Karen runs into the Richmond Noir editors out on the town in Richmond in I Could Go On and On.
2. "Shoppher" (above) wears a (handsome!) trench coat as a dress to a Richmond Noir reading.
3. Writer Kris Spisak takes a detour to a Richmond Noir event in her quest to publish her novel.

Thanks, everybody, for your support! Keep spreadin' that word!

Virginia Festival of the Book: Saturday!

2010-03-18T16:51:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, March 20 at 10 am, the panel "Capital Offenses: Richmond, Virginia and Richmond Noir" will take place in the Lewis-Clark Room of the Omni Hotel in Charlottesville, VA as part of the Virginia Festival of the Book. Editor Andrew Blossom will discuss the recent entry in Akashic Books' Urban Noir Series alongside contributors Dean King, Howard Owen, Hermine Pinson, and David L. Robbins. More information can be found at the VFB site. Hope you can make it!

In the Richmond Times-Dispatch

2010-03-14T13:33:00.001-07:00

There's a wonderful article about Richmond Noir in today's Richmond Times-Dispatch by author Celia Wren. And there's a bonus, too: the article has a link to a terrific review of the book by Clarke Crutchfield. Really, we couldn't be luckier! Our thanks to Celia, Clarke, photographer Dean Hoffmeyer, and everyone at the Times-Dispatch!

Virginia Living Piece Now Online!

2010-03-11T15:33:00.000-08:00

Follow this link to check out the piece about Richmond Noir in this month's Virginia Living! (That internet -- what won't it do!) Our sincere thanks once again to Virginia Living and writer Bill Glose for the wonderful article!

A Weekend of Noir!

2010-03-11T09:49:00.000-08:00

Get your noir on! Richmond Noir, that is!

FRI, MAR 12, 12-2 PM
Editors sign books at Barnes & Noble @ VCU (above).

FRI MAR 12, 5-7 PM
Editors & authors hang out and sign books at Book People's Richmond Noir open house.

SAT MAR 13, 2-4 PM
Editors & authors Dennis Danvers, Tom De Haven, Clint McCown, and Anne Thomas Soffee sign books at Barnes & Noble Libbie Place.

SUN MAR 14
The Richmond Times-Dispatch runs a feature article about Richmond Noir by author Celia Wren!

Richmond Noir on the Radio

2010-03-10T11:28:00.000-08:00

Caroline Jackson's piece about last month's Fountain Bookstore reading hit the airwaves on local independent station WRIR this week. And now it's online! Click here to find the story on the WRIR News Blog. Our thanks to Caroline and the good folks at WRIR, and thanks again to everyone who came out to see us at Fountain!

Noir in Virginia Living Magazine

2010-03-08T07:55:00.000-08:00

There's a really excellent article about Richmond Noir by writer Bill Glose in this month's Virginia Living, just released, entitled "The Urban Underbelly." Don't let the fuzzed-out picture (above) fool you -- it's a nice piece, the best one yet! So pick up a copy of the magazine and check it out! Our thanks to Bill and to Virginia Living!

Castleberry, Danvers Take the Airwaves

2010-03-05T12:56:00.000-08:00

Click here for video of Brian Castleberry and Dennis Danvers on yesterday's edition of Virginia This Morning on Richmond's CBS-6. Way to go, guys!

New York Deli! Tonight!

2010-03-04T09:50:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder: Richmond Noir reads at New York Deli tonight, 8:30 pm, presented by Chop Suey Books! With contributors X.C. Atkins, Clay McLeod Chapman, Dennis Danvers, Dean King, and Howard Owen, plus a special performace by the Scott Burton Trio! Book signing with authors and editors to follow! Be there!

Noir Hits the Airwaves

2010-03-03T08:48:00.000-08:00

Turn on your TVs! On Thursday morning, author Dennis Danvers and editor Brian Castleberry will be representing Richmond Noir on Virginia This Morning, which airs from 9-10 am on WTVR CBS-6. That's live television, folks!

AND REMEMBER the New York Deli/Chop Suey Books reading follows THAT night -- 8:30 pm!

Richmond Mag Reprints Danvers's "Texas Beach"

2010-02-27T13:48:00.000-08:00

The current issue of Richmond Magazine ("52 Great Weekends") is now on sale and features Dennis Danvers's Richmond Noir story "Texas Beach," reprinted in its entirety! Thanks to Richmond Magazine for the wonderful presentation! And congratulations to Dennis, whose story "The Fairy Princess" is also forthcoming in the March/April issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction!

Chop Suey Presents Noir at New York Deli!

2010-02-26T14:54:00.000-08:00

CHOP SUEY BOOKS & NEW YORK DELI celebrate the release of RICHMOND NOIR

THURS, MARCH 4
8:00 PM
@ NEW YORK DELI (2920 W Cary St)

featuring readings from contributors X.C. Atkins, Clay McLeod Chapman (The Pumpkin Pie Show, Rest Area), Dennis Danvers (The Watch, Wilderness), Dean King (Skeletons on the Zahara, Unbound), and Howard Owen (Littlejohn, Rock of Ages)

w/ editors Andrew Blossom (Makeout Creek), Brian Castleberry, and Tom De Haven (It's Superman, Our Hero)

PLUS a SPECIAL PERFORMANCE by the SCOTT BURTON TRIO

The latest volume in Akashic Books' award-winning Urban Noir Series, RICHMOND NOIR features fifteen tales of desperate characters set in diverse locations around the River City! Tonight's readings will touch down in Oregon Hill, Belle Isle, Texas Beach, Shockoe Slip, and Monroe Park! Plus music from the Scott Burton Trio, and the always excellent bar of New York Deli!

Book sales will begin at 8:00. Come early to meet the authors! The readings will start around 8:45, with the performance from the Scott Burton Trio following immediately thereafter. Meanwhile, of course the editors and authors will sign books, so be sure to stay around, have a drink, enjoy the music, and help us celebrate the release of Richmond Noir!

Brick Weekly Gets It Right

2010-02-25T09:43:00.000-08:00

Richmond Noir and Jersey Shore, together at last!

Thanks very much to the folks at Brick Weekly. It's a nice article, and available on newsstands now. They also have a website, although there doesn't seem to be much of anything on there.

Richmond Blogs RN

2010-02-23T14:04:00.000-08:00

Check out these cool mentions from Richmond bloggers:

1. I Could Go On and On
2. Choose to Shine

Thanks for pluggin' Richmond Noir, everybody! Tell your friends and readers to spread the word!

De Haven's Our Hero Now Available!

2010-02-20T12:15:00.000-08:00

Tom De Haven, one third of the editing team behind Richmond Noir, has another new book that's just seeing release! Called Our Hero: Superman on Earth, it's a book-length essay about Superman that comes as part of the Yale University Press Icons of America series. (Tom is, of course, the author of It's Superman!, a period-set novel about the origins of the Man of Steel.) Yale has the book available for sale on their website. If you're in the Richmond area and prefer the independent bookstore route, check out Chop Suey Books, where Our Hero is arriving mid-week.

RVA Shows a Little Love, Too

2010-02-20T12:07:00.001-08:00

Hey, wow! The nice people at RVA Magazine have put this really amazing piece of writing about Richmond Noir on their website. Take a look, why don't you?

Our sincere thanks to everyone at RVA!

From VCU with Love

2010-02-19T16:14:00.000-08:00

Earlier today, the VCU News Center published a really terrific article about Richmond Noir that, among other things, emphasizes the book's various connections to the MFA Writing Program and other departments at that university. Click here to take a look.

Our sincere thanks to author Tom Gresham and photographer Adam Wayland for making us look so good! (Adam's photo, above, was taken during our Feb 11 reading at the Library of Virginia.)

Fountain Bookstore Tonight!

2010-02-18T05:27:00.001-08:00

Things get started at 6:30 pm, with readers Dennis Danvers, Dean King, Howard Owen, Meagan J. Saunders, and Anne Thomas Soffee. Plus those editors. Book signing to follow! Hope to see you there! 1312 E Cary St, RVA.

Books. Braids, & Behinds

2010-02-18T05:16:00.000-08:00

There's a piece about Richmond Noir up today on the blog of Richmond, VA's super cool Need Supply Co, where -- in addition to spotting our little book -- you can learn a lot about contemporary fashion and culture, including how the braid is making a real comeback. Thanks so much to Rachel for including us on such a neat site!

Incidentally, this may be the first time you see Richmond Noir in the same forum as the Best Bottom In the World Contest... but don't think it will be the last!

Fountain Bookstore on Thursday

2010-02-16T09:37:00.000-08:00

Please join us for our second Richmond Noir event at Fountain Bookstore this Thursday, Feb 18, at 6:30 pm. Dennis Danvers, Dean King, Howard Owen, Meagan J. Saunders, and Anne Thomas Soffee will read selections from their Richmond-set stories. With editors Andrew Blossom, Brian Castleberry, and Tom De Haven on hand as well. A book signing will follow. Hope to see you there!

Noir Behind Bars

2010-02-15T07:21:00.001-08:00

At the Video Fa n in Richmond, VA.

Reading Schedule Update: More Awesome Events!

2010-02-14T11:27:00.000-08:00

New Richmond Noir events include a party at Book People on March 12; a reading at the Patrick Hayes Writers Series at the College of William & Mary on April 1; an appearance at the Barnes & Noble Commonwealth Centre on April 3; an appearance at the Barnes & Noble Short Pump on April 10; and a reading at the Griffin Bookshop in Fredericksburg, VA on April 17.

And of course that ain't all. For the FULL LIST of spring events, please see below or click here.

Wordy Birds Interview: Now Online!

2010-02-13T07:47:00.001-08:00

Last week's interview with Liz Humes on WRIR's Wordy Birds is now online! When the link opens, press the green arrow to hear Andrew, Brian, and Tom expound upon Richmond and give their cobbled-together history of noir (i.e., the two main attractions of Richmond Noir, or so we hope...). Did we manage to not sound like idiots? Give it a spin and decide for yourselves!

Thanks once again to Liz Humes for the opportunity. We had a wonderful time talking with her!

Chop Suey Keeps It Sweet

2010-02-12T13:43:00.000-08:00

Great news for Richmonders! Chop Suey Books in Richmond, VA is selling new copies of Richmond Noir for 10% off cover price every day! Get on over there and pick one up!

Library of Virginia Today!

2010-02-11T06:58:00.001-08:00

Just a reminder that today's Richmond Noir event at the Library of Virginia begins at NOON. (In other words, don't go by Style Weekly, as they printed the wrong time.) Featuring contributors Laura Browder, Dennis Danvers, Dean King, and Meagan J. Saunders, with editors Blossom, Castleberry, & De Haven on hand as well. For directions to the LVA, please visit their site. Free parking is available underneath the Library. Hope to see you there!

Richmond Noir in Style Weekly

2010-02-10T21:38:00.001-08:00

(What are we, models?)

Richmond, VA's Style Weekly ran a nice article about Richmond Noir in today's (Feb 10) issue. As editors ourselves, we can't help notice a few errors:

1. the article mixes up Andrew and Brian, so that a quote ABOUT Andrew is attributed TO Andrew

2. the description of our first encounter with Akashic is told backwards from how it actually happened

3. (in the print version, anyway) the article about the book is listed under "Music"

But hey, like we said, we're editors, and all editors are a little bit... shall we say... jerks about these things? It's otherwise a terrific article, and we're very glad to have the publicity! Thank you so much to everyone at Style!

You can take a look at the online version of the article here.

Full Schedule of Richmond Noir Readings & Appearances

2010-02-10T21:06:00.001-08:00

It's going to be a busy spring...

February 11, 12:00 pm
LIBRARY OF VIRGINIA
Richmond, VA
w/ readers Laura Browder, Dennis Danvers, Dean King, and Meagan J. Saunders

February 18, 6:30 pm
FOUNTAIN BOOKSTORE
Richmond, VA
w/ readers Dennis Danvers, Dean King, Howard Owen, Meagan J. Saunders, and Anne Thomas Soffee

March 4, 8:00 pm
CHOP SUEY BOOKS
hosts a special event at NEW YORK DELI
Richmond, VA
w/ readers X.C. Atkins, Clay McLeod Chapman, Dennis Danvers, Dean King, and Howard Owen, plus musical guests the Scott Burton Trio

March 12, 12:00 pm
BARNES & NOBLE @ VCU
book signing w/ the editors

March 12, 5:00 pm
BOOK PEOPLE
Richmond, VA
open house w/ the editors and contributors Dennis Danvers, Meagan J. Saunders, & more TBA

March 13, 2:00 pm
BARNES & NOBLE, LIBBIE PLACE
Richmond, VA
book signing w/ the editors and contributors Laura Browder, Tom De Haven, Clint McCown, and Anne Thomas Soffee

March 20, 10:00 am
VIRGINIA FESTIVAL OF THE BOOK
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
Charlottesville, VA
panel discussion w/ contributors Laura Browder, Dean King, Howard Owen, Hermine Pinson, and David L. Robbins

April 1, 8:00 pm
PATRICK HAYES WRITERS SERIES
COLLEGE OF WILLIAM & MARY
Williamsburg, VA
w/ readers Clay McLeod Chapman, Tom De Haven, Hermine Pinson, David L. Robbins, and Meagan J. Saunders

April 3, 2:00 pm
BARNES & NOBLE, COMMONWEALTH CENTRE
Richmond, VA
book signing w/ the editors and contributor Dennis Danvers

April 10, 2:00 pm
BARNES & NOBLE, SHORT PUMP
book signing w/ the editors

April 17, 2:00 pm
THE GRIFFIN BOOKSHOP
Fredericksburg, VA
w/ readers Dennis Danvers, Tom De Haven, Howard Owen, and Conrad Ashley Persons

April 19, 7:00 PM
VCU VISITING WRITERS SERIES
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
Richmond, VA
w/ readers Mina Beverly, Dennis Danvers, Pir Rothenberg, Anne Thomas Soffee

April 22, 6:00 PM
EDGAR ALLAN POE MUSEUM
Richmond, VA
"Unhappy Hour" appearance w/ readers Clint McCown and Pir Rothenberg.

April 29, 7:00 PM
KGB BAR
New York, NY
w/ readers Clay McLeod Chapman, Dennis Danvers, Tom De Haven, Conrad Ashley Persons, and David L. Robbins

Click on the names of any of the above locations for their websites...

Richmond Noir on the Radio!

2010-02-03T13:04:00.000-08:00

Big news! Tom, Brian, and Andrew were interviewed today for Liz Humes's Wordy Birds on WRIR. Listen to the results this Friday at noon! Tune into 97.3 FM in Richmond, wrir.org on the web!

New Events to Announce!

2010-01-24T14:14:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, March 13, the editors of Richmond Noir and contributors Laura Browder, Tom De Haven, Clint McCown, and Anne Thomas Soffee will be signing copies of the book at the Barnes & Noble at Libbie Place in Richmond, VA from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm.

Then, on Thursday, April 22, Richmond Noir will make an appearance during "Unhappy Hour" at the Edgar Allan Poe Museum (pictured above). Authors Clint McCown and Pir Rothenberg will read from their Noir pieces, both of which are Poe-related. McCown's "The Apprentice" was inspired in part by Poe's "The Tell Tale Heart," and Rothenberg's "The Rose Red Vial" concerns the machinations of museum workers during an anniversary exhibit of Poe memorabilia. Things get started at 6:00 pm.

Add these dates to your calendar! For the full list of readings, see the post below or click here.

Now On the Internets!

2010-01-20T11:18:00.001-08:00

If you live in Richmond, VA, we hope that you'll choose to support one of the amazing local booksellers that are organizing events on behalf of Richmond Noir's forthcoming release. However, if you're out there in some remote part of the world, very good news, indeed! Word comes today that Richmond Noir is now officially "In Stock" on Amazon and available for immediate order.

Also, a secondary discovery: there will be a Kindle version of the book starting in March?! This is news to us, and admittedly sort of exciting, although we generally deplore the destruction of the printed word.

As always, you may also order Richmond Noir directly from Akashic Books on the Richmond Noir page.

Update on Noir in Charlottesville

2010-01-17T21:53:00.000-08:00

Just the other day we posted dates for the first round of this spring's Richmond Noir events. Turns out we got the details wrong on one of them. Only one, though: the Richmond Noir appearance at the Virginia Festival of the Book in Charlottesville will actually take place on SATURDAY, MARCH 20 at 10:00 AM. Otherwise, the details are the same, and the panel will still feature contributors Laura Browder, Dean King, Howard Owen, Hermine Pinson, and David L. Robbins. We've added the correct date to the list below; for further specifics, you can click here.

Richmond Noir Readings! Coming Soon!

2010-01-15T15:31:00.000-08:00

We're very excited to announce we've lined up several events to coincide with the immanent publication of Richmond Noir. We hope to see you there!

[Update, 02/10/10: We've republished the full schedule. Check the post above!]

And that ain't all! We're currently at work booking additional events throughout Richmond, Central Virginia, and along the East Coast. So check back here -- we'll be sure to update you!

In the meantime, take a look at the current issue of Richmond Magazine for a nice article about Richmond Noir by Harry Kollatz, Jr. Now on newstands!

A Christmas Miracle!

2009-12-25T14:54:00.000-08:00

The first copies are back from the printer's! (Thanks, Santa!)

Richmond Noir officially hits bookstores in early 2010, so check back here for news about readings, the release party, and other Richmond Noir events. We double dog dare you!

Robbins's Broken Jewel Now Available

2009-11-29T19:51:00.000-08:00

A note of congratulations to Richmond Noir contributor David L. Robbins, whose ninth novel, Broken Jewel, has just been published and is receiving some stellar reviews.

Publishers Weekly calls it "the best WWII Pacific campaign novel in a long time," and says, "This is a terrific story of the triumph of he human spirit, loaded with suspense, historical accuracy and fast-paced action."

The Library Journal calls Broken Jewel "magnificent" in a starred review.

Kirkus Reviews (also starred) says it's "a remarkable story, brilliantly told."

Then there's James Bradley, author of Flags of Our Fathers, who calls Broken Jewel "a touching love story and a thriller of a read."

And the praise doesn't stop there! Our congratulations to David! As you might recall from the attention he recently garnered Richmond Noir in Publishers Weekly, David is the author of the short story "Homework," set in the city's East End. Our book comes out in March 2010. In the meantime, should you live in Richmond, Broken Jewel can be found at local outlets like Chop Suey Books and Fountain Bookstore. Not in Richmond? Look for Broken Jewel at a bookstore near you, or order it from our commercial overlords at Amazon.

Publishers Weekly Has Its Say

2009-11-24T16:26:00.000-08:00

It was bound to happen. The first review of Richmond Noir has been printed in Publishers Weekly. The good news? It's a pretty good review! The bad news? It's not like they're doing back flips or anything. Still. Maybe they're mezzo mezzo on anthologies? PW's anonymous reviewer singles out four Richmond Noir contributors for praise:

- David L. Robbins's "Homework," set in Richmond's East End, offers "a moving account of an encounter between a robber and a teacher."

- Pir Rothenberg's "The Rose Red Vial," set in the Museum District, "features nicely nasty betrayals and counterbetrayals" and is "among the better of the many recent Poe-inspired stories."

- Dean King's "The Fall Lines," set in Shockoe Slip in 1807, "supplies an intriguing backstory to Aaron Burr's treason trial."

- Howard Owen's "The Thirteenth Floor," set in Monroe Park, is a "well-done contemporary fair play whodunit."

And there's even a weird bit of faint praise for the editors of Richmond Noir, who "have done a better job offering variety than some other volumes in this acclaimed series."

Our congratulations to David, Pir, Dean, and Howard! And to all our writers, who have helped put together a stellar collection! We can't wait for readers to see it, and we'll certainly keep you updated as more of these reviews come in.

Final Cover Design!

2009-10-31T14:02:00.000-07:00

Guess what -- it's purple! Altogether, not too different than the galley cover, but exciting nonetheless! The next step is the printer's...

(Click the image above to see a larger version.)

Galleys Are a Go!

2009-09-23T14:03:00.000-07:00

The limited galley run of Richmond Noir is back from the printer's, and this week Akashic Books will be sending copies to advance industry reviewers like Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly. In other words, this little baby's about to step out in the real world for the first time. It's not quite in its final form -- that will be the finished book, debuting in the spring -- but this advance industry publicity can be important, so keep your fingers crossed!

(Click on the image above to see a larger version of the galley cover.)

Richmond Noir Gets Its Own Blog (Obviously)!

2009-09-20T14:58:00.001-07:00

"I would rather die in Richmond, somehow, though God knows Richmond has little enough to offer." -- Henry Miller

Our celebration of crime and malfeasance in the City on the James will arrive in March 2010 as part of Akashic Books' venerable Noir Series. Edited by Andrew Blossom, Brian Castleberry and Tom De Haven, Richmond Noir features a foreword by Tom Robbins and stunning set of all-new stories from X.C. Atkins, Mina Beverly, Laura Browder, Clay McLeod Chapman, Dennis Danvers, Tom De Haven, Dean King, Clint McCown, Howard Owen, Conrad Ashley Persons, Hermine Pinson, David L. Robbins, Pir Rothenberg, Meagan J. Saunders and Anne Thomas Soffee!

Stay tuned to this space for news about the Richmond Noir roll-out, including two preview events that will be taking place this fall. Then: we're putting together an exciting and rather extensive schedule of events and readings to promote the book throughout Spring 2010. We will update you here as these plans are finalized!

And, yes: the book is currently available for pre-order on Amazon!

(Above: cover mock-up of Richmond Noir from the Akashic catalog.)