tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290476670691353414.comments2024-03-06T04:04:24.597-08:00The Trap of Solid GoldSteve Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15863138617383626261noreply@blogger.comBlogger795125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290476670691353414.post-28509477218526581682024-01-23T11:13:36.452-08:002024-01-23T11:13:36.452-08:00https://thetrapofsolidgold.blogspot.com/2010/06/bl...https://thetrapofsolidgold.blogspot.com/2010/06/black-border-for-mcgee.htmlSteve Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15863138617383626261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290476670691353414.post-36587800197738242772024-01-22T16:32:46.152-08:002024-01-22T16:32:46.152-08:00At thy end of the piece JDM says "...20 with ...At thy end of the piece JDM says "...20 with two more to come." The Lonely Silver Rain was number 21. Any indication in his notes about number 22?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290476670691353414.post-1809014808595714442023-12-25T11:34:48.051-08:002023-12-25T11:34:48.051-08:00Yes it's a wonderful story.Yes it's a wonderful story. <br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290476670691353414.post-79200228271439943812023-12-24T07:48:33.609-08:002023-12-24T07:48:33.609-08:00It's Coby WhitmoreIt's Coby WhitmoreSteve Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15863138617383626261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290476670691353414.post-58302103001571556162023-12-24T07:07:55.940-08:002023-12-24T07:07:55.940-08:00I've tried to decipher the signature of the ar...I've tried to decipher the signature of the artist who did the original illustration, but have failed. Anyone know? It's a great piece!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290476670691353414.post-80271481867462622742023-12-11T04:07:22.954-08:002023-12-11T04:07:22.954-08:00Thanks Anthony, I can't imagine you not liking...Thanks Anthony, I can't imagine you not liking Shaw's early work. "The Girls in Their Summer Dresses" alone is worth the price.Steve Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15863138617383626261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290476670691353414.post-7225443827355605372023-12-10T18:14:59.154-08:002023-12-10T18:14:59.154-08:00You've created a wonderful blog, Mr Scott. I f...You've created a wonderful blog, Mr Scott. I found you via the Covers blog you list in internet resources. As much as I love other writers there's an oddly pure pleasure to reading JDM. I'd expect him to be one of the lastingly great 20th century writers. Since I enjoyed Mixed Company, I've just ordered the larger Irwin Shaw collection you mention here. Late night impulsive online shopping ... I'll blame you if I don't like it.🙂 All the best with your writing and everything else.-- Anthony Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290476670691353414.post-41221477653875539872023-10-18T13:23:44.932-07:002023-10-18T13:23:44.932-07:00DEATH PROBABLY IS NOT BLACK. IF BLACK IS DETECTED ...DEATH PROBABLY IS NOT BLACK. IF BLACK IS DETECTED IT MEANS THE PERSON IS ALIVE. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290476670691353414.post-36543869170741445432023-08-04T06:08:22.365-07:002023-08-04T06:08:22.365-07:00You can read all about it here: https://thetrapofs...You can read all about it here: https://thetrapofsolidgold.blogspot.com/2015/04/jdm-in-texas.htmlSteve Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15863138617383626261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290476670691353414.post-75016228397785161832023-08-03T17:48:34.780-07:002023-08-03T17:48:34.780-07:00Do you know which cities in Texas did he live in?Do you know which cities in Texas did he live in?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290476670691353414.post-7714371471922353942023-07-25T11:13:30.228-07:002023-07-25T11:13:30.228-07:00I second the comment of Paul Chadwick above. I rea...I second the comment of Paul Chadwick above. I read the book, and then hasten to the classroom of Prof. Scott to get the definitive "take," after which, as a prominent radio talk-show host used to say, "nothing more need be said."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290476670691353414.post-2476240229112073082023-07-25T03:30:02.320-07:002023-07-25T03:30:02.320-07:00I have no idea.I have no idea.Steve Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15863138617383626261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290476670691353414.post-68629203866195267712023-07-24T22:35:44.374-07:002023-07-24T22:35:44.374-07:00Who drew the Black & White Illustration?Who drew the Black & White Illustration?kfreasstudiohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00680671266125564346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290476670691353414.post-40287250564698972982023-06-02T13:48:23.860-07:002023-06-02T13:48:23.860-07:00An interesting theory Hugh, thanks for sharing it ...An interesting theory Hugh, thanks for sharing it here. I don't recall the character in The Deceivers pining for a different road he could have taken in life but it's been a long time since I read the novel.<br /><br />I've been thinking about this novel, however, after having read the recent collection of JDM and Dordo's wartime corresponcence, Dear Dordo. John developed a strong infatuation with a female co-worker while stationed in India, and the back and forth between he and his wife is fascinating, revealing a similar incident when JDM was stationed in Rochester. Then, much later, there's the Babs Deal "affair" revealed in Hugh Merrill's The Red Hot Typewriter. MacDonald clearly experienced what the main character did, if, one must assume, never consumated.<br /><br />Regarding the original short story that launched his career, it certainly does read like a real experience, but I just can't buy John, or any married man, writing it up and sending it to his wife if it really happened.Steve Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15863138617383626261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290476670691353414.post-23641653709459415642023-06-01T16:05:16.552-07:002023-06-01T16:05:16.552-07:00I happened to be reading your essay about the dece...I happened to be reading your essay about the deceivers, today, probably 10 years after you originally wrote it. And I think it's very interesting all the parallels you found between John D. MacDonald and the hero of the deceivers, and how possibly some of the theories are that perhaps, John D wrote it as an atonement for an affair that he had in India. That's certainly possible. I noticed when I read the novel that JDM's episode with the chi-chi was almost certainly based on personal experience of JDM or one of his close friends in India.<br /><br />However, I'd like to pursue something that I was thinking about.<br />The parallels include the fact that John D went to Wharton School of Business and he was being groomed by his father for a corporate life. I wonder if the deceivers isn't, John D. MacDonald's meditation on his alternate life, if he had instead had lived in an alternate universe in which instead of writing that story to his wife and becoming a successful writer, he came back to United States after the war and became a corporate drone. <br /><br />Perhaps the deceivers is JDM's meditation on what an empty life that would have been for him, that perhaps in that alternate universe, John D, MacDonald, would have broken his wedding vows and been unfaithful to his wife. It's just a thought that I had. I'll post it here on the essay, and maybe you can give it some thought and see what you think about the idea. Thank you.Hugh Pickenshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10480855811946207786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290476670691353414.post-28303518877160729192023-05-15T18:43:07.280-07:002023-05-15T18:43:07.280-07:00I first read "The Legend of Joe Lee" in ...I first read "The Legend of Joe Lee" in 1972, in the Hitchcock anthology; my first thought was that it would have made a great NIGHT GALLERY episode. I haven't seen it in years, but it stuck in my mind for all those years.<br />Lots of ghost stories are scary, but to find one that is also poingnant and thoughtful is rare.-Alan D Hopewellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05588625423455924651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290476670691353414.post-72284447479063268172023-04-21T20:46:50.109-07:002023-04-21T20:46:50.109-07:00So insightful. I have and will enjoy sharing this....So insightful. I have and will enjoy sharing this. Thank you so much. Ron B.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290476670691353414.post-22820265112385659692022-12-28T04:25:25.555-08:002022-12-28T04:25:25.555-08:00I see they've changed the site a bit. Try this...I see they've changed the site a bit. Try this: https://archive.legion.org/node/2053Steve Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15863138617383626261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290476670691353414.post-5423943074207779312022-12-27T23:02:35.670-08:002022-12-27T23:02:35.670-08:00Steve- the link to the full mag and story was just...Steve- the link to the full mag and story was just referenced on The Busted Flush, but I’m getting a page not found message. Insight, or just me?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290476670691353414.post-72404089398003707322022-11-16T07:23:46.003-08:002022-11-16T07:23:46.003-08:00Nope.Nope.Steve Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15863138617383626261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290476670691353414.post-25300226522928398422022-11-16T07:11:09.603-08:002022-11-16T07:11:09.603-08:00Did this book ever see the light of day? Great blo...Did this book ever see the light of day? Great blog btw. Dartagnanhttp://magicfromwherever.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290476670691353414.post-31268530275222049202022-11-01T05:00:45.316-07:002022-11-01T05:00:45.316-07:00That was a lot of work Kevin. Thanks for your comm...That was a lot of work Kevin. Thanks for your comment.<br /><br />The source for my dating is Walter and Jean Shine's A MacDonald Potpourri (1988), a detailed publishing history of all of JDM's books. It reports The Executioners' first edition as Simon and Schuster's hardcover in April 1958. The first paperback edition (Fawcett-Crest) is listed as being published in May 1959. <br /><br />I own two hardcover editions of the novel (both the Dollar Book Club edition) and the copyrights are 1957 and 1958. I also own a copy of the first paperback edition and the copyright shows 1957, 1958, with the edition's own copyright as May 1959.<br /><br />It would be highly unlikely -- even for MacDonald -- to have a paperback edition precede a hardcover published so close together. You are probably correct that the 1957 dating was for the magazine edition, which was different, but not by much.Steve Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15863138617383626261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290476670691353414.post-25320148760094464772022-10-31T19:55:18.723-07:002022-10-31T19:55:18.723-07:00I had noticed that the book claims two copyright d...I had noticed that the book claims two copyright dates ©1957, ©1958 and I did a few quick searches to figure out why that was. Reading your post I see it was because the abridged version published in the magazines was different than the book version. But while researching this, someone else mentioned the paperback was released before the hardcover. After more searching I did indeed find people claiming to be selling Fawcett Gold Medal paperbacks with a 1957 date. (One even specifically claimed it was released in December 1957.)<br /><br />Amazon had one page for “Cape Fear” that showed a Fawcett Gold Medal paperback from 1958, but then it turns out that Amazon has another completely separate “The Executioners” page that shows Fawcett Gold Medal paperbacks from 1957. “The Executioners” page also showed the Fawcett Crest release with the photographic cover being from 1959. Some other sites also indicated the Crest release was from 1959.<br /><br />I did find a site that showed all the paperback releases/covers from Fawcett and other old publishers. That site didn’t have a searchable list (or include publication dates), but by looking at the pages of photos one at a time and looking at the release number on each cover it did kind of reinforce your version of events. If that had been my only source I would have concluded that there was a Crest release and then later a Gold Medal release.<br /><br />The people and sites selling 1957 paperback editions only included stock photos of more recent covers - specifically the cover you describe by Z. Keith - so I can’t tell if they are actually selling an earlier edition. Maybe they are all wrong and can’t read a copyright page, or for some reason all the later editions omit the fact that they are later reprints. At this point I wished I hadn’t been curious about the release dates. I still can’t confirm when the first paperback edition was released.Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07802645069602667061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290476670691353414.post-75639280419002665222022-08-13T07:03:33.452-07:002022-08-13T07:03:33.452-07:00Wow. Last week I received a request from someone a...Wow. Last week I received a request from someone asking if I would be willing to sell my copy to him. He offered no price and I said no. Steve Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15863138617383626261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290476670691353414.post-88358739368604090422022-08-12T20:11:54.122-07:002022-08-12T20:11:54.122-07:00I hope all the JDM fans who wanted to get this iss...I hope all the JDM fans who wanted to get this issue already have it. For reasons unrelated to "Hole in None", a copy of this issue sold at Heritage auctions last night for $720.<br /><br />I wonder if that's a record price for a magazine with a JDM story? Just glad I got my copy years ago.Eric Gimlinnoreply@blogger.com