tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post4354551880337797755..comments2024-03-27T11:26:20.466-07:00Comments on The Passing Tramp: Mastering the Mystery Genre: The Problem with Theory Divorced from FactsThe Passing Tramphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-87202235854180147172022-05-01T07:51:14.986-07:002022-05-01T07:51:14.986-07:00Your work is appreciated, but apparently not by an...Your work is appreciated, but apparently not by anyone willing to give either credit or money. It's a world full of belief-driven idiots for the most part. Where you've gone wrong is in your focus on facts. Much better to 'believe' things. That way you avoid most of the hard work. See also: PoliticiansPDPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12465776367973457810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-90471951666880424032022-04-23T09:43:43.087-07:002022-04-23T09:43:43.087-07:00It's nice to be part of a community and I know...It's nice to be part of a community and I know the work is appreciated by a lot of readers. And I still keep at it.The Passing Tramphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-76959203802362745332022-04-23T09:41:58.059-07:002022-04-23T09:41:58.059-07:00It's been an interesting decade. A number of ...It's been an interesting decade. A number of us used to talk a lot bout all this in internet groups, including Martin Edwards, who of course is so much more high profile. And working with the BL and HarperCollins he has been so much better placed than I have been. I know of course that my work, including Masters, shows up a lot in his work (I can point you line by line), but of course Martin had long wanted to do a book on the Detection Club and he had a better grasp of the Golden Age than most mystery writers, I'll admit, though if you look back he was pretty dismissive early on to Crofts and Street, etc. There's still influence from Symons on Edwards. I think he has changed his tune on that some since Masters, etc. And of course the Crofts reprints have been very successful, the Rhodes not as much I fear.<br /><br />But there has been some frustration. The fact that the BL reissued Farjeon's Mystery in White and gave me no credit for that inspiration really rankles. How do they excuse that to themselves? Not only not to ask me to write the introductions but not to even mention my blog review, which started it all just seems rotten, honestly. BL to this day has never asked me to do anything for them, even when my blog inspired the reprint. And HarperCollins asked me to do one intro, on American Carolyn Wells, on a book I suspect they selected for the title rather than the actual quality. <br /><br />So there's a been a lot of disappointment. I feel like the old boy's British club has kind of shut me out of things over there, which is pretty ludicrous considering all the work I have done on British mystery, and still do. See the Mary Fitts, for example. I take a back seat to no one on that subject. And whatever happens with me, I'm proud of getting all these authors back in print with small presses, with informative introductions. The Big British Boys have left me to do that at least. and I've started to do some work, on Americans, for Mysterious Press.The Passing Tramphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-45427090555247653352022-04-23T09:28:29.663-07:002022-04-23T09:28:29.663-07:00Well, that's true but facts remain in the reco...Well, that's true but facts remain in the record. I think it irks my reviewer to have them out there. People like that don't like it when we think for ourselves and question their (amazingly under researched) work.The Passing Tramphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-8400053293438833802022-04-22T00:12:53.090-07:002022-04-22T00:12:53.090-07:00A very interesting post, Curt, and your tireless w...A very interesting post, Curt, and your tireless work in the field is of course very much appreciated by your fellow bloggers, readers and fans. I know that doesn't make up for the irritations you mention (or provide you with money!) but at least you are not completely working in the dark...Clothes In Bookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14680610242823846662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-15617169059630359342022-04-21T13:12:12.274-07:002022-04-21T13:12:12.274-07:00Actually, facts seem to bounce right off some peop...Actually, facts seem to bounce right off some people these days (except for the imaginary "alternate facts"). I agree with what you say, but I've come to doubt the power of real evidence to change closed minds.Martyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17570040930983242270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-78276708746537582102022-04-20T10:11:32.262-07:002022-04-20T10:11:32.262-07:00Well Curt I, for one are glad you published Master... Well Curt I, for one are glad you published Masters of Humdrum, because I read it before I discovered your blog. It got me thinking about Crofts, Burton/Rhode in a new way again, and reinforced the feeling that Golden Age crime was largely ignored because it was considered inferior...except of course for the 'Crime Queens'. Anyway you lit the flame for me that seemed to erupt out of nowhere with British Library reprints. Hope you get to make some money out of it in the future !!. Paul DavisPaul Davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12891942161967315099noreply@blogger.com