Press Release: Mystery Scene Welcomes Lawrence Block as New Columnist

Press Release (New York, NY): Mystery Scene Magazine is pleased to announce a new column by Lawrence Block, a Mystery Writers of America Grand Master and four-time winner of the Edgar Allan Poe [Award] and Shamus Award. One of the most celebrated mystery writers of all time, Block has written over 60 novels, including the bestselling Matt Scudder and Bernie Rhodenbarr series, as well as numerous short stories and screenplays such as Wong Kar-Wai's My Blueberry Nights. He will bring a treasure trove of memories, anecdotes, and insights from a literary lifetime to his Mystery Scene column "The Murders in Memory Lane."

In his typical direct style, Block's debut column in the 2009 Holiday Issue relates how the writer Stanley Ellin once put one over on Simon & Schuster editor Lee Wright. Funny, clever, and riotously inappropriate, the cast of characters also includes fellow jokester and writer Donald Westlake: "[Ellin, Westlake, and Wright] are all gone now, and it struck me that, if I wasn't the only person around who knew the story, I was probably the only one at all likely to tell it. And was it worth the telling? I decided it was," says Block.

Future columns promise more intimate stories, including drinks and sobriety with Edgar Award-winning writer Ross Thomas. "Larry is a gifted raconteur," said Mystery Scene Editor-in-Chief Kate Stine, "and he's also a perceptive critic of his fellow writers' work. 'The Murders in Memory Lane' offers a true insider's look at the mystery genre over the last 50 years. We're absolutely delighted to have one of the all-time greats of mystery fiction contributing to Mystery Scene."

"The Murders in Memory Lane" continues the lively, must-read coverage of the mystery world that the award-winning Mystery Scene has provided since 1985. With each anecdote, Block shares insights and life lessons that will inspire and amuse readers, while offering a rare glimpse into the life and times of one of America's most prominent crime writers.

Return to Mystery Books News ...