Kirby's Beer Store

Here's a shot circa 1989 of future Ph.D. Mark Munzinger behind the bar at Kirby's, back in the days when he and Richard Davies owned and operated the place. More to come, including some shots of the obscene men's room graffiti from that long lost era. Click to enlarge and savor the unsavory details.

JÄÄTÄVÄÄ SATOA

Juri Nemmelin, my editor at the Finnish publisher Banaani Pokkari, just sent me this cover for my approval of their upcoming edition of "The Ice Harvest." Fucking lovely, innit?

What to Read Next

Megan Abbott's "Bury Me Deep" (Simon and Schuster) is the best of her four books so far, no mean feat, that. It's based on the true story of Winnie Ruth Judd, who became infamous in the '30s as the Trunk Murderess. Megan captures the flavor of depression-era Phoenix beautifully, and supplies a plausible (fictional) solution to the question of whether Winnie did it and why. But the real triumph of the book is Winnie's fictional stand-in, Marion Seeley, and her intense relationships with the two women who will end up in those notorious trunks, and with Joe Lanigan, a wealthy businessman who charms the step-ins right off her.

So go to your local independent bookseller and buy the damned thing already.

BRUEN!

Here's my good pal and yours Ken Bruen on the set of the movie version of his novel "Blitz," alongside star Jason Statham and director Elliott Lester. Despite the often depraved nature of his work I have never thought of Ken as anything like sinister himself; somehow, though, the priest costume suggests one of Satan's helpers.

Boring Postcard

With apologies to the brilliant Martin Parr, who has published several collections of Boring Postcards that are worth checking out. This is a view of Wichita's famed Mid-Continent Airport circa 1970-75. I will try and be more diligent in posting than I have been lately.