Help Butch

I know I'm way behind on The Weirdest Gift I Ever Got, but here's my chance to do two Christa Faust posts in a row--the good Dr.'s dog Butch, damn near my favorite dog ever, has had some serious veterinary problems and Christa's expenses have been near-catastrophic. So be a pal and copy the link, paste it into your browser window and make a small donation.

And next week, the Weirdest Gift I Ever Received.


http://faustfatale.livejournal.com/252032.html

Four unusual gifts, in order of strangeness: Part Three

Actually "Four Unusual Gifts" is misleading, since one big padded manila envelope from the redoubtable Christa Faust contained multitudes. If you're reading this blog you are probably familiar with Doc Faust, author of many fine tomes, most notably "Money Shot" and the forthcoming "Choke Hold," among many others. (And if you're not, get your ass in gear! I have spoken.) This envelope contained several choice morsels of (gulp) vintage erotica, mostly of the S&M variety and most of which I can't post on this blog without putting up an "Adults Only!" portal. To say that I was delighted upon opening this cornucopia of illicit thrills is to understate the case considerably. Penetrating commentary! And one of them ""Punished Peepers," with illustrations by the great Bill Ward, comes with a large, unidentifiable stain.

Next: the weirdest present I ever received, ever. Really.

Four unusual gifts, in order of strangeness: Part Two

This one you should really click on to savor the detail. It's a gift from my close pal and confidante Megan Abbott, to whom I had recently confessed a liking for ladies with prominent teeth. I recently wrote a short story about a guy with a tooth fetish, so when she saw this she felt she had to send it along.

And now I ask myself: Is this a facet of my inner life that I would have shared with the world before the advent of this blog? No, I think it is not.

Four unusual gifts, in order of strangeness: Part One

Every day I eagerly await the arrival of the day's mail, even though there's almost never anything for me. Imagine my surprise and delight yesterday, then, when I received three packages addressed to me, and all of them gifts. The above Natty Boh t-shirt was the least weird of the bunch, so I'm starting with it. It's from my friends Jeff and Jane of Baltimore, and I am delighted to wear it here. The other two will come up on the site in the next few days, followed by the weirdest of all, an anniversary present from my wife. It will freak you out.

I'm still here!

My good pal Sophie Littlefield (for whom it's never a bad day for pretty) and I conducted a no-holds barred grudge match over at the Mulholland Books blog:
http://www.mulhollandbooks.com/2011/01/06/a-conversation-with-scott-phillips/#more-621

Cleveland

You'd think that with my unfortunate resemblance to Drew Carey (that guy is the bane of my fucking existence) I'd stay away from his hometown. But I can't. I love the town and its history, and I recently spent a very pleasant few days and nights there as a guest of Mark and Amy Stone and their delightful children, looking with Mark into a seventy-five year old cold case. Here are some of my new friends:

This is Flo Polillo, or rather a replica of her head in the Cleveland Police Museum. Actual head's whereabouts have been a subject of debate since 1935.

Above is s replica of Edward Andrassy's head. Actual head was found, but had been separated from Eddie's neck; said removal appeared to be the cause of his decease.

Here's Rose Wallace's plaster stand-in, modeled from a cast of her skull and based on photographs. Identification was tentative and based on dental work.

Finally, this is an actual death mask modeled from the head of a fellow known only as "The Tattooed Man." Can you think of a better name? Give it a try!

Here's Doc Stone himself, looking over Kingsbury Run, the flats associated with the murders. Mark directed the great documentary "The Fourteenth Victim" (available on Amazon), about the case. You should all order it and get creeped out good and solid.

And finally, my new friend Itchy. Itchy is resting in this picture.

Irish Times Piece

Damn it, you all know how I hate to blow me own horn but here's a sweet piece from the Irish Times written by the fine Irish crime novelist and journalist Declan Burke, known to his chums and enemies alike as either "Dec" or "Hambone." No matter which side of that divide you count yourself on, the article concerns the Concord Free Press and mentions me and a book I wrote entitled "Rut," which as we all know is both a noun and a verb. Go forth and sin no more.