There was a question on one of the comment posts (I may not be writing here, but I’e2’80’99m reading) about Edinburgh, so I thought I’e2’80’99d put up my tentative schedule for September: 3, 4–London5-6–to Sussex for research (the next Russell book)7th–Cambridge8th–York10th–Edinburgh11th–Newcastle12th–Newcastle14th-19th–Venice20-23’e2’80’94Matera Women’e2’80’99s Writing Festival24-26’e2’80’94Rome27’e2’80’94Chicago (Centuries and Sleuths)28-Oct 1’e2’80’94Madison, WI for BoucherCon And if you have…

Sorry I’e2’80’99ve let the continuation of the Q&A slide, I’e2’80’99ve had a family uproar this week, things should settle down soon. Thanks for your patience. I’e2’80’99m going to be in a seminar with Cara Black, Jim Calder, Domenic Stansberry, and Nadia Gordon on July 16 at 826 Valencia, the San Francisco writing project. It’e2’80’99s from…

I live in an uneasy border area. Not between countries’e2’80’94no border crossings or ridiculous metal fence cutting across the landscape’e2’80’94but between what one side would call a way of life and the other side would call life style. Farmworker and techie; Folgers and Peets (Starbucks is far too common); tinned or organic-farmer’e2’80’99s-market; Toyota or Beemer;…

L. Crampton reminds us all: May I ask my electronic friends to be careful of revealing plot spoilers? I’ve not yet read TAOD or the last of either series, yet, and so much appreciate going into them with no foreknowledge of what is to happen. Thanks, L, for the gentle reminder, but I have to…

Here we are at the first day of a new month. Following our long-established tradition (at least five months) this is the time, if you have any questions you’d like to throw at me, when you can do so. I’ll answer them as I can, unless they’ve been asked five times before, in which case…

Life after a tour returns slowly to normal. The teetering stack of mail diminishes, those letters from readers that have been sitting, read but unanswered, since before the Edgars in April down to the last two (until the next trip to the post office box’e2’80’a6), the cat taken to the vet and the fifty-seven urgent…

THE ART OF DETECTION’e2’80’99s tour is officially over, after Friday’e2’80’99s event in Half Moon Bay and Saturday in Santa Cruz. These two stores are shining examples of how to succeed in an unfriendly world: be outgoing, run your life with efficiency, and participate fully in your community. Bay Book and Tobacco (yes, really’e2’80’94although in answer…

One of the questions asked so often at readings that they have become clich’c3’a9s is, Where do you get your ideas? On the one hand, the question is meaningless, because life is a constant inundation of stimulating ideas. On the other, I can understand the puzzlement–however, the question should be rather, How you can pick…

Going over the accumulated copies of the San Francisco Chronicle from the past 2 weeks, I find this gem of a headline, its article reprinted from the NYT: Bush urges immigrants to learn English, history Now there’s an idea.

On the last day of The Great The Art of Detection tour, I slept in until 7:30 in the morning, about two hours after I usually wake up. I convinced the hotel’e2’80’99s internet service that I was to be trusted with their electrons, checked my email, washed my hair and had breakfast, and sauntered out…