Category Archives: Uncategorized

Benny Cooperman’s author dies at 88

Posted on July 17, 2019 by

Howard Engel, one of the  giants of Canadian crime fiction, died earlier this week at the age of 88. Engel was the author of the much-loved Benny Cooperman mystery series and co-founder of Crime Writers of Canada. Benny Cooperman, the … Continue reading →

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The Best Laid Plans

Posted on June 19, 2019 by

When Judy Penz Sheluk put out a call for submissions to her new crime fiction anthology, and added that previously published stories would also  considered, my ears pricked up. Opportunities to showcase stories that have already been in print are … Continue reading →

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Novel II starts up again tomorrow!

Posted on April 8, 2019 by

Tomorrow, Tuesday April 9, my course Novel II: How to Develop Your Novel to advance your novels-in-progress starts up again at Toronto’s George Brown College, St. James Campus (200 King Street East). And there’s still room for a few more … Continue reading →

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Forty Guns: woman as a force of nature

Posted on March 8, 2019 by

Tonight, to celebrate International Women’s Day, Ed and I watched the 1947 American western noir, Forty Guns (Samuel Fuller). In her last great romantic role, Barbara Stanwyck (at the age of 50) plays the tough, sexy Arizona cattle queen, Jessica … Continue reading →

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‘I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse’

Posted on February 23, 2019 by

Fourth warmup before the Oscar awards: The Godfather. The 1972 motion picture about the struggle for survival of a New York Mafia family is regarded as one of the greatest films of world cinema. It won Oscars for best picture, … Continue reading →

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Driving Miss Daisy, at 30

Posted on February 21, 2019 by

Our third warmup for the Oscars on Sunday was Driving Miss Daisy. The 1989 film features Morgan Freeman and the late Jessica Tandy as two stubborn old people, both facing different types of segregation in the deep American south in … Continue reading →

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The French Connection

Posted on February 20, 2019 by

Last night was the second phase of our warmup for the upcoming Oscar awards. Ed and I watched The French Connection, the 1971 action thriller about two New York narcotics detectives in pursuit of a French heroin smuggler. It won … Continue reading →

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