Earlier this year I read two excellent crime novels written by Newton Thornburg – To Die in California (1973) and Cutter and Bone (1976) – both of them set in Santa Barbara, California.
I don't know if this old friend of mine is still alive, but George P. from Charlotte went through rehab with Warren. He attnded his funeral. Lost touch with George 15+ years ago.
Wow. This was a gripping and very emotional read. I’m a transplanted Californian, and although having recently moving out of state was the right call in a lot of ways, I miss California very much. Particularly the vibe and beauty of my home state. I was blessed to grow up there, and not that I’m well-traveled, but I can’t imagine there are many places in the world that have the same feel. Your tale transported me back there.
And you’re right! A lot of detective stories use California as their setting. I never really thought about that before. I love Sue Grafton’s books, and after reading your tale I will be diving into some Ross McDonald ones to see how I like him. I knew his nom de plume and recall seeing his books in bookstores when I was younger, but never read any. Not sure why.
I was especially captivated that Warren Zevon was one of the people in your retelling of this nexus moment between the two men. I’ve been a fan girl of his since Excitable Boy came out. No other musician I’ve enjoyed over the years had quite the same ability to write songs of biting wit or longing and despair like he could. He lives on forever in the music and words he left us.
This was a riveting tale, and you told it so beautifully. So much tragedy, yet grace notes come unexpectedly. And the mystery not being fully resolved is haunting. Thank you for crafting this. I won’t soon forget it.
Thanks. I don’t read Ross Macdonald for excitement. His books aren’t thrillers in the sense that Silence of the Lambs and Jaws were. But they are smart, well written, and they capture a bygone era of Southern California that I love to visit. I’ve lived in Northern California my entire adult life, so Southern California is about as exotic to me as it is to someone who lives in Wisconsin or Indiana. And the Southern California of the 1950 and 60s is even more enticing to me. Must have been a great place to grow up.
I don't know if this old friend of mine is still alive, but George P. from Charlotte went through rehab with Warren. He attnded his funeral. Lost touch with George 15+ years ago.
Wow. This was a gripping and very emotional read. I’m a transplanted Californian, and although having recently moving out of state was the right call in a lot of ways, I miss California very much. Particularly the vibe and beauty of my home state. I was blessed to grow up there, and not that I’m well-traveled, but I can’t imagine there are many places in the world that have the same feel. Your tale transported me back there.
And you’re right! A lot of detective stories use California as their setting. I never really thought about that before. I love Sue Grafton’s books, and after reading your tale I will be diving into some Ross McDonald ones to see how I like him. I knew his nom de plume and recall seeing his books in bookstores when I was younger, but never read any. Not sure why.
I was especially captivated that Warren Zevon was one of the people in your retelling of this nexus moment between the two men. I’ve been a fan girl of his since Excitable Boy came out. No other musician I’ve enjoyed over the years had quite the same ability to write songs of biting wit or longing and despair like he could. He lives on forever in the music and words he left us.
This was a riveting tale, and you told it so beautifully. So much tragedy, yet grace notes come unexpectedly. And the mystery not being fully resolved is haunting. Thank you for crafting this. I won’t soon forget it.
Thanks. I don’t read Ross Macdonald for excitement. His books aren’t thrillers in the sense that Silence of the Lambs and Jaws were. But they are smart, well written, and they capture a bygone era of Southern California that I love to visit. I’ve lived in Northern California my entire adult life, so Southern California is about as exotic to me as it is to someone who lives in Wisconsin or Indiana. And the Southern California of the 1950 and 60s is even more enticing to me. Must have been a great place to grow up.
Sounds like something I will enjoy reading. Nostalgia has a strong pull as I get older.
Northern California is beautiful too. We were lucky enough to visit a few places up there years back.
Southern California was a great place to grow up. And I will always think of it as home.