Simon & Schuster, one of America’s oldest, most prestigious publishers, is celebrating its centennial. Bought by a private equity firm last year after a judge blocked its sale to Penguin Random House, S&S seems to be thriving, according to this NYT piece.
nytimes.com/2024/04/10/boo…

My third short-story collection features appearances by a few familiar literary figures, including Arthur Conan Doyle, J.D. Salinger, and Laura Ingalls Wilder. BEFORE I WAKE sold out as a collector’s edition, but it’s available as an audio book.
audible.com/pd/Before-I-Wa…

This Monday, April 22, my award-winning author friend Anne Hillerman launches her novel, LOST BIRDS at Collected Works Bookstore in Santa Fe. It’s the 9th book in her series that continues her father Tony Hillerman’s bestselling mystery series. In person & via Zoom. 6 pm (MT)

Nice review for the 4K of the film of my novel FIRST BLOOD. Good perspective on the other films. Alas, the reviewer says it’s a little-known novel. Sigh. The summary of the extras says nice things about my audio commentary.
ultrahd.highdefdigest.com/127916/firstbl…

Loved seeing U of Iowa basketball phenomenon Caitlin Clark on Saturday Night Live. Having taught at Iowa, I can imagine the enthusiasm in Iowa City.
youtube.com/watch?v=tSop88…

The Writers Guild announced its movie and tv/streaming awards. THE HOLDOVERS, AMERICAN FICTION, THE LAST OF US, and SUCCESSION were on my 5 title nomination list. 2023 was a good year for writing.
hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-n…

My Victorian mystery/thriller RULER OF THE NIGHT is set partly in Euston Station, 1 of London’s once-great railway terminals. Its gate was a wonder of the age. Its interior rivaled that of NYC's Grand Central Station. My photo essay shows its magnificence.
davidmorrell.net/magnificent-eu…

I enjoyed writing my historical Victorian mystery/thriller series, which ends with RULER OF THE NIGHT. It’s about an actual crime that paralyzed London and all of England, the first murder (terrifyingly brutal) on an English train.
davidmorrell.net/books/ruler-of…

Looking forward to hearing my bestselling author friend Douglas Preston talk about his new thriller, EXTINCTION. About the dangers of the life-real efforts to resurrect the woolly mammoth and other extinct animals. At Santa Fe’s Collected Works Bookstore, April 24, 6 pm.

FRANKLIN debuts tonight. This highly anticipated, limited series was co-written and co-produced by my Western-watching, award-winning friend Kirk Ellis. Here’s an interview with the director and writers.
variety.com/2024/tv/global…

I had great fun being interviewed by bestselling author K.J. Howe, who wrote this profile of me for International Thriller Writers, Inc. when I was presented with ITW’s 2009 Thriller Master Award.
davidmorrell.net/wp-content/upl…

After not traveling to conferences since 2019 before the Covid shutdown, I’m looking forward to hitting the road again. First up, ThrillerFest in NYC, where I’ll teach a class, “An Author’s Process,” on May 29. August, I’ll be at Bouchercon in Nashville.
thrillerfest.com/wp-content/upl…

Too many publications have died in the digital age, but LIFE is coming back to life as a print magazine more than two decades after Time Inc. shut it down. The new owners plan to create “an uplifting and unifying voice in a chaotic media landscape.”
hollywoodreporter.com/business/digit…

Santa Fe author Hampton Sides talks about his new book, THE WIDE, WIDE SEA, at Collected Works Bookstore in Santa Fe today, April 9, at 6 pm. You might have seen him being interviewed on CBS SUNDAY MORNING about the fateful, final voyage of Capt. James Cook.

From ticket prices to that notorious Dune popcorn bucket, theater owners assess 2023 in this Variety article on the eve of CinemaCon, which kicks off today.
variety.com/2024/film/feat…

The news that Small Press Distribution shut down suddenly last week shocked the independent publishing community. At least 400 publishers and many literary presses are now rushing to find another distribution channel.
publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/in…

As the streaming series of Amor Towles’ A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW debuts on Showtime, his new book, a story collection TABLE FOR TWO, also debuts. Clever timing. I’m a fan. I like his RULES OF CIVILITY even more. One of the stories here is about Eve from that novel.

I used to teach American literature at the Univ of Iowa. Thrilled by what Iowa’s women’s basketball team and Caitlin Clark are accomplishing. Wednesday’s game was vastly entertaining. Looking forward to what happens at the Final Four tonight.

TESTAMENT is my most disturbing novel. Some readers said it gave them nightmares. Look for numerous allusions to classic American novels.
davidmorrell.net/books/testamen…

Test your knowledge of widely referenced literary works throughout history in this NYT quiz.
nytimes.com/interactive/20…