Wolfe Comes to Baltimore

 Food and Drink, General Suggestions, Nero Wolfe, Private Eyes, Rex Stout, wolfe pack  Comments Off
Mar 012013
 

Here's an announcement from my friends at the Wolfe Pack that should be of interest to Nero Wolfe fans who live in the Baltimore-Washington area. There's a new branch...oops, sorry, this is a Wolfe orchid...a new raceme forming in the mid-Atlantic area. The group is calling itself the Mid-Atlantic and Chesapeake Area Book Raceme, surely a MACABRe name for an organization, but there you are. At any rate, they are having a general get-acquainted meetup and gathering (and, for the braver souls among you, a costume party) on Saturday afternoon, March 16, in Baltimore, and they are planning their first book discussion for April. Details at the link above.

As I've said here fairly often, I try to attend as many of the New York-area Wolfe Pack events as possible, as they are always lively and entertaining gatherings. For those who live in the Baltimore/Washington/Annapolis area, I suggest you check out the new group!

Talking Books and Nero Wolfe

 Food and Drink, General Suggestions, mysteries, mystery, Nero Wolfe, Private Eyes, Rex Stout, wolfe pack  Comments Off
Jan 252013
 

The Wolfe Pack, the organization of fans of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, has announced its book discussion meeting dates for 2013. Designed for fans who either live in the New York City area or who may be visiting here on those dates, the book talks are great fun, as the group works its way slowly through all the books and novellas - and then, of course, starts over again at the beginning.

The meetings are generally held at a local New York City pub, with separate checks for attendees who want to have food and/or drink. The books and dates this year:

Monday, January 28: "Method Three for Murder" and "Rodeo Murder" (the last two novellas in Three at Wolfe's Door;

Monday, March 18: Too Many Clients;

Monday, May 20: The Final Deduction;

Monday, September 16: Gambit;

Friday, December 6 (part of the annual Black Orchid weekend festivities): Book Event TBD - probably something from the novellas in Trio for Blunt Instruments.

The New England raceme of the Wolfe Pack, meanwhile, has a book discussion event planned in Acton, MA, on Sunday, March 24, discussing both Where There's a Will and Black Orchids.

You will find full details on the Wolfe Pack's website.

If you're in a position to join us for any of the events, please do so - no resrvations necessary. The discussions are lively and they are very enjoyable for any Nero Wolfe fan - and new Wolfean readers are always welcomed.

For that matter, you might consider joining the Wolfe Pack - currently, it's $35 for two years' membership, and that includes four issues of the privately-published Gazette. Check it all out at the website. Hope to see you at one of the meetings!

The Nero and the BONA

 BONA, Books, literary awards, Modern Masters, mysteries, mystery, Nero Award, wolfe pack  Comments Off
Dec 052012
 

Apologies for being a few days late on this...but I wasn't able to attend the Wolfe Pack's annual Black Orchid Banquet this year. One of the highlights of the banquet is the presentation of two major literary awards.

This year, the Nero Award, given for the best American mystery story written in the tradition of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe stories, went to Alaskan author Dana Stabenow for Though Not Dead, which features one of her regular series detectives, private investigator Kate Shugak. Runners-up included:

  • Guilt by Association by Marcia Clark
  • The Silent Girl by Tess Gerritsen
  • The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz
  • Spiral by Paul McEuen
  • Black Orchid Blues by Persia Walker

The Black Orchid Novella Award - known as the BONA - was awarded to author Robert Lopresti, for his novella, "The Red Envelope." The award, presented jointly by the Wolfe Pack and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, honors a story written in the novella format at which Rex Stout excelled. As part of the award, "The Red Envelope" will be published in a few months by the magazine.

Congratulations to both winners and to all the nominees!

Nero Nominations

 Books, General Suggestions, mysteries, mystery, Nero Award, Nero Wolfe, Rex Stout, wolfe pack  Comments Off
Jun 052012
 

The Wolfe Pack, the association of Rex Stout/Nero Wolfe enthusiasts, has announced that six authors were nominated for the annual Nero Award, presented each year to the best mystery written in the tradition of the Nero Wolfe stories.

This year's nominees:

  • Guilt by Association, Marcia Clark
  • The Silent Girl, Tess Gerritsen
  • The House of Silk, Anthony Horowitz
  • Spiral, Paul McEuen
  • Though Not Dead, Dana Stabenow
  • Black Orchid Blues, Persia Walker

The winner will be announced in December at the annual Black Orchid Banquet in New York City.

The Wolfe is at the Door

 archie goodwin, classic mysteries, General Suggestions, Nero Wolfe, Private Eyes, Rex Stout, Web/Tech, wolfe pack  Comments Off
May 242012
 

For the fans of Rex Stout, Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin living in the New York City area - ar visiting, for that matter - the Wolfe Pack has a couple of events coming up.

On Sunday, June 10, the group will be having brunch (at a tavern, of course), then heading for the New York Historical Society, which has an exhibit all about beer in New York City. Surely that will be an appropriate venue for Wolfean discussion!

If you missed the book discussion held at Slattery's Midtown Pub earlier this week, on "Plot It Yourself," the next one of those will be on Monday, September 24th, with "Too Many Clients" the subject of discussion and debate. If you have never attended one of these, you really should do so - pretty good pub food (and drinks), separate checks, and good conversation.

As always, you can get full details at The Wolfe Pack website. And, while you're there, sign up for membership - good grief, it's only $35 for two years and includes 4 issues of the otherwise-unavailable Gazette, filled with all things Wolfe-related.

Another Wolfean Perspective

 Do The Math blog, DTM, Nero Wolfe, Private Eyes, Rex Stout, Weblogs, wolfe pack  Comments Off
Mar 242012
 

I've written here before about some of the activities sponsored by the Wolfe Pack, the organization dedicated to studying and discussing Nero Wolfe, Archie Goodwin and the work of author Rex Stout. The Wolfe Pack met again last Monday for its bimonthly book discussion program. I thought you might be interested in another blogger's perspective on the meeting (scroll down at the link). Ethan Iverson is a musician who blogs at the Do The Math blog. It's mostly about music, but there are several entries about mysteries and mystery writers as well, including some long and interesting reflections on Ross Thomas and Donald Westlake. He promises a future post on Wolfean matters.

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