In Praise of Words and Pictures
On Saturday October 27th I’ll be joining a “Murder of Crime Writers” at the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, Maine for the 3rd annual Murder by the Book. (Yes, I know “a Murder” is a term usually used to describe a large group of crows, but what better term to also use for the large of Maine crime writers who’ll be gathering at the Jesup?) Many of the Crime Writers present, including me, will be reading from our latest books and discussing the art and craft of mystery writing with an audience of hopefully friendly fans.
But aside from murder, there are a couple of other good reasons to visit the Jesup any time in October. First, and most obvious is the fact that you’ll be visiting Mt. Desert Island during peak leaf-peeping season and a drive or a hike through nearby Acadia National Park can be spectacularly beautiful.
The second and also very enjoyable reason is to view terrific art. For the entire month of October the library will be hosting a show of new experimental drawings by my very talented artist wife, Jeanne O’Toole Hayman. You can see some of them here, but honestly they’re much more spectacular when viewed in person.
Those of you who’ve read my first McCabe Savage thriller, The Cutting, know McCabe’s girlfriend at the time was the talented artist Kyra Erikson. Guess where I got the idea for and the background info to create that character? Anyway, Kyra had left McCabe by the end of the third book, Darkness First, obviously to allow his relationship with Maggie to blossom. Happily, Jeanne’s still with me.
Jeanne’s show is already up and the Jesup so if you’re in the neighborhood please drop by and take a look. The show will still by up through the end of October so if you plan on attending Murder by the Book, you’ll have an opportunity to see, the drawings at the same time. And if you fall in love with one or another, they’re all available for purchase.
Looking forward to seeing any and all of you in Bar Harbor.
