JAMES ELLROY NEWS

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THE LATEST

ELLROY IN-PERSON APPEARANCE (12/28/05): Those of you living in San Francisco have a chance to see The Demon Dog in person on Jan. 15 when he makes an appearance during NOIR CITY to run Jan. 13-22 at the Palace of Fine Arts. Ticket information HERE. The event is keyed to the anniversary of the discovery of Beth Short's body. If you attend, and get any information regarding Police Gazette, be sure to drop us a note....

SCARLETT ON THE DAHLIA (12/28/05): Scarlett Johannson recently weighed in on The Black Dahlia film to be released early in 2006. She says, "It’s based on the James Ellroy novel and it’s true to the novel. I play a character named Kay Lake with Aaron Eckhart, Josh Hartnett and Hilary Swank. It’s true to the book so if you know the story, you know who I play. Brian De Palma’s directing and he’s wonderful. I think the film is an absolutely true film noir in every sense of the word, as retro as the word might be. Hopefully, it’ll be interesting to see how audiences respond to not just a version of a film noir piece, but an actual film noir piece. We’ll see how." More HERE.

NEW ELLROY INTERVIEW (11/16/05): The National Review Online has posted a rather lengthy Q&A with James Ellroy. This one is a good bit different than the usual fare. Ellroy was recently given an award by the LAPD that honors Jack Webb. The focus of the interview is on the Los Angeles Police Department and Ellroy's varied interactions with the force over many many years. He does make some comments regarding the upcoming film adaptation of The Black Dahlia, but, no, nothing on Police Gazette there. The interview can be found HERE.

BEST AMERICAN CRIME WRITING 2005 NOW AVAILABLE (9/4/05): If you’re looking for a James Ellroy fix during the long wait for Police Gazette, pick up The Best American Crime Writing 2005, edited by Otto Penzler and Thomas H. Cook and featuring an introduction by James Ellroy, as well as a new essay penned by the author. In his pithy intro, Ellroy weighs the respective virtues and limitations of crime fiction and true crime writing — two forms in which he excels — in clipped, staccato fashion. Ellroy’s much longer essay is a rare tribute to a fellow author: Joseph Wambaugh, who is arguably Ellroy’s greatest and most profound literary inspiration and model. Ellroy recalls his days on the streets, living in a dumpster and selling blood with the aim of buying a copy of the L.A.-cop-turned novelist’s The Onion Field. Instead, Ellroy heisted his copy from an L.A. bookstore. It was the first of three stolen copies. He read the book in increments between busts for taking copies of the novel. The fourth copy, which he finished, was paid for with blood — Ellroy sold plasma to cover the purchase price. It’s a great piece from Ellroy, and in between his introduction and essay, are some wonderful samples of "real-life" crime writing. Highly recommended.

ELLROY TO EDIT BEST AMERICAN CRIME WRITING 2005 (5/21/05): The headline says it: James Ellroy will edit the 2005 edition of Best American Crime Writing, the latest installment in the series edited by Otto Penzler and Thomas H. Cook. He will also likely provide an introduction for the collection. Pre-order yours (and see that spooky cover) HERE.

FIRST DAHLIA FILM STILLS POSTED (5/21/05): The first shots from the film version of The Black Dahlia have been posted. All we can say is, man, does everyone look young. See ’em HERE.

DAHLIA SET SHOTS ALSO POSTED (5/21/05): Now that you've seen the cast in costume, you can next check out shots of the various sets from The Black Dahlia. See those right HERE.

THE BADGE RETURNS (5/21/05): Two "new" Ellroy items are now in stores. The reissue of Jack Webb's The Badge is now on stands. Also out is the first trade paperback edition of Blood On the Moon which has been out of a print for a while. The novel is the first installment in the Lloyd Hopkins trilogy. Volume two, Because the Night, will be released in trade paperback on October 11, 2005.

NIGHT WATCHMAN NOT GETTING STONE(D)? (5/21/05): A number of sources have been reporting that Oliver Stone was in talks to direct Keanu Reeves in The Night Watchman, based on a story by James Ellroy about "a disgraced cop who pledges to expose the rampant corruption in a police department." But IGN says those reports are wrong and offers a statement from Stone himself. More HERE.

CASTING CONTROVERSY (2/23/05): A casting call for a role in the film version of The Black Dahlia is raising eyebrows. Details HERE.

THE BADGE RETURNS (2/02/05): So Thunder Mouth Press is reissuing Jack Webb's The Badge with a new introduction by James Ellroy. You'll remember that Ellroy has cited that book, a gift from his father, for triggering James' own yen to write crime fiction, and served as little Ellroy's introduction to this murder victim named Elizabeth Short.....

SCENE OF THE CRIME (2/02/05): This one has been out a few months, but in case you missed it, Ellroy has also penned the introduction for a new collection of vintage crime scene photos.

BLOOD MOON RISING (2/02/05): It's been out of print for some time (well, there were those e-book editions), but Blood On The Moon, the first book in the Lloyd Hopkins trilogy, returns in May from Vintage Books in a new trade paperback edition.

ELLROY STUDY (2/02/05): Pete Wolfe has released a 282 page study of James Ellroy dubbed Like Hot Knives to the Brain: James Ellroy's Search for Himself from Rowman and Littlefield. But sticker shock may get you here: sucker is going for seventy bucks.

KEANU GOES TO THE DOG (2/02/05): According to Daily Variety, Director Spike Lee has signed Keanu Reeves for The Night Watchman, based on a story by James Ellroy about "a disgraced cop who pledges to expose the rampant corruption in a police department."

ELLROY SIGHTING (2/02/05): According to a piece in L.A. Weekly "Bruce Wagner, with James Ellroy, Dana Delany and Beverly D’Angelo, will read from The Chrysanthemum Palace at Skylight Books (Feb. 4, 7:30 p.m.), Book Soup (Feb. 8, 7:30 p.m.), Dutton’s Beverly Hills (Feb. 10, 7 p.m.), Vroman’s (Feb. 15, 7 p.m.) and Brentano’s (Feb. 18, 7 p.m.)."