Black Cherry Blues: A Dave Robicheaux Novel

Amazon.com

In this winner of the 1990 Edgar Award for best mystery novel, Dave Robicheaux, a former New Orleans policeman, is pursued by a psychopath and flees his home on the Bayou Teche, in the heart of Louisiana, to find a new life in Montana. After settling near the Blackfoot River Canyon, Robicheaux finds himself smack dab in the middle of an illegal Mafia takeover of Indian lands. As he struggles to expose the truth, he must face some hard facts about himself, especially after the appearance of an old Cajun friend, Dixie Lee Pughe.

Book Description

Ex-cop Dave Robicheaux: His wife had been murdered ... Now they're after his little girl...

From the Louisiana bayou to Montana's tribal lands,he's running front the bottle, a homicide rap, aprofessional killer ... and the demons of his past.

Customer Reviews:

Decent reading.......2007-06-17

My first book by this author, and definitely not the last. There is quite decent plot in it, even though sometimes one asks oneself, is the main character masochist or what? Some outcomes are predictable, but generally a good mystery book. I also like the description of Montana.

The South, Love it or leave it!.......2006-11-10

James Lee Burke has a way with words that captivate you from the first sentence. The first page of this book will have your heart racing towards the end! Will Patton has to be from Louisiana.He has a natural southern draw I have been hearing all my life. Very good Book!!

Cajun in Big Sky Country.......2006-06-24

This is the most intricate story in the series so far. Once again a friend of Dave's comes into his life and makes a disaster of it. Once a well known rock 'n hilbilly blues player, Dixie Lee, has fell on hard times. He had to leave the business and is now buying oil drilling leases in Montana, for the same company that Dave's father worked for when he was killed on an exploding oil rig.

Dave is implicated in a murder, which of course he didn't committ, and has to head up to Montana to find the one man who can prove his innocence (the real murderer). So he packs up Alafair (after a strange interlude where he takes her to Texas and buys her a horse) and they head up to Big Sky country. When he gets up there he finds that he old New Orleans PD partner, Cletus is working for a 'made-man' named Sal 'The Duck'.

Quick summary: Dave doesn't get along with Sal, Sal puts a contract out on Dave, Dave beats him up, Contract killer tries to kill Dave, Cletus saves Dave and kills contact killer, Dave finds killer from Louisiana, proves he killed two indians, bad guy goes to jail, Dave cleared in LA, Dave and Alafair go back to LA. It's actually very well done.

An aside: it seems that every woman who hangs around with Dave is asking to be raped and murdered, except for Alafair's teacher, who is smart enough not to have sex with him (and we all know that virgins are never killed by the murdering crazies).

Looking foreward to the next installment.

Excellent Robicheaux Mystery!!!!.......2006-02-28

Dave Robicheauxis one Cajun who subscribes to the philosophy: "hit first, before they hit you." When Dave's old college roommate, Dixie Lee, comes into town, he asks Dave to look into the possibility that his coworkers may have killed two guys in Montana. Robicheaux gets pulled back to his old ways, and sure enough, he gets letters that threaten Alafair's life. So Dave beats the crap out of them, only to find out that he's now being charged with murdering one of them. He follows the clues to Montana, where he hopes to solve the crime before he goes to jail. There he gets involved with the mob, an illegal land scheme, two missing Native Americans, his old partner, Clete Purcel, and a beautiful Native American named Darlene. The plot is much better than the two previous novels. I enjoyed the ending and Burke's exceptional writing. This one deserved to win the Edgar Award!

Robicheauax travels west.......2006-01-18

With 7 or 8 (New Orleans settings) JLB novels under my belt I feel that I can speak with some expertise.
Burke has a very interesting lead with Dave Robicheauax. An on again-off again policeman who seems to have a very good sense of police work and bringing justice to the bad guys, he has a lot of help from his green eyed friend Cletus (most of his characters have green eyes !!) and with a touch of vodoo here and there. He really needs a glossary in the back to interpret the police/prison/cajun/black phrases and words he uses.
His discriptions of the South Lousiana area are without equal. In this one he goes to Montana which is the setting for another series of his novels.

Black and Blue: A Novel (Oprah's Book Club)

Average customer rating:

Running Scared... Running Out of Time
A better treatment would have been to present the batterer's interior experience as well
An okay book, but not brilliant
Not a satisfying read for such a sensitive subject
Not bad...

Black and Blue: A Novel (Oprah's Book Club)
Anna Quindlen
Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0440226104
Release Date: 1999-02-02

Amazon.com

Oprah Book Club® Selection, April 1998: "The first time my husband hit me I was nineteen years old," begins Fran Benedetto, the broken heroine of Anna Quindlen's Black and Blue. With one sweeping sentence, the door to an abused and tortured world is swung wide open and the psyche of a crushed and tattered self-image exposed. "Frannie, Frannie, Fran"--as Bobby Benedetto liked to call her before smashing her into kitchen appliances--was a young, energetic nursing student when she met her husband-to-be at a local Brooklyn bar. She was instantly captivated by his dark, brooding looks and magnetic personality, but her fascination soon solidified into a marital prison sentence of incessant abuse and the destruction of her own identity. After an especially horrific beating and rape, Fran realizes that the next attack could be the last. Fearing her son would be left alone with Bobby, she escapes one morning with her child. Fran's salvation comes in the form of Patty Bancroft and Co., a relocation agency for abused women that touts better service than the witness protection program. Armed only with a phone number, a few hundred dollars, and the help of several anonymous volunteers, Fran begins a new life. The agency relocates her to Florida, where she becomes Beth Crenshaw, a recently divorced home-care assistant from Delaware. Fran and her son adapt, meeting challenges with unexpected resilience and resolve until their past returns to haunt them. Quindlen renders the intricacies of spousal abuse with eerie accuracy, taking the reader deep within the realm of dysfunctional human ties. However, her vivid descriptions of abuse, emotional disintegration, and acute loneliness at times numb the reader with their realism.

Book Description

For eighteen years, Fran Benedetto kept her secret. And hid her bruises. And stayed with Bobby because she wanted her son to have a father. And because, in spite of everything, she loved him. Then one night, when she saw the look on her ten-year-old son's face, Fran finally made a choice--and ran for both their lives.--

Now she is starting over in a city far from home, far from Bobby. And in this place she uses a name that isn't hers, and cradles her son in her arms, and tries to forget. For the woman who now calls herself Beth, every day is a chance to heal, to put together the pieces of her shattered self. And every day she waits for Bobby to catch up to her. Because Bobby always said he would never let her go. And despite the flawlessness of her escape, Fran Benedetto is certain of one thing: It is only a matter of time.--

Customer Reviews:

Running Scared... Running Out of Time.......2007-09-30

BLACK AND BLUE is a well written, perfectly paced story with characters a reader cannot help but fall in love with, and yes, hate. It is told from the point of view of Fran, a wife and a mother who struggles between the fine lines of love, loyalty, hatred, and fear. Abused and battered by her husband she struggles with how best to protect herself and most importantly to her, her child.

She finds herself on the run with her son, but always looking around her shoulder, knowing that for now, she may be one step ahead of her abusive husband, but constantly fearful that it cannot last, that he will find them if not today, then maybe tomorrow. And all the while as she finds herself constantly scanning the crowds around her, looking for that one familiar face that would have the power to doom her, she struggles with her son and his confusion over his new life without his beloved father.

A stunning tale that is sure to captivate you. A must read for everyone.

Thank you Anna for such a great read.

A better treatment would have been to present the batterer's interior experience as well.......2007-09-23

Spousal abuse is such a tough topic and this book is a sincere (I think) attempt to make the problem better known and better understood. The most realistic character in the book is the son, who loves both parents so much and lives in the shadow of their awful relationship. The victim's sister is also well drawn. But the victim herself, as narrator as well as protagonist, is still not fully sketched. And everything that happens to her in her new life is a bit too ideal. Then the batterer cop husband is really just a stereotype -- the nasty, hard drinkin', hard lovin' guy who treats his family as possessions. Someone else mentioned that it read like a Lifetime made-for-tv drama, and I would have to agree. That said, the topic is important enough that the book has likely done some good in reaching a broad audience and raising awareness of the issue. It just fails to explain it very well or to offer much insight on how to rectify the matter.

An okay book, but not brilliant.......2007-09-04

This book reflects the sad reality of one of the many plagues affecting this world: domestic abuse. Whilst fully sympathising with Frannie, the main character, and abhorring the psychological and physical tortures she went through by the hands of her husband Bobby -including the pain reflected by their son Robert, physically untouched but emotionally damaged- I found the construction of the narrative a bit boring. There's no nicer way to say it, I just didn't think this book was a page-turner.

The issue of domestic violence, however, is dealt with realistically and I believe that some parts of this book could be of help for the many ladies out there who suffer every day.

Not a satisfying read for such a sensitive subject .......2007-08-28

I thought that this book was well written on a compelling subject. I did think that Anna Quindlen dwelled on Frannie being an abused woman a bit too much. It seemed to me that I was reminded of this fact at just about every 20 pages or so. I wouldn't say it was truly satisfying reading experience. It wasn't a terrible book, but not a super read. Now, I think that her other novel "One True Thing" was a top-notched book and heads above this one. Sorry. I'm still a fan of Ms. Quindlen and I will continue to read all her books.

Not bad..........2007-08-11

It wasn't my favorite book of the year, but it was interesting enough to keep me up till 2:30 in the morning. A plus for me was definitely the characters. They were fleshed out enough to seem so real at times, I was afraid of Bobby Benedetto myself half the time. I liked how she took her time with the story, developing the character, and making Bobby seem more than the typical abuser and Fran more than the typical victim.

That being said, my two biggest issues were that there were some scenes that didn't need to be here. I'd finish one or two and ask myself what it had to do with the story. The other problem was that I could smell the ending a mile away. I won't give it away, but those who read it might know what I'm talking about.

Otherwise, it was a good novel. Not the best written in the world, but it was enough to keep me engaged. I'll look for other works by this author in the future.

Black and Blue: An Inspector Rebus Mystery (Inspector Rebus Novels)

Average customer rating:

Less Than Average in a Great Series
Each Book Gets Better Plotted and a Faster More Powerful Read
A great character, a bit too much going on
A Disappointment
The plot thickens...and thickens and thickens

Black and Blue: An Inspector Rebus Mystery (Inspector Rebus Novels)
Ian Rankin
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Dead Letter
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0312966776

Book Description

Bible John killed three women, and took three souvenirs. Johnny Bible killed to steal his namesake's glory. Oilman Allan Mitchelson died for his principles. And convict Lenny Spaven died just to prove a point. "Bible John" terrorized Glasgow in the sixties and seventies, murdering three women he met in a local ballroom--and he was never caught. Now a copycat is at work. Nicknamed "Bible Johnny" by the media, he is a new menace with violent ambitions.

The Bible Johnny case would be perfect for Inspector John Rebus, but after a run-in with a crooked senior officer, he's been shunted aside to one of Edinburgh's toughest suburbs, where he investigates the murder of an off-duty oilman. His investigation takes him north to the oil rigs of Aberdeen, where he meets the Bible Johnny media circus head-on. Suddenly caught in the glare of the television cameras and in the middle of more than one investigation, Rebus must proceed wiht caution: One mistake could mean an unpleasant and not particularly speedy death, or, worse still, losing his job.

Written with Ian Rankin's signature wit, style and intricacy, Black and Blue is a novel of uncommon and unforgettable intrigue.

Customer Reviews:

Less Than Average in a Great Series.......2007-06-18

Plenty of details in other reviews, but if you're wondering about just trying the Rebus line...

I have been VERY happy to find Rankins Rebus series after enjoying Connelly, Crais, White , Corcoran and some others. Great character depth and interplay. Cynical, gritty .......noirish, you'll likely enjoy your time in DI Rebus' world.

I've read 5 of these so far and would give 3 x 5 stars, 1 x 4 stars and this book 3 1/2 stars.

Each Book Gets Better Plotted and a Faster More Powerful Read.......2006-05-05

His first book in the series, Knots + Crosses, was straight-forward and less than 200 pages. This tome is closer to 400 and has more twists, turns, obfuscation, dead ends, cul-de-sacs and out-and-out right lies than a politician's testimony. Rankin also brings back Rebus' partner, Jack Morton, from the first book, to help Rebus get back on track.

That this story is based on the real 'Bible John' killer, the books antagonist, 'Johnny Bible' is fictitious. How close does Rebus get to the two killers? Read the book.

Rebus is tied to the killings because he happens to have had contact with one of the murdered woman. But, at the same time he is dealing with Brian Holmes break-up with Nell over his being a 'copper', trying to work out a relationship with Gill Templer, and finally coming to grips with his alcoholism.

It's nice to see Rankin address Rebus' problem with addiction (to booze and cigarettes). He is able to deal with it directly without a lot (actually little) preaching. John has a problem, and Jack (who has cleaned up) is the one to point out what has been staring him in the face for the last two books. He is drinking to numb himself to his problems with his lack of personal relationships. Missing though is any mention of Patience, as if she and there relationship never existed.

Guessing that John is now in his middle forties, and has been a heavy smoker and drinker for the last dozen years at least, he doesn't seem to have any physical effects from it. In fact, once again, out galant inspector, gets the snot beaten out of him, and more than once, without any long term effect. This is one of the few things in his (John and Ian's) character, that doesn't ring true. As always, everyone will get credit for solving the myriad of cases in this book, but John.

A great character, a bit too much going on.......2005-03-11

This was my first Rebus book and I came away impressed by Rankin's ability to put a new twist on the loner cop. Rebus, with his inability to let things remain status quo, proves to be an excellent protagonist, his interest in music a nice trait and his heavy drinking understandable given his sense of isolation. Scotland as a setting proved to be fascinating for this American reader and the police procedural nature of the book is well-served by Rankin's attention to detail. But I did find there was a bit too much going on , an old case coming back to haunt Rebus, two serial killers, a murder that involves big oil and big crime, and one of those unresolved endings that really could have been resolved without any great difficulty. This was just too many threads to tie together successfully, but in away I like the idea that Rankin feels the need to challenge the reader within the confines of this type of mystery. I'll definitely give Inspector Rebus another look.

A Disappointment.......2004-06-30

This is the second Rebus book I've read. If I had not read Tooth and Nail before, I would not pick up another.

The first hundred pages were completely muddled. The book finally got on path, only to lose it again in the last hundred pages.

Rebus - a loveable rebel cop in Tooth and Nail came off as a depressed and depressing malcontent and know-it-all.

The central plot is a very good one - a serial killer is emulating a serial killer from years before. The first, Bible John, returns to stalk the second, Johnny Bible. The first (potential) murder is also a good hook. But then, so much is added. At the same time Rebus is working on this (potential) murder he is still obsessing about the Bibles. During this time he is also being investigated for a murder investigation he did a decade before. The investigation runs among four locales. It is no wonder much of the book is confused. There are too many plot lines Rankin has difficulty bringing them together.

I intend to go on with the Rebus series since the reviews are so good. I doubt this one is necessary to understand the series. I wish I had skipped it and gone on to #3.

The plot thickens...and thickens and thickens.......2003-07-21

Let me say at the outset that I am a Rankin fan. Police Detective John Rebus is a rounded human character, and Edinburgh makes a colorful backdrop to his stories, which are generally well plotted. However, "In Black and Blue," Rankin was just a little too ambitious. There are enough plots and subplots for five books, and he isn't always deft at juggling them. I often found myself scratching my head and flipping back pages to remember who a particular character was (there are a dozen major police characters alone). This is a major distraction in a mystery novel, which should be read full steam ahead. The plot strands involve gangsters, drug dealers, rogue cops, the oil trade, and two (count them two) serial killers. The denouement of all this is far from satisfying: the strands don't come together as neatly as a reader would have wished.

I'm still high on Rankin, but I wish he had turned this one into two separate novels (perhaps "Black" and "Blue").

Average customer rating:

Nothing Special
I wish I could give it negative Five Stars!
Meadiocre
D'Balm
not up to par...but good nonetheless.

If Only for One Nite (B-Boy Blues)
James Earl Hardy
Manufacturer: Alyson Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 155583373X

Book Description

An Excerpt

Have you ever had a crush on a teacher? I'm sure we all have. From the first day, the first moment you meet them, you'reÂ·

Captivated.

Captured.

Committed.

Convicted.

My very first crush was on an English teacher named Mr. Weatherspoon in the second grade. He was fresh out of college and looked so fresh (uh, young) that, after meeting him on parent-teacher conference night, my mother just knew she was on Candid Camera: She thought he was a student masquerading as a teacher. He just took her observation as a compliment and flashed that smile. Lord, that smile. He had what you would call a baby-grand grin. Whenever he flashed it, I would hear them ivories and ebonies being tickled (notice how most forget to mention those black keys). And I don't know what tune was being played, but whatever it was, it was hypnotic - just like him. He always came to class dressed down in a shirt, jacket, slacks, and tie, and his scent was an aftershave lotion called Blue Musk (yes, I had the gall to ask; there was a reporter in me at that age).

I looked forward to when he would hunch over my desk, give me one of those smiles, reach out with that big, brown hand, and crown me the winner of our weekly spelling bee by brushing my head and saying, "Outstanding, Mitchell. Just outstanding." And I earned that reward every week: I studied an extra hour each Thursday afternoon to ensure that I held on to my title. When he smiled at me, when he touched meÂ·I don't know, that button was pressed. Yeah, it was an innocent gesture and in no way sexual, but it had the opposite effect: Those homohormones really kicked into gear. I didn't know at that age what it was I was feeling or why I was feeling the way I was, but I knew that I loved the feeling.

But I was fully aware of what I was feeling and why I was feeling it this time. And I was truly enjoying what those homohormones were doing to me. I was in a daze, a haze over Mr. Reid: I just stared into space in all my classes, daydreaming about him. And at night? My wet dreams were so wild that I found my pillow and sheet on the floor in the morning and my underwear soaked. In a sense I had my art teacher, Ms. Yearwood, to thank for that. I dreamed of Mr. Reid

Customer Reviews:

Nothing Special.......2003-07-02

I liked the book although I feel the 1st 2 were better. HArdy gives you more insight into the main couples relationship and entertains you while he is doing it

I wish I could give it negative Five Stars!.......2003-03-03

This book certainly ranks as one of the worst I've ever touched. The structuring of the story is Absolutely Atrocious. Hardy also babbles on and on & ON about characters that have utterly nil to do with the book but amazingly enough, he never bothers to develop the 2 sole MAIN characters. They are just talking heads. Read this book only if you want to witness how BAD bad writing gets. There is not one subplot. There is not any physical description of consequential people or places. There are no secondary characters. Scenes do not naturally unfold, they "start" in the middle of an event and are rushed with a lot of summarized exposition to an unclimaxed ending. Mitchell apparently has NO life other than his gymnastic courses; JEH does not take the fantastic opportunity to explore the struggles with being a gay teenager or being just a teenager PERIOD. Mitchell has no schoolwork, bullies, physical awkwardness, depression, or rebellious urges that are so prevalent during the high school years. I am appalled that this trash was even published!

Meadiocre.......2002-11-01

I am sure Mr Hardy has an audience for his book, and it certainly isnt me. It was too shallow, I finished reading it because I am a book addict and finish reading everything I start.. otherwise... it was kind of just there. Did not explore the deeper aspects of a younger person, older person relationship, and its role in what he calls "HIT"..... learnt very little from... just proved to me that the whole age and mental factor plays and preys a big role in both dating worlds... same gender loving relationships and hetero-relationships...

Sort of glad that Mitchell got a chance to resolve that disfunctional relationship... a lot of folks dont get a chance to do so... it could have been an otherwise deep and moving story if only JEH dug a little deeper with the issues he was attempting to tackle.....

If you are a non-reader, love simplistic stories, then this is the book for you.... if you are richer reader and like this genre of writing then do the first two of E. Lynn Harris' books....... the rest is meadiocre.... presented as literature.

I give you two stars for trying!!!

D'Balm.......2001-12-08

I truly like this one! JEH you know the story behind this one as well.

The series is to JOOD to be true - Not my original Flava but I'm liking the trust that building between them. I hope they keep it up.

not up to par...but good nonetheless........2001-08-17

i guess B-Boys Blues has spoiled me. it was sexy, funny, exhilarating, sexy, sexy....did i mention sexy!? but not only that, it had a certain appeal to it that If Only for ONe Nite did not capture. i'll admit, the whole time i was reading this, i kept thinking, 'God, this coach is committing a major crime here!' Not only that, but it was hard for me to relate to the younger lil' bit (i'll always call him that). He seemed to be thinking on the same level as his 'older self', only he was in high school.

I don't know, the whole story was just sorta unbelievable. and, God, this coach was committing a major crime....did i mention that already!?

Book Description

This is part of a new series of guides to contemporary novels. The aim of the series is to give readers accessible and informative introductions to some of the most popular, most acclaimed and most influential novels of recent years - from `The Remains of the Day' to `White Teeth'. A team of contemporary fiction scholars from both sides of the Atlantic has been assembled to provide a thorough and readable analysis of each of the novels in question.

The Blues Detective: A Study of African American Detective Fiction

Average customer rating:

A great insightsful book!

The Blues Detective: A Study of African American Detective Fiction
Stephen F. Soitos
Manufacturer: University of Massachusetts Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Reference | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0870239961

Customer Reviews:

A great insightsful book!.......2001-04-14

Soitos has written a splendid take on black detective fiction and deserves kudos for his enterprising spirit. I loved the entire book. Does anyone have Dr. Soitos' email address? If so email me offline at danbloom@reporters.net [I am doing a newspaper story on the author...and need to locate him ASAP. Steve, you there? Bloomy here in Taiwan...]

Two Romantic Suspense Novels by Phyllis A. Whitney: Blue Fire and Black Amber

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Two Romantic Suspense Novels by Phyllis A. Whitney: Blue Fire and Black Amber
Phyllis Whitney
Manufacturer: Hawthorne Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0123762480

THREE NOVELS: OBJECT LESSONS-ONE TRUE THING-BLACK AND BLUE

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THREE NOVELS: OBJECT LESSONS-ONE TRUE THING-BLACK AND BLUE
ANNA QUINDLEN
Manufacturer: Book of the Month Club
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0965073181

Average customer rating:

A cool read for Invincible fans

Brit: Red, White, Black & Blue
Robert Kirkman , and Cliff Rathburn
Manufacturer: Image Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1582403783

Book Description

Sex and violence have never looked so...old. Meet Brit, the government's last line of defense when it comes to the really messy parts of keeping the world safe. When super-powered menaces threaten our home soil, send in this one-man killing machine: He's indestructible, unstoppable, and eligible for a senior citizen's discount. Brit and Jessica are having a good time raising their new son, Brittany Jr. With Brit back at his job with the government, they're well off and living large. That is, until a race of vicious aliens decides the time is right to strike Earth, and their first target is the United States of America. Brit's not likely to let something like that go down in his backyard.

Customer Reviews:

A cool read for Invincible fans.......2006-11-02

When I bought this I had no idea that it was set in the Invincible Universe, which is really cool. If you have read and continue to read Invincible (which you really should, either it or Fables are the best things being written) it will enhance your experience. My only caution is this volume is in Black and White and believe a colorized edition with the other Brit stories are coming out.

As for Brit, he is sort of a super Hill Billy. Politically incorrect in almost everyway. That sounds like it should be funny, but it is much more adventure than laugh out loud.

Blues for a Black Cat and Other Stories (French Modernist Library)

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Blues for a Black Cat and Other Stories (French Modernist Library)
Boris Vian
Manufacturer: Bison Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0803296096

Book Description

"[This collection] displays Vian's range from gallows humor to verbal fireworks, and happily serves to give visibility to this important writer."- Publishers Weekly. "Ultimately, Blues for a Black Cat is a collection of moral fables, albeit fables told in a cynical, mocking voice and set in a skewed version of the real world. Under the surface absurdity and verbal play, they offer serious indictments of human weakness and pretensions. Further, they reveal the spiritual emptiness just beneath our civilized façade. Vian's blues are not only for a black cat, but for a society without meaning."- Manoa. "[Blues for a Black Cat] brings back the nimble Vian in a collection of his short fiction, initially published as Les Fourmis in 1949. The work has the unmistakable flavor of the time and place, Claude Abadie's jazz band, the coded and absurdist messages of rebellion, the wistful fables, verbal riffs and goofy anarchic encounters; the mise-en-scene includes an expiring jazzman who sells his sweat, a cat with a British accent and a piano that mixes a cocktail when "Mood Indigo" is played."-Boston Globe. Boris Vian (1920-59), a trained engineer and jazz trumpet player, was a major literary figure in World War II France. Julia Older is the author or editor of many works. Her stories, translations, and poems have appeared in New Directions, the New Yorker, and many other journals.

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