Monthly Archives: September 2023

Episode 59 – How Many Threads Connect the Reader to the Crime Fiction Writers They Follow – Reed Farrel Coleman and Ben Crane



How many threads connect the reader to the crime fiction writers that they follow.

Larry was fortunate to have well known crime fiction writer Reed Farrel Coleman to talk about his latest work Sleepless City.  Larry asks Reed how he defines Noir fiction to which he responds “french for black” which brings a chuckle.  Some have called Reed the “crime fiction writers crime fiction writer” and the response is very telling.  Larry posits the question “how important is the cover of a new book to attract a new reader” and folds that question into how an author challenges himself with a character’s development.  The two also discuss Elmore Leonard and how the protagonist in a work is not always the enemy.

After the break, Larry is joined by author Ben Crane, author of the book Man of Lies.  Larry first poses that the feeling he got from the book is a combination of Ozark, The Sting, and Fargo, and the chill he felt when he read the line from the book “nothing I say is the truth, nothing I say is a lie”.  There is a discussion of how the character’s fascination at a young age with illusionists shapes his world, and how the setting of a story is also a character. Larry also explores what the true definition of an “anti hero” can be.


Episode 58 – How Many Threads Connect Us to What is Below the Surface Authors Peter Spiegelman and T. J. English



How many threads connect us to what is below the surface?  In this installment, Larry has a discussion with Peter Speigelman about his latest book A Secret About a Secret.  Larry and Peter explore the story out side of the cover of the book, how the title draws the reader, and whether this book is a cautionary tale.  Larry draws a comparison of Peter’s work with the television show Dark Shadows, and The Man in the High Castle.  Larry posits how important it is for the author to trust the read to understand the implications and be drawn into the plot and narrative.

After a short break Larry welcomes T. J. English about his latest work Dangerous Rhythms.  Larry asks about growing up in upper Manhattan, whether Jazz is a completely American art form, and how it reordered the music universe.  There is a great discussion of how BillieHoliday’s song Strange Fruit is a seminal work of art along with talking about Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra and the connection of music to the mafia.  Larry brings up Meyer Lansky and how there was a “Jazz drain” to Europe.


Episode 57 – How Many Threads Contribute to a Cascading Series of Events? – Authors Paul Moses and Julia Boyd



How many threads contribute to a cascading series of events? On this week’s episode of The Artful Periscope, Larry sits down with author Paul Moses to discuss his latest book The Italian Squad. As a New York City historian, Paul sheds light on the forgotten work of Italian police officers of the NYPD who battled the Mafia while also striving to protect immigrant Italian families in a society that didn’t welcome them. Larry and Moses discuss his career as a journalist, the legendary police officer Giuseppe Petrosino and the friction between the police and the Italian community.

After the break, Larry invites author Julia Boyd to discuss her book A Village in the Third Reich, which shares the stories of ordinary folks living under the Nazi regime. Julia’s book draws disturbing parallels to modern times, providing a cautionary tale of how world events can push everyday people into extraordinary and terrifying circumstances.