JOE R LANSDALE is an internationally published author of many novels including THE DRIVE IN (1, 2 & 3), THE NIGHTRUNNERS, SAVAGE SEASON, COLD IN JULY, BAD CHILI, THE BOTTOMS and, most recently, A FINE DARK LINE, SUNSET AND SAWDUST and the collection BUMPER CROP.
361 March 22 2003 at 02:16:06 Fullname: Wayne Email: Comments: Well, it was difficult, but Andy managed to locate an instructor of Arabic at Oxford University, and he translated the strange page written in Arabic that was up this morning. It turns out that the message was from none other than Saddam Hussein. Hussein stated that he was a big fan of Joe's Hap/Leonard series. To him, Bad Chili, is the best of the six novels because of the scene at the beginning where the squirrel chases Hap around in an opened field. He hoped that Hisownslef would continue to write about these wonderful characters, then ended the message, pleading that since Joe is a Texan, he could maybe put in a good word for him to President Bush. Well, I think it might be too late for Saddam, but Andy e-mailed him back and suggested he pick up a copy of Joe's newest novel, A Fine Dark Line. That way he'll have something to read while on the run.
362 March 18 2003 at 12:36:53 Fullname: Katie Ellis Email: Comments:
363 March 18 2003 at 01:57:24 Fullname: Joe Lansdale Email:
www.joerlansdale.com Comments: Andrew: BUMPER CROP will contain many of the stories in BESTSELLER'S GUARANTEED, but it will also contain a few from GOOD, BAD, INDIFFERENT, and FOR A FEW STORIES MORE. I'm only allowing a few from those to be reprinted; the better stuff. It will also contain some uncollected short stuff, and some things from A FIST FULL OF STORIES. So, there will be a big collection, and with HIGH COTTON, it will cover my best stuff to date in those two volumes, excluding the novellas, many of which appeared in THE LONG ONES. A new collection of never before collected material, plus brand new material, will be in MAD DOG SUMMER AND OTHER STORIES, by his Ownself, later this year, or early next. It will have some really varied material, and I consider it a major collection. I've had what I consider three major collections, BY BIZARRE HANDS, WRITER OF THE PURPLE RAGE, and this one, MAD DOG SUMMER. Important collections, and actually better books, collections of the best material. So, really, the best examples of my work are HIGH COTTON and BUMPER CROP. I seem to be on a new short story wave. Have enough coming out to actually bump up to twenty thousand words on a future collection beyond MAD DOG SUMMER. Hope that answers your question.
364 March 17 2003 at 21:16:55 Fullname: Andrew J. Breitenbach Email:
dhevek@yahoo.com Comments: Joe,
Can you say yet what will be in your upcoming Golden Gryphon collection BUMPER CROP?
Thanks!
-Andrew
365 March 17 2003 at 01:16:22 Fullname: Joe Lansdale Email:
www.joerlansdale.com Comments: Wayne. It would be tempting if it were available. It would be easy to make it Mars of the past, or an alternate universe. That's the way I always saw it. Knowledge of Mars when I was growing up already said this couldn't be, but...it can.
366 March 15 2003 at 22:33:40 Fullname: Wayne Email: Comments: Joe,
Do you think the Burrough's estate might be open to continuing the "John Carter" series, like the Fleming estate did with John Gardner and the "Bond" series a decade ago. With all the movies coming out this year based on comic book heroes, there's certainly a market for John Carter of Mars. Even with what we know about Mars today, bringing the series back could still work. And you might be the only author capable of doing justice to the series. It would take a man who loved the novels as a young boy, and understands what it means to be a warrior, yet also to love his wife and children in the most profound way. You probably have so many writing projects on the back burner now that the time frame would be years down the road, even if you were still interested in the project and the Burrough's estate agreed to it. Remember what John Carter would say when faced with possible death?
"I still live!" It would be wonderful to read those words again as John Carter takes up his sword again to save the woman he loves more than life itself.
367 March 15 2003 at 22:04:18 Fullname: Joe Lansdale Email:
www.joerlansdale.com Comments: I actually wanted to do the Mars series, but that wasn't what was available, what was unfinished in the files.
368 March 15 2003 at 06:47:50 Fullname: Wayne Email: Comments: Joe,
You know the "John Carter of Mars" series was left open-ended with Deja Thorus (it's been forty years, but I think I spelled her name correctly)being kidnapped and taken to another planet. I believe it was to Jupiter. If I remember correctly, on the last page or two, John Carter and his son were going to rescue her. This is a series that really needs to be finished and turned into a movie. With special effects as good as they are today, it could be done, though the cost would probably be astronomical.
369 March 15 2003 at 04:41:43 Fullname: Joe Lansdale Email:
www.joerlansdale.com Comments: Wayne: I played Tarzan in my underwear and got the sunburn from hell. It was a great joy to me to finish a book by ERB, a childhood dream.
370 March 15 2003 at 03:58:22 Fullname: Wayne Email: Comments: Joe,
The pleasure was all mine. You reminded me of my younger years and how Edgar Rice Burroughs changed my life, not to mention the great Johnny Weissmuller. I used to go out into the backyard at night when I was ten and do Tarzan yodels, and the dogs in the neighborhood would start barking. My step-father would yell out the window for me to such up! I met Johnny Weissmuller back in 1962 or 63 in Mobile, Alabama when he was traveling around for the Toy For Tots program, then Jock Mahoney came to Mobile for the premier of Tarzan Goes to India, and I won free tickets by winning the contest for the best Tarzan call. My step-father couldn't believe it, but mom was proud of her weird son! Those were the good old days.
371 March 14 2003 at 15:40:08 Fullname: joe lansdale Email: Comments: Wayne: I didn't hear the innterview, so don't remember all I said, but glad you enjoyed it. The book title is Sunset and Sawdust, takes place in the thirties. The Western is THE TRUE LIFE ADVENTURES OF DEADWOOD DICK, as told by his ownself. Again, thanks for taking time to listen and to make such a nice report.
372 March 14 2003 at 04:24:37 Fullname: Wayne Email: Comments: I hope most everyone got to listen to the "Joe Lansdale" interview on Book Crazy sometime today. It was a fantastic interview! The good news is that Joe's next stand alone novel, Sunsets and Sawmills (I hope I got the title correct), sounds like another great book. This should be out in next January or February under a different publisher. The Boar will be released as a Trade Paperback sometime this year. Though Joe has half of his next Hap/Leonard novel finished, it may be one-and-a-half to two years, or longer, before it gets completed and sees publication. We can only hope that Hisownself will decide to take pity on the fans of this funny, yet very poignant series and not keep us hanging too long. Joe's favorite current authors are Andrew Vachss (check out his new novel, Getaway Man), Elmore Leonard, James Lee Burke, and Pete Hamil (I may have the last name spelled wrong). Hopefully, sometime in the near future, Joe plans to write a western that's been on the back burner for several years. I suspect that it will be somewhat of an epic novel dealing with black cowboys and possibly the Buffalo Soldiers. I didn't know it, but over one third of the cowboys in the West were either black, Latino, or a mixture of both. Few people know of their contribution to the taming and building of the West. I think this will be Joe's homage to the best Western novel ever written, Lonesome Dove. That's the news for the moment. Thank you, Joe, for sharing your thoughts and feelings.
373 March 13 2003 at 02:22:10 Fullname: Kelly Jones Email:
kfj@cableone.net Comments: Thanks for the Info. Joe. I just wanted to say thanks for the stories. It is pretty cool to read a great story using the venacular and tone I hear ( and use I guess ) everyday.
374 March 12 2003 at 15:47:56 Fullname: joe lansdale Email:
www.joerlansdale.com Comments: There will most likely first be distribution to theaters, then video and DVD, and the latter is a certainty, and the former is pretty darn certain. AggieCon. They have regular signings set up at the con, and I will have a table, or rather my daughter will,but I'll be by there. I also have a reading, me thinks, and would sign after.
375 March 12 2003 at 14:44:05 Fullname: Wayne Email: Comments: The times for Joe's interview tomorrow on the Book Crazy Radio Network at www.bookcrazy.net is now confirmed. It starts at 2:00AM Eastern Standard Time on the morning of the 13th, then airs again every four hours, till the last one at 10:00PM that night.
