About this item
This is a prose series of unpublished interviews with, and a visual retrospective of, the seminal mid- to late-20th century literary crime writer. In 1976, the critic Paul Nelson spent several weeks interviewing his literary hero, legendary detective writer Ross Macdonald. Beginning in the late 1940s with his shadowy creation, ruminating private eye Lew Archer, Macdonald had followed in the footsteps of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, but ultimately elevated the form to a new level. "We talked about everything imaginable," Nelson wrote -- including Macdonald's often meager beginnings; his dual citizenship; writers, painters, music, books, and movies he admired; how he used symbolism to change detective writing; his own novels and why Archer was not the most important character -- "my God, everything." It's All One Case provides an open door to Macdonald at his most unguarded. The book is far more than a collection of never-before-published interviews, though. Published in a handsome, oversized format, it is a visual history of Macdonald's professional career, illustrated with rare and select items from one of the world's largest private archives of Macdonald collectibles. Featuring in full color the covers of the various editions of Macdonald's more than two dozen books, facsimile reproductions of pages from his manuscripts, magazine spreads, and many never before seen photos of Macdonald and his friends (such as Kurt Vonnegut) , including those by celebrated photojournalist Jill Krementz. It's All One Case is an intellectual delight and a visual feast, a fitting tribute to Macdonald's distinguished career. Full-color illustrations throughout
About the Author
Kevin Avery's writing has appeared in publications as diverse as Mississippi Review, Penthouse, Weber Studies, and Salt Lake Magazine. His first two books, "Everything Is an Afterthought: The Life and Writings of Paul Nelson" and "Conversations with Clint: Paul Nelson's Lost Interviews with Clint Eastwood" are being published in the fall of 2011 by, respectively, Fantagraphics Books and Continuum Books.
Fantagraphics published his third book, "It's All One Case: The Illustrated Ross Macdonald Archives," a collection of Paul Nelson's 1976 interviews with detective novelist Ross Macdonald, in October 2016. The book is a collaboration with book designer and Macdonald scholar Jeff Wong.
Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, Kevin moved to New York in 2005 to get married and to pursue his writing career. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife Deborah and a four-legged muse named Mysti.
Visit Kevin Avery's website at www.kevinavery.com.
