Pulp Today

- Season 1

(2020)

I kick off our literary adventures with a little day-drinking, and reading the first pages of my father Michael Avallone's classic 1953 private eye novel THE TALL DOLORES.

Dashiell Hammett invented existentialism in 1930, and I'm here to tell you all about it, in a little parable he called "The Flitcraft Story."

Let's talk about literature and poverty and sex and desperation - and why you shouldn't cast forty-year-olds in parts written for kids in their twenties. Pour yourself a drink and give a listen.

"Down those Mean Streets a man must go who is not himself mean." What makes a great private eye? I drink and read a little bit from Raymond Chandler's seminal essay, "The Simple Art of Murder."

We talk about that time Phil Marlowe met Carmen Sternwood -- 1939's version of Kim Kardashian -- and reacted how you might expect. Bonus shout-out to Aimee Mann.

Raymond Chandler was a romantic: here's some evidence, in a brief reading from The High Window.

Renaissance man James Urbaniak joins the show to read from, and discuss, a chapter from Ask the Dust, by John Fante.

Ross Macdonald's account of the beginnings of his writing career, complete with a special shout-out from Ross to a certain colleague of his, near and dear to the host's heart.

All sorts of things are Pulp. Here's something which is now considered high literature, but first appeared in a cheap paperback with a lurid cover. See if you can guess the author and title. The subject matter may just give it away.

Today, it's back to basics: DEAD GAME, by Michael (Ed Noon) Avallone. This is the real stuff, the actual vintage poured from the original bottles.

Dashiell Hammett drafts the blueprint for so many 20th Century pop culture heroes with RED HARVEST. Often "unofficially" adapted to film, often imitated, but never done real justice and never surpassed. Meet The Continental Op.

Did you know Tarzan started in the pulp magazines? Of course he did. Also discussed, the long tradition of presenting fantastic stories as coming from "true" sources.

"If it's going to happen, it can happen before nine o'clock." A little funnier and less dark than the usual Pulp, and this one premiered in magazines with nice paper. Never wear a hat indoors.

The first great hero of the 1930s pulps: David Avallone reads some words of his own, Doc's first few pages, a fan letter and words to live by. Meet - The Man of Bronze.

An introduction to the amazing crime memoir YOU CAN'T WIN, from 1926. In its way, this reading of the first chapter is all about the importance of Mothers - so this one was originally recorded for Mothers' Day.

Another reading from the 1926 true crime memoir YOU CAN'T WIN, and an indelible character out of hobo legend: Salt Chunk Mary.

Acclaimed pop culture historian Jess Nevins educates about all things pulp - in a wide-ranging conversation split into multiple parts. We start off with the origins of the form, and the artificial gap between High Art and Low Art

Continuing the conversation about pulp history with acclaimed pop culture historian Jess Nevins. In part two, we talk about Pulps around the world, sweat mags, atomized culture - and what killed the Pulps.

In part three, Jess Nevins and David Avallone talk about how the Pulps influence the pop culture of today, "ideasplosions," emotion over logic, and David tells an anecdote about Roger Corman.

Comics writers and filmmakers (and fellow Davids) Walker and Avallone talk about their career paths, riff on pop culture, and Walker reads a passage from Donald Goines.

Only James M. Cain could make insurance policies sexy and violent - but he does just that. Take a look, and ask yourself - is this the most drunk Avallone ever was recording one of these?

Back to basics: David Avallone reads a few pages of The Violent Virgin, which -- despite that title -- is one of the more romantic Ed Noon novels by Michael Avallone. This one is his tribute to The Maltese Falcon.

David Avallone is joined by Emily Edwards to talk about Dorothy Parker, whose work always appeared on very nice paper - but who had a secret love of Pulp in her heart, frequently expressed by her sharp tongue.

The original pulp adventure story - sex, violence, adultery, jealousy, murder, longing, gods and monsters. There's no place like Homer.