Caitlin Flanagan, on writing:

If you're a writer, you just keep following the path - keep going deeper and deeper into the things that interest you.

- Caitlin Flanagan.

Recommended reading - Golden Age Whodunits

Golden Age Whodunits

Edited by Otto Penzler.
 
Short story anthology.
 
Published by American Mystery Classics.
Published 2024.
Paperback.

ISBN-10: 1613165420
ISBN-13: 978-1613165423
 
Description:
 

Depending on who you ask, the term "whodunit" was first coined sometime around 1930, but the literary form predates that name by several decades. Still, it was in the years between the two World Wars--the so-called "Golden Age" of mystery fiction--that the style flourished. Short mysteries were published far and wide by a variety of authors, not just those primarily associated with the genre. They appeared in The Saturday Evening Post, Cosmopolitan, The New Yorker, and other high-end periodicals that still exist today. These tales were, in short, among the most popular diversions in literature and were of the highest caliber.

 

Fifteen puzzling tales from the masters of the mystery genre Depending on who you ask, the term “whodunit” was first coined sometime around 1930, but the literary form predates that name by several decades. Still, it was in the years between the two World Wars – the so-called “Golden Age” of mystery fiction – that the style flourished. Short mysteries were published far and wide by a variety of authors, not just those primarily associated with the genre. They appeared in The Saturday Evening Post, Cosmopolitan, The New Yorker, and other high-end periodicals that still exist today. These tales were, in short, among the most popular diversions in literature and were of the highest caliber.

 

In this volume, Edgar Award–winning anthologist Otto Penzler collects some of the finest American whodunits of the era, including household names and welcome rediscoveries. F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ellery Queen, and Mary Roberts Rinehart are all included, as are Ring Lardner, Melville Davisson Post, and Helen Reilly. The result is a cross section of the whodunit tale in the years that made it a staple in mystery fiction.

 

"Stellar . . . there’s not a weak link in the bunch. For classic mystery fans, this is a must." – Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW.
 
"Guaranteed to make Americans prouder of their country than any episode in its recent political history." – Kirkus.
 
"You simply can’t go wrong with any anthology that has [Otto Penzler’s] name on it." – Parade Magazine.
 
"Penzler’s depth of knowledge of the genre is in full evidence in this volume . . . This anthology is sure to contain something to surprise even the most diehard mystery fan." – Toronto Star.

Born on this day – Ruth Gordon:

Ruth Gordon

Actress

Writer

October 30, 1896 – August 28, 1985

Credits:

100 Years at the Movies (1994); A Double Life (1947); A History of Horror with Mark Gatiss (2010); Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940); Action in the North Atlantic (1943); Adam's Rib (1949 / 1973); American Masters (1987 / 2011); Any Which Way You Can (1980); Blithe Spirit (1966); Boardwalk (1979); Boffo! Tinseltown's Bombs and Blockbusters (2006); Camille (1915); Cineficción Radio (2020); Columbo (1977); Delta Pi (1984); Donahue (1975); Don't Go to Sleep (1982); Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet (1940); Edge of Darkness (1943); Emergency! (1976); Every Which Way But Loose (1978); Film '80 (1980); Flip (1971); Good Morning America (1976–1979); Hal (2018); Hardhat and Legs (1980); Harold and Maude (1971); Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust (2004); Information Please: Series 1, No. 8 (1940); Information Please: Series 2, No. 2 (1940); Inside Daisy Clover (1965); Isn't It Shocking? (1973); Jimmy the Kid (1982); Kojak (1975); Late Night with David Letterman (1982); Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby (1976); Looks Familiar (1980); Lord Love a Duck (1966); Madame Butterfly (1915); Maxie (1985); Medical Story (1975); Mia and Roman (1968); My Bodyguard (1980); Natalie - A Tribute to a Very Special Lady (1982); Newhart (1983–1984); Night of 100 Stars (1982); Night of 100 Stars II (1985); Over 21 (1945); Pat and Mike (1952); Patti Smith, la poésie du punk (2022); Perfect Gentlemen (1978); Person to Person (1959); RHEMA: Combine Man (1984); Rhoda (1975); Rosemary's Baby (1968); Rosemary's Baby: A Retrospective (2000); Rosie! (1967); Saturday Night Live (1977); Scavenger Hunt (1979); Sex at 24 Frames Per Second (2003); Subaru BRAT Superbowl TV Comemrcial with Ruth Gordon (1982); Taxi (1979); That Was the Year That Was – 1976 (1976); That's Entertainment, Part II (1976); That's Life (1979); The 38th Annual Academy Awards (1966); The 41st Annual Academy Awards (1969); The 6th People's Choice Awards (1980); The 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008); The Actress (1953); The Alcoa Hour (1957); The Big Bus (1976); The David Frost Show (1969–1971); The Dick Cavett Show (1969–1978); The DuPont Show of the Month (1960); The Ed Sullivan Show (1956); The Film Society of Lincoln Center Tribute to George Cukor (1978); The Ford Theatre Hour (1948); The Great Houdini (1976); The Joey Bishop Show (1969); The John Davidson Show (1982); The Kid Stays in the Picture (2002); The Love Boat (1977); The Marrying Kind (1952); The Matchmaker (1954); The Merv Griffin Show (1970–1980); The Mike Douglas Show (1971–1980); The Movies (2019); The Prince of Central Park (1977); The Prudential Family Playhouse (1950); The Secret World of the Very Young (1984); The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1969–1977); The Trouble with Spies (1987); The Whirl of Life (1915); This Is Your Life (1971); Tom Cottle: Up Close (1983); Two-Faced Woman (1941); Voyage of the Rock Aliens (1984); Welcome to the Basement (2015); What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? (1969); Where's Poppa? (1970).

Born on this day – Ruth Hussey:

Ruth Hussey

Actress

October 30, 1911 – April 19, 2005

Credits:

AFI Life Achievement Award (1980); Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1956); All-Star Party for 'Dutch' Reagan (1985); Amazing World of Radio (2018); And God Created Woman (1988); Another Thin Man (1939); Bedside Manner (1945); Big City (1937); Blackmail (1939); Celanese Theatre (1951); Climax! (1955–1957); Family Theatre (1951–1952); Fast and Furious (1939); Flight Command (1940); Footlights Theater (1953); Free and Easy (1941); General Electric Theater (1953–1954); H.M. Pulham, Esq. (1941); Here's Hollywood (1962); Hold That Kiss (1938); Honolulu (1939); I, Jane Doe (1948); Insight (1961); Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre (1955); Joyful Hour (1960); Judge Hardy's Children (1938); Louisa (1950); Lux Video Theatre (1950–1957); Madame X (1937); Maisie (1939); Man-Proof (1938); Marcus Welby, M.D. (1971); Marie Antoinette (1938); Marine Raiders (1944); Married Bachelor (1941); MGM Parade (1955); Mr. Music (1950); My Darling Daughters' Anniversary (1973); Nash Airflyte Theatre (1950); Northwest Passage (1940); Our Wife (1941); Pierre of the Plains (1942); Playwrights '56 (1956); Producers' Showcase (1955); Pulitzer Prize Playhouse (1950); Rich Man, Poor Girl (1938); Science Fiction Theatre (1955–1956); Shower of Stars (1955); Showtime, U.S.A. (1951); Soaring Stars (1942); Spring Madness (1938); Stars and Stripes Forever (1952); Studio 57 (1956 / 1957); Studio One (1954); Susan and God (1940); Tender Comrade (1943); Tennessee Johnson (1942); That's My Boy (1951); The Christophers (1955–1960); The Easter Seal Teleparade of Stars (1955); The Elgin Hour (1954); The Eyes Have It (1949); The Facts of Life (1960); The Ford Television Theatre (1953); The Great Gatsby (1949); The Jimmy Stewart Show (1972); The Lady Wants Mink (1953); The Miracle of Sound (1940); The New Perry Mason (1973); The Philadelphia Story (1940); The Red Skelton Hour (1956–1958); The Resurrection of Broncho Billy (1970); The Revlon Mirror Theater (1953); The Uninvited (1944); The Women (1939); Time Out for Murder (1938); Vacation Playhouse (1963); Valentine's Day (1965); Within the Law (1939); Woman of the North Country (1952); Your Play Time (1954).

Born on this day – Jane Randolph:

Jane Randolph

Actress

October 30, 1914 – May 4, 2009

Credits:

A History of Horror with Mark Gatiss (2010); A Sporting Chance (1945); Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948); Bambi (1942); Carioca Serenaders (1941); Cat People (1942); Century of Cinema (1995); Cinemassacre's Monster Madness (2007–2011); Compression (2023); Dive Bomber (1941); Fast Company (1946); Fool's Gold (1946); Highways by Night (1942); In the Meantime, Darling (1944); Jealousy (1945); Manpower (1941); One Foot in Heaven (1941); Open Secret (1948); Railroaded! (1947); That Lady (1955); The Curse of the Cat People (1944); The Falcon Strikes Back (1943); The Falcon's Brother (1942); The Front Page (1945); The Male Animal (1942); The Mysterious Mr. M (1946); T-Men (1947)

Born on this day – Louis Malle:

Louis Malle

Director

Writer

Producer

October 30, 1932 – November 23, 1995

Born on this day – June Blair:

June Blair

Actress

October 30, 1932 – December 4, 2022

Credits:

A Fever in the Blood (1961); Bachelor Father (1957); Bat Masterson (1959–1960); Biography (1999); Conflict (1957); Hawaiian Eye (1959); Hell Bound (1957); Here's Hollywood (1961); Intimate Portrait (2003); Island of Lost Women (1959); Lock Up (1959–1961); Lone Texan (1959); M Squad (1960); Man of a Thousand Faces (1957); My Man Godfrey (1957); Our Miss Brooks (1956); Sea Hunt (1960); The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1960–1966); The Aquanauts (1961); The Best of Everything (1959); The Chevy Mystery Show (1960); The Fiend Who Walked the West (1958); The Girl He Left Behind (1956); The Mike Douglas Show (1966); The Rabbit Trap (1959); The Texan (1960); This Could Be the Night (1957); Tombstone Territory (1960); Top Secret Affair (1957); Two Faces West (1960–1961); Warlock (1959).

Born on this day – Johanna von Koczian:

Johanna von Koczian

Actress

Writer

October 30, 1933 – February 10, 2024

Born on this day – Michael Winner:

Michael Winner

Director

Writer

October 30, 1935 – January 21, 2013

Credits:

Burke and Hare (2010); Hotel Babylon (2009); Shelf Life (2000); Parting Shots (1998); I, Camcorder (1995); Calliope (1994); Decadence (1994); Dirty Weekend (1993); For the Greater Good (1991); Bullseye! (1990); A Chorus of Disapproval (1989); Appointment with Death (1988); Death Wish 3 (1985); Claudia (1985); Scream for Help (1984); The Wicked Lady (1983); Death Wish II (1982); Firepower (1979); The Big Sleep (1978); The Sentinel (1977); Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976); Death Wish (1974); The Stone Killer (1973); Scorpio (1973); The Mechanic (1972); Chato's Land (1972); The Nightcomers (1971); Lawman (1971); The Games (1970); Hannibal Brooks (1969); A Little of What You Fancy (1968); I'll Never Forget What's'isname (1967); The Jokers (1967); You Must Be Joking! (1965); The Girl-Getters (1964); West 11 (1963); The Cool Mikado (1963); Play It Cool (1962); Behave Yourself (1962); The Cool Mikado (1963); Haunted England (1961); Old Mac (1961); Some Like It Cool (1961); Murder on the Campus (1961); Girls Girls Girls! (1961); Climb Up the Wall (1960); Shoot to Kill (1960); Watch the Birdie (1959); Danger, Women at Work (1959); Floating Fortress (1959); Man with a Gun (1958); The Square (1957).

Born on this day – Ed Lauter:

Ed Lauter

Actor

Comedian

October 30, 1938 – October 16, 2013

Born on this day, Nigel McCrery:

 

Nigel McCrery

Writer

Producer

October 30, 1953 – February 6, 2025

Credits:
 
Books:

Dambusters: The Crews and Their Bombers (2021); Final Scrum (2018); Final Wicket (2015); For Conspicuous Gallantry (1990); Go!, Go!, Go! (2008); Going Home / play (date?); Hear the Boat Sing (2017); Into Touch (2013); Season in Hell (2019); Shoot!: How to Make a Video Film to Professional Standards (1993); Silent Witnesses: A History of Forensic Science (2013); The Coming Storm (2017); The Complete History of the SAS (2003); The Extinguished Flame (2016); The Fallen Few of the Battle of Britain (2015); The Final Season (2015); The Undying Flame (2021); The Vanished Battalion / aka All the King's Men (1992); Under the Buns of the Red Baron (1995); Virtus Vera Nobilitas (2024).

Movies and television:

All the King's Men (1999); All the King's Men: Matter of Fact (1991); Backup (1995–1997); Born and Bred (2002–2005); Call the Cops (2008); Impact (2002); New Tricks (2003–2015); Silent Witness (1996–2025); Watching the Dead (2009); Zohra (2006).

On this day in movie history - The Hidden (1987)

The Hidden

directed by Jack Sholder,

written by Bob Hunt,

was released in the United States on October 30, 1987.

Music by Michael Convertino.

Cast:

Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Nouri, Claudia Christian, Clarence Felder, Clu Gulager, Ed O’Ross, William Boyett, Richard Brooks, Larry Cedar, Katherine Cannon, John McCann, Chris Mulkey, Lin Shaye, James Luisi, Frank Renzulli, Duane Davis, Kristen Clayton, Whitney Reis, Joey Sagal, Jeff Levine, Mark Morante, Jill Friedman, Rick Lieberman, Joseph Whipp, Donald Willis, Beau Gibson, Joe Perce, Jason Edwards, Joy N. Houck Jr., Mary Petrie, Joey Aresco, Judy Kerr, Luce Morgan, Richard B. Whitaker, Michael Yama, Charlene White, Marc Siegler, Jack McGee, Steve Eastin, Ted White, Loren Haynes, Rachel Todd, Buckley Norris, Lenna Robinson, Cate Caplin, Joe Gilbride, Deke Anderson, Wren T. Brown, Alan Marcus, Mark Phelan, Danny Trejo, Branscombe Richmond, Charles Edward Smith, Lew Hopson, Doug Collins, Bob K. Cummings, Alonzo Brown Jr., Rick Diamond, Charlie Skeen, Robert Brown, Chris Wentzel, Jake (the Dog), Kris Gilpin, Michael Joiner, Robert Shaye.

On this day in television history - M Squad (1959)

M Squad
Season 3. Episode 7.

Episode entitled: Mama’s Boy.

Released October 30, 1959.

Directed by Robert Ellis Miller.

Written by Arthur Rowe.

Music by Benny Carter.

Cast:

Lee Marvin, Paul Newlan, William Allyn, John Beradino, Katharine Warren, Joseph Vitale, Julie Scott, Mary Alan Hokanson, Mike Bradford, Joe Conley, Larry Perron, Sue Randall.

On this day in the Star Trek universe - The Next Generation, Voyager, Enterprise (1993, 1995, 1996, 2002)

Star Trek: The Next Generation
Season 7. Episode 7.

Episode entitled: Dark Page.

Released October 30, 1993.

Directed by Les Landau.

Written by Hilary J. Bader, René Echevarria, Naren Shankar.

Created by Gene Roddenberry.

Music by Jay Chattaway.

Cast:

Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, Majel Barrett, Norman Large, Kirsten Dunst, Amick Byram, Andreana Weiner, David Keith Anderson, Michael Braveheart, Buck (the Wolf), Tracee Cocco, John Copage, Debbie David, Hal Donahue, Gunnel Eriksson, Fumiko Hamada, Deborah Landis, Christina Wegler Miles, Rad Milo, Gina Saadi, Richard Sarstedt, Teddy (the Wolf); Oliver Theess.

Star Trek: Voyager
Season 2. Episode 8.

Episode entitled: Persistence of Vision.

Released October 30, 1995.

Directed by James L. Conway.

Created by Rick Berman, Michael Piller, Jeri Taylor.

Written by Jeri Taylor, Kenneth Biller, Lisa Klink.

Based on Star Trek, created by Gene Roddenberry.

Music by Dennis McCarthy.

Cast:

Kate Mulgrew, Robert Beltran, Roxann Biggs-Dawson, Jennifer Lien, Robert Duncan McNeill, Ethan Phillips, Robert Picardo, Tim Russ, Garrett Wang, Michael Cumpsty, Carolyn Seymour, Stan Ivar, Warren Munson, Lindsey Haun, Thomas Dekker, Patrick Kerr, Marva Hicks, Majel Barrett, John Copage, Tarik Ergin, Susan Henley, Kerry Hoyt, Susan Lewis, Lisa Kennedy Montgomery, Louis Ortiz, Richard Sarstedt.

 

Star Trek: Voyager
Season 3. Episode 7.

Episode entitled: Sacred Ground.

Released October 30, 1996.

Directed by Robert Duncan McNeill.

Created by Rick Berman, Michael Piller, Jeri Taylor.

Written by Lisa Klink, Geo Athena Trevarthen / Geo Cameron.

Based on Star Trek, created by Gene Roddenberry.

Music by Jay Chattaway.

Cast:

Kate Mulgrew, Robert Beltran, Roxann Biggs-Dawson, Jennifer Lien, Robert Duncan McNeill, Ethan Phillips, Robert Picardo, Tim Russ, Garrett Wang, Becky Ann Baker, Estelle Harris, Keene Curtis, Parley Baer, Harry Groener, Renna Bartlett, T. Budeck, Damaris Cordelia, Tarik Ergin, Gregg France, Dorio Gray, Kerry Hoyt, Diane Lee, Irene Lonker.

 

Star Trek: Enterprise
Season 2. Episode 6.

Episode entitled: Marauders.

Released October 30, 2002.

Directed by Michael/Mike Vejar.

Written by David Wilcox, Rick Berman, Brannon Braga, André Bormanis.

Created by Rick Berman, Brannon Braga.

Based on Star Trek, created by Gene Roddenberry.

Opening theme song: Faith of the Heart, performed by Russell Watson.

Closing theme: Archer's Theme, by Dennis McCarthy.

Music by Velton Ray Bunch.

Cast:

Scott Bakula, John Billingsley, Jolene Blalock, Dominic Keating, Anthony Montgomery, Linda Park, Connor Trinneer, Larry Cedar, Steven Flynn, Bari Hochwald, Jesse James Rutherford, Robertson Dean, Wayne King, Peewee Piemonte, Alexandrea Ortiz, Michael Bailous, Chelsea Bond, Michael Braveheart, Mark Correy, Vince Deadrick Jr., Christopher Doyle, Leigh Hennessy, Pablo Soriano.

On this day in radio history - The War of the Worlds (1938)

The War of the Worlds

directed by Orson Welles,

originally broadcast on CBS Radio, on October 30, 1938.

A one-hour dramatization, based on the novel by H. G. Wells.

Written by Howard Koch.

Produced by Orson Welles and John Houseman.

Broadcast from 8 – 9 p.m. (ET)

Announced by Dan Seymour.

Hosted by the radio series: The Mercury Theatre on the Air.

Narrated by Orson Welles.

Cast: Orson Welles, Frank Readick, Kenny Delmar, Ray Collins.

On this day in music history - The album Long Road Out of Eden, by the Eagles (2007)

 

Long Road Out of Eden

by the Eagles

was released on October 30, 2007.

Track list:

No More Walks in the Wood; How Long; Busy Being Fabulous; What Do I Do With My Heart; Guilty of the Crime; I Don’t Want to Hear Any More; Waiting in the Weeds; No More Cloudy Days; Fast Company; Do Something; You Are Not Alone; Long Road Out of Eden; I Dreamed There Was No War; Somebody; Frail Grasp on the Big Picture; Last Good Time In Town; I Love to Watch a Woman Dance; Business As Usual; Center of the Universe; It’s Your World Now.