Tuesday, December 1, 2009

TwoFer Tuesday

As I prepared for an extended boat ride, knowing I'd have plenty of time to read, I grabbed some old favorites off the bookshelf and packed them in my suitcase. I realized after lugging around an extra 10 pounds of paper that I should have followed in the footsteps of Clare2e, who has championed the new technology, by purchasing a Kindle. I'll keep it in mind for the next time, but for this trip, one book that proved it's worth in excess weight was Raymond Chandler's THE HIGH WINDOW. Here are two famous lines from this classic:

From thirty feet away she looked like a lot of class. From ten feet away she looked like something made up to be seen from thirty feet away.

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And now from my short story "Cash Laramie and the Masked Devil," coming out soon, are two lines from a scene where Cash is examining the grisly remains of a fellow marshal:

The sword’s entry through the soft tissue of the neck and exit point through the mouth had ripped the tongue and left it dangling. The detached ear lay in the box next to the head.

For more Two Sentence Tuesday, here's the Women Of Mystery.

19 comments:

Leah J. Utas said...

Ooh, the dangling tongue works. Very effective description, David.

Charles Gramlich said...

Well now, you're two lines from your own work are so "understated!" Loved em.

Diane said...

I am happy to see this Cash Laramie you have been blogging about is finally coming out. Count me in.

Laura K. Curtis said...

It's amazing how many people--and things in general--are better seen from 30 feet away. And what a teaser your sentences are! Can't wait to read the whole thing!

David Cranmer said...

Leah, thank you. trying to be effectively grisly in that scene.

Charles, Thanks amigo.

Diane, yeah, it's about time. I've been posting snippets of DEVIL on Two Sentence Tuesday for months. Glad to hear you're going to buy it. Much appreciated.

Laura, certainly true. One of the great Chandlerisms. And gracias on my twofer. I'm glad to be a part of the fun this week.

Anonymous said...

Super lines Dave. Don't know if that Chandler dude will amount to anything but you have a future.

John LeMay

pattinase (abbott) said...

The matter of factness about the description makes it all the more horrible.

Laurie Powers said...

You've got me hooked - can't wait to read the rest of it.

David Cranmer said...

John, Ha. Yeah, he had some mild success.

Patti, I'm going for CSI old west style in that section of the story. And maybe a little Hec Ramsey thrown in for good measure.

Kathleen A. Ryan said...

David,
The Chandler lines made me chuckle...
Your lines made me shiver! I look forward to reading the rest!

Reb said...

Chandlers lines are great - I've seen plenty of people that look better from far away ;)

Love the dangling tongue. As Leah said Very effective.

Clare2e said...

I just love Chandler's wryness, but my heart always has room for Cash : )

Note to anyone interested: For me, the Kindle has amounted to more fiction purchases across all formats, both virtual and pulpborne, rather than a shift to one exclusively, but they can be groovy for carrying a library's worth.

JR's Thumbprints said...

With the mention of the box, I'm thinking: "This is no accident; This is deliberate, planned!"

Richard Prosch said...

I always wonder about squashing the Kindle in my suitcase, or not being able to toss it onto my pillow, or that I'll knock it off the bedstand in the night, or...If you get one, let us know how it goes.

David Cranmer said...

Kathleen, shivering is good. Thanks.

Reb, Chandler remains a cornerstone of this style we all hope to emulate or build on. And I’m glad you liked my two.

Clare2e, the dashing Cash Laramie will be glad to hear that. And I’m happy to hear the new Kindle is still kicking it for you.

JR, deliberate for certain. The evil Mask Devil is on the prowl.

Richard, by nature I resist, but out of necessity I need. I would love to dig into a western magazine I recently purchased but is now half a world away. Kindle would have solved such problems. But the death of print still troubles me.

RReynolds said...

"And left it dangling." That's definitely my kind of dark coffee. Congratulations on the publication and I will be first in the stores to buy.

Sarah Laurence said...

Ha! What a line. Raymond Chandler writes so well. Yes, every time I travel I wish I had a Kindle. A boat trip with boats sounds ideal if the seas are calm. Have fun!

Linda McLaughlin said...

David, I can recommend the Kindle, too. Or maybe the new B&N nook. They're great for traveling, esp. long trips. LOL on the lines from HIGH WINDOW. Great description. Sounds like Cash is tracking a nasty villain in your upcoming book. "Effectively grisly" was a good description. Let us know when the book is available.

David Cranmer said...

RReynolds, Gracias amigo. You've been very supportive for a long time. Much appreciated.

Sarah, The water was calm for the most part. A couple days were rough but I had that fancy patch behind my ear to settle matters.

Linda, A Kindle or Nook is in my future for the next adventure. And I will let you know of Cash's debut.