Joe Boland

I met Joe Boland through Blogger two to three years ago, and we dropped comments from time to time on each other’s blogs. We shared a deep respect for all things noir and traveling. Heck, we even traveled to some of the same places in Central America. It would have been great to actually meet Joe in person, maybe in Belmopan, and talk books over a beer.

Joe’s good friend, Chris Hocking, wrote to tell me of his passing. It seemed Joe had gone through a real rough stretch, losing several family members before his own untimely death at age 47 from liver cancer. Chris described him as “… a distinctive personality, a sharp and ceaselessly interesting guy.”

Joe’s contribution to the exceptional Detroit Noir was the highlight for many of that top collection. I remember first reading Joe’s work in Muzzle Flash and he reposted several of his pieces here, here, and here. Check ‘em out. He was a fine writer.

Rest in peace, Joe. You will be missed.