Richmond Noir – edited by Andrew Blosson, Brian Castleberry and Tom De Haven (2010) – This is a wonderful collection of short stories done in the noir style. As Tom Robbins (author of among others “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues”. Robbins grew up in Richmond and has a story in the collection) says in his foreword, when he thinks of Richmond he thinks of alleys. “…my memories of Richmond’s noir. Which is to say, colored with seamy urban romance and suave big-city vice, the twin elements most responsible for the seductive throb at the murky heart of noir“.
alleys tend to be colored with shades of
The stories feature well known locations in Richmond, Hollywood cemetery, Belle Isle, Church Hill, Shockoe Slip, Jackson Ward, the West End and more. They are then broken down into four categories – Nevermore, Numbers, Neurosis and Nonsuch. While a relatively small city (the greater Richmond population is around a million souls), the authors realize that it offers a rich lode of concepts, history and people for their creative exercise. State Capitol, heart of rebellions of both white and black residents, with plenty of anger, angst and the kind of political chicanery that would do Chinatown proud, this is Richmond.
“Richmond Noir” is part of an ongoing series of city based noir collections by Akashic Books. They have noir collections for Brooklyn, Baltimore, Boston, Belfast, Mexico City, Wall Street, Dallas and more. I think they are to be applauded for celebrating so many great locations, for offering authors the chance to write about them and for expanding the noir genre.
In the eight months that I’ve lived in the River City I have fallen ever more deeply in love with it. Richmond is beautiful, with a deep, complicated history. It is a city that is both hometown in nature and sophisticated big city. More than anything else Richmond strikes me as comfortable with itself, even with its complexities and contradictions. It is certainly a city that loves a good party!
It was at one of the smaller parties that I stumbled on this collection. One of the local craft breweries, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, teamed up with a local independent bookstore, Chop Suey Books, to highlight a couple dozen local authors. You could get yourself a glass of whatever caught your eye (and Hardywood offers a very nice selection), wander around the tables to chat with the authors and then snag whichever book took your fancy. My family went home with at least a half dozen. This was the second “local author” book fair that we’ve hit in the region and I think it is a great way to support local writers (and book stores and craft brewers!). Total respect to all involved. I enjoy visiting and exploring all the truly local options there here.
If you’ve never been to Richmond this book could serve as an interesting introduction to the city. If you know RVA you’ll love the local feel. And if you’re a fan of noir, this is a great addition to your library.
Rating – **** Recommended
Stories Are My Life 
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