OCTOBER 2003

LEO Weekly reviews THE SECOND HALF OF THE DOUBLE FEATURE:

“The Second Half of the Double Feature” is a remarkable piece of writing...The stories in this volume are absolutely delicious. All of Willeford’s trademarks are present; the blacker-than-black humor, the inherently violent characters, the prescience so acute one might suspect the author of being a closeted science fiction fan. To wit, Willeford dishes out riffs on reality TV (“The Listener,” “The First Five in Line”) some 30 years before these ideas were digested and then, er, excreted on television. There are also plenty of short tales of petty criminals and more than enough previously unpublished material to justify a purchase by even the most obsessive Willeford collectors."

BOOKLIST reviews THE SECOND HALF OF THE DOUBLE FEATURE:

"It's a title deserving of resurrection, which makes it a fitting moniker for this posthumous collection of short stories and autobiographical sketches (including seven unpublished ones). Willeford...delivers indictments of human nature more wry than withering in stories that explore such weirdly wonderful notions as trying to find a date at a drive-in theater and hosting a Tupperware party for men. But the memoir sections prove most satisfying, as Willeford recounts his Army life just after World War II. A highly decorated tank commander, he eschews war stories for perfectly pitched accounts of soldiers at loose ends that bring to mind the young Hunter S. Thompson. "

SEPTEMBER 17 2003

LEO Weekly interview/article with Wit's End Publishing.

"Perhaps the state of mainstream fiction publishing is so dire that for quality work, readers should collectively search only in out-of-the-way places...Indiana can boast a new imprint with an unlikely first release: a compilation of short stories and poems by the great pulp fiction master Charles Willeford. The fact that it is being brought out by a 32-year-old Finnish immigrant and a former actress probably plays no less a part in the strangeness of this story. "

newsletter vol.1 no.1

AUGUST 29 2003

The Austin Chronicle reviews THE SECOND HALF OF THE DOUBLE FEATURE.

"His quartet of decidedly untraditional, insightful, and wickedly funny crime novels cemented Florida's reputation as a place where the norms of behavior are so out of whack, the criminals almost seem normal -- and that is the essence of the world-view you'll find woven through the 25 short stories and essays in The Second Half of the Double Feature..."

AUGUST 7 2003

We have received the first batch of the hardcover edition of THE SECOND HALF OF THE DOUBLE FEATURE, and have advance copies available for purchase.

We are also delighted to announce the forthcoming reprint of Charles Willeford's THE BLACK MASS OF BROTHER SPRINGER. We will reprint it in an affordable trade paper edition, with an introduction by James Sallis and the book will include the never-before-published play version of the novel, "The Ordainment of Brother Springer." Expected publication date October/November.

JULY 29 2003

We are happy to announce that the review copies of THE SECOND HALF OF THE DOUBLE FEATURE have shipped, and we have early advance copies available for purchase. We are expecting copies of the expanded hardcover edition at the end of this week.

We also are preparing the publication of Douglas Fairbairn's STREET 8 and we have already received an introduction to this new edition by the great Florida author Les Standiford.

JULY 4 2003

We have posted a sample of Douglas Fairbairn's SHOOT to the website.

JUNE 23 2003

We have just sent the trade paperback of THE SECOND HALF OF THE DOUBLE FEATURE to the printers, and expect to see it in two weeks' time. It is available directly from us. You can also find our books at shocklines and Murder on the Beach.

JUNE 2003

We have recently acquired rights to reprint Douglas Fairbairn's hardboiled masterpiece SHOOT as well as STREET 8, one of the first modern Miami crime novels. Scheduled release this fall.

MAY 2003

our first publication, THE SECOND HALF OF THE DOUBLE FEATURE by Charles Willeford, is being proofread for an early July publication in the trade paperback format. The expanded hardcover is scheduled for August.

These dates may change. Check our website for updates.

We are also working out the details for the Fall publication of TAINARON: Mail From Another City by Leena Krohn. This modern fable is the first US publication of Leena Krohn - the book has already appeared in 6 different languages around the world, and was nominated for the prestigious Finlandia Prize.