Just a Few More Things ...

• Blogger Jacques Filippi features a long and fascinating interview with Michael Connelly in The House of Mystery and Crime, together with his review of The Fifth Witness, Connelly’s latest Mickey Haller novel.

• From Mystery Fanfare: “The Death of Sweet Mister and its author, Daniel Woodrell, have won the 2011 Clifton Fadiman Medal, which is sponsored by Reba and Dave Williams and the Center for Fiction and goes to ‘a living American author in recognition of a work of fiction published more than ten years ago that deserves renewed notice and introduction to a new generation of readers.’”

• Behold, the 2011 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books schedule.

• Megan Abbott had an excellent article in this weekend’s Los Angeles Times Magazine about the changing landscape for female characters in “grittier crime fiction.” Read it here.

• How did this book slip past my radar?

• In the Mulholland Books blog, authors Zoë Ferraris and David Corbett “discuss how fiction can break down cultural stereotypes, making “strangers” recognizable and the role of the hero in crime fiction.” You can read their exchange here.

• Plots with Guns has a new editor. He’s Sean O’Kane.

• I missed mentioning this, but it was announced last week that the U.S. TV series The Good Wife and Justified, as well as “A Study in Pink,” the first episode of BBC One’s Sherlock, are among the winners of this year’s Peabody Awards. A complete list of recipients is available here.

• Voters were amply warned, but apparently didn’t take this threat seriously. They should have. Republicans are resuming their campaign to privatize and otherwise “essentially end Medicare,” one of the most popular U.S. government assistance programs. More here.

• Allan Guthrie talks with Bill Crider about the latter’s writing process and his first Truman Smith private eye novel, Dead on the Island, which was recently released in digital format.

• A classic film that’s definitely worth re-watching.

• Parnell Hall’s musical ode to local bookstores.

• And 50 years ago, on January 7, 1961, the first episode of The Avengers was shown on British television. Now, plans are in the works for a star-studded anniversary celebration of that spirited spy series.