Juicy nuggets from a deep dive into the letters of Raymond Chandler -- on Hammett, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Hitchcock, Hollywood Jews, Catholics, Communists, the model for Ellsworth Toohey, the writer's life and the craft of writing, and more -- plus the only surviving evidence of his literal voice, from a 1959 interview with Ian Fleming six months before Chandler died.

For double the adventures (including last week's on Raymond Chandler in Los Feliz) plus regular smoke break mini-eps on topics of the day, subscribe to the show on patreon.com/filthyarmenian or filthyarmenian.substack.com

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Snooping around the House of Pies and the home of Raymond Chandler in Los Feliz, in search of the secrets behind Philip Marlowe. Guest starring Steve Sailer.

For the full 2.5 hour episode, plus double adventures and regular exclusive "smoke break" mini eps, subscribe to the show at patreon.com/filthyarmenian

With reference to: The Big Sleep - Farewell, My Lovely - The High Window - The Lady in the Lake - The Simple Art of Murder - The Little Sister - The Long Goodbye - Playback - Raymond Chandler Speaking - The Selected Letters of Raymond Chandler - and all the movie adaptations

Related listening:

90. The Big Sleep

72. Sailer on the Green

Masculinity on screen, immortality hobbies, and a vigorous debate between homo and hetero ideology are inspired as Matthew Wilder and I wrap our heads around Robert Altman's dreamy 1977 masterpiece 3 WOMEN at Cafe Les Ogres in Paris, France.

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Hop aboard the Brolita Express! Find a seat between Orwell and Borges. We're stopping in Austin and London on our way to Hive, a mysterious Greek island run entirely by women, ruled by a masked queen, where only the manliest men are sometimes invited. Jack Mason (The Perfume Nationalist) and Yeerk (Bistro Californium) are on the list. And so of course is my old friend Garin Hovannisian, illusionist and author of the must-read new novel HIVE, which I urge you all to read while summer is with us.

The audio in Austin in the first half is low, so please raise your volume then adjust as we cross the pond

For twice the feature length adventures, and regular smoke-break mini eps on topics of the day, subscribe to the show at patreon.com/filthyarmenian

If you joined us IRL in LA or Austin or NYC or London, it was lovely to see you.

A show about a mystery about the loss of love and magic from our lives -- and how to get it back. Guest starring Garin Hovannisan, author of the new novel HIVE.

Part 1: Hollywood Edition. Recorded live on Hollywood Boulevard, a few steps from Grauman's Chinese, on June 14.

For double the adventures plus exclusive "smoke break" mini eps on topics of the day, and excess to future live events, subscribe to the show at patreon.com/filthyarmenian

The life love and man magic of Tennessee Williams, poet laureate of American summer. The study begins with his first three: the timeless Glass Menagerie, the deathless Streetcar Named Desire, and the underrated Summer & Smoke, a parable of frigidity most relevant to our times.

With Zach Langley of I'm So Popular and Josh of The Dionysian Dream

For the full 2+ hour episode, plus many more premium eps including regular "smoke breaks" on urgent topics of the day, subscribe to the show at patreon.com/filthyarmenian

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As helicopters descend on the city it's time to cruise down to Johnie's Broiler the magical diner in Downey where Tom Waits abandons his tuna melt in SHORT CUTS (1993). What better place to enter Robert Altman's masterpiece mosaic of "untapped Los Angeles" and the Raymond Carver stories within, and what better guest to go with than the extraordinary Matthew Wilder, last seen with us at Bob's Big Boy in Burbank. Must book and movie and life always be at odds?

For double the episodes, plus regular "smoke break" mini eps and access to our upcoming live tour HIVE subscribe to the show at patreon.com/filthyarmenian

HIVE will be in LA on June 14, Austin June 17, NYC June 21, and London June 26...at some fabulous locations. DM us on patreon if you'd like to attend

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Let's try to save the blues from SINNERS. After reviewing Ry Coogler's latest up against the much more profound BLACK SNAKE MOAN (2006) and more liberated CROSSROADS (1986), I take Glen Rockney and Crypto Psi of Rare Candy on a personal-historical tour of the music that made me the man (and woman) I am today. 

For the full 3+hour jukebox fish fry subscribe to the show at patreon.com/filthyarmenian -- you'll also get access to our upcoming live event HIVE this June in LA (14th), Austin (17th), NYC (21st) and London (tbd)

Also mentioned in this episode:

Blues People: The Negro Experience in White America and the Music That Developed from It by LeRoi Jones

Rock Folk: Portraits from the Rock n' Roll Pantheon by Michael Lydon

And a roster of bluesman and women too long to list.

Some thoughts on the bad news about Scott Adams, and an appreciation.

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A celebration of Erich Auerbach's masterpiece Mimesis: The Representation of Reality in Western Literature, in light of the last decade's institutional conspiracy to shrink reality in Western media, which hits a grotesque low in Netflix's Adolescence.

Guest starring Yeerk of the Bistro Californium podcast

For double the adventures, plus regular smoke breaks and access to our next live event HIVE this June, subscribe to the show at patreon.com/filthyarmenian

Follow on X/insta @filthyarmenian