Richard Bausch writes about relationships with rare insight in these short stories. For example, in “Sixty-five Million Years” a Catholic priest is confronted by a teenage boy who doubts the Bible because of the existence of dinosaurs. And the young boy’s doubt creeps into the old priest’s psyche and destabilizes his world. Desperation mixes with passion in “Reverend Thornhill’s Wife” when a preacher’s wife has an affair with a married man she meets on the Internet. Both participants are trapped in sterile marriages and this affair centers on the desperation of two very unhappy people. The title story, “Something Is Out There,” revolves around a family learning that family members are involved in the illegal drug trade. And, during a wild snowstorm, hired killers may be lurking outside the house they’re trapped in. Most of Bausch’s stories end jarringly. If you’re looking for an engagingly contemporary short story collection, give Something Is Out There a try. GRADE: B+

(This completes the March 2010 portion of my Short Story Reading Challenge. I will read and review one short story collection per month in 2010. To find out more about the Short Story Reading Challenge, be sure to click: “http://theshortstorychallenge.blogspot.com/”>Short Story Reading Challenge.

Justified premiered last week on FX. This cable series is based on Elmore Leonard’s character, U. S. Marshall Raylan Givens, who appeared in Leonard’s novels Pronto and Ride the Rap and a short story, “Fire in the Hole.” After a messy shootout in Miami, Givens is reassigned (for political reasons) to his home state of Kentucky. In his first case, Givens has to deal with an old acquaintance, Boyd Crowder (played with convincing menace by Walton Goggins), who leads a White Supremest cult. Timothy Olyphant plays Givens with the right mix of cool and brutality. The hallmark of Elmore Leonard’s work is causal violence. There’s a scene in Jackie Brown that still haunts me. I don’t watch much TV (although now with the new HDTV I’m spending more time surfing the HD channels) but I’ll be watching Justified on FX Tuesday nights. GRADE: B+ (so far)

The genre of “urban fantasy” is an acquired taste. Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files series falls into this catagory as does Simon R. Green’s Nightside series featuring a private eye named John Taylor who has the power to find anyone. Nightside is mystical site in London where the paranormal and the supernatural mix. In this adventure, the editor of Nightside’s The Unnatural Inquirer offers Taylor a million pounds to find a missing person who has a mysterious connection to the Afterlife. If you like macabre fiction and dark humor, you’ll find Simon R. Green’s Nightside series worth looking into.

This completes the March part of Carl V.’s fantasy challenge. To learn more about the fantasy challenge, click here.

St. Patrick’s Day is over, but it’s never too late to listen to Irish music. Sean-Nos Nua features controversial singer Sinead O’Connor in fine voice as she sings traditional songs. I’ve been a fan of Sinead O’Connor since her Number One hit, “Nothing Compares 2 U” (written by Prince!). However, Sinead committed a nearly career-ending move on October 3, 1992, when she appeared on Saturday Night Live as a musical guest. Sinead sang an a cappella version of Bob Marley’s “War,” which she intended as a protest over the sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church. Sinead changed the lyric “racism” to “child abuse.” Then Sinead presented a photo of Pope John Paul II to the camera while singing the word “evil,” tore the photo into pieces, said “Fight the real enemy,” and threw the pieces at the camera. This ignited a firestorm of controversy that dogged Sinead on her tours, personal appearances, and concert performances. Regards of Sinead’s political and religious views, I consider her a talented singer. I love this CD!
TRACK LISTING
01. PEGGY GORDON 4:45
02. HER MANTLE SO GREEN 3:45
03. LORD FRANKLIN 1:40
04. THE SINGING BIRD 3:22
05. ÓRÓ SÉ DO BHEATHA ‘BHAILE 4:33
06. MOLLY MALONE 5:27
07. PADDY’S LAMENT 5:28
08. THE MOORLOUGH SHORE 5:38
09. THE PARTING GLASS 3:33
10. BÁIDÍN FHEILIMÍ 3:21
11. MY LAGAN LOVE 5:00
12. LORD BAKER (with Christy Moore) 4:30
13. I’LL TELL ME MA 2:24

Diane and I finally took the plunge into HDTV by purchasing a Sony Bravia and a Sony Blu-ray player. But, of course, nothing comes easy. When Diane and I tried hooking up the equipment ourselves, we couldn’t access HD channels. Two phone calls to TIME-WARNER Tech Support were useless, so out to our house came a TIME-WARNER service technician. “Wow, your cable is 20 years old!” he said. Then, for the next three hours, Dave (the Cable Guy) recabled our entire house by ripping out the old cable and installing new super-duper cable. Now we have crisp, clear high-definition TV and you should too! If you haven’t taken the plunge, now is the time to do it. By upgrading to high-def with TIME-WARNER, Diane and I were given a FREE year of SHOWTIME! Nice.

Although John Dickson Carr was a prolific writer–he wrote under the pseudonym of “Carter Dickson,” too–most of his books are out-of-print. Carr specialized in locked-room mysteries and impossible crimes. The Three Coffins (aka, The Hollow Man) was published in 1935 and proved to be one of Carr’s most popular books. In 1981, a panel of 17 authors and reviewers voted The Three Coffins the best locked-room mystery ever written. Two murders are committed in rapid succession, one of them in a locked room. Dr. Gideon Fell investigates and eventually solves the crime. But, before Fell reveals how the baffling murders were committed and who the murderer is, he expounds on his specialty: locked room murders. This famous “Locked Room Lecture” became the standard template for the many locked room mysteries that followed. If you haven’t read The Three Coffins you’re missing one of the most historically important mysteries ever written. It’s also a very clever novel.

Hilary Hahn is the big attraction on this CD. Bach wrote some of his best music in his cantatas and you’ll hear some that great music here. Hilary Hahn’s violin sings on these cuts. Hahn is joined by Christine Schäfer, the sultry Frankfurt soprano, and Matthias Goerne, the Weimer baritone. And, although some of this music is very serious, Hahn and Schafer and Goerne sound like they’re having a grand time! Don’t miss this one! GRADE: A
TRACK LIST:
1. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244 / Part Two – No.51 Aria (Bass): ”Gebt Mir Meinen Jesum Wieder” Matthias Goerne 2:59
2. Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme Cantata, BWV 140 – Arie (Duett): ”Wann Kommst Du, Mein Heil?” Christine Schäfer 5:44
3. Cantata, BWV 204 ”Ich Bin Vergnügt” – Aria ”Die Schätzbarkeit Der Weiten Erde” Christine Schäfer 4:13
4. Liebster Jesu, Mein Verlangen Cantata, BWV 32 – 3. Aria: Hier, In Meines Vaters Stätte Matthias Goerne 7:09
5. Zerreißet, Zersprenget, Zertrümmert Die Gruft Dramma Per Musica, BWV 205-9. Aria Soprano: ”Angenehmer Zephyrus” Christine Schäfer 3:29
6. Mass In B Minor, BWV 232/Gloria – Laudamus Te Christine Schäfer 3:50
7. Ich Lasse Dich Nicht, Du Segnest Mich Denn (Cantata BWV 157) – Ja, Ja Ich Halte Meinen Jesum Fest Matthias Goerne 6:18
8. Cantata ”Wer Mich Liebet, Der Wird Mein Wort Halten” BWV 59 – 4. Aria: ”Die Welt Mit Allen Königreichen” Matthias Goerne 3:06
9. Cantata, BWV 58 ”Ach Gott, Wie Manches Herzeleid” – Aria ”Ich Bin Vergnügt In Meinem Leiden” (Soprano) Christine Schäfer 3:44
10. Cantata, BWV117 – 6. Wenn Trost Und Hülf’ Ermangeln Muß Matthias Goerne 4:03
11. Der Friede Sei Mit Dir: Cantata, BWV 158 – 2. Aria & Choral: Welt, Ade, Ich Bin Dein Müde Christine Schäfer 5:49
12. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244 / Part Two – No.39 Aria (Alto): ”Erbarme Dich” 6:29

Night Shade Books is offering 50% off all their books (and forthcoming books!) from now to March 21. Go to the Night Shade Book web site here to start shopping and saving! You might want to consider the new Fritz Leiber anthology. Or the fifth and final volume of Clark Ashton Smith’s collected short stories, The Last Hieroglyph. I’m going to order Best Horror of the Year 2 and a few more books. You have 150 wonderful Night Shade Books’ titles to choose from. What are you waiting for!

COLUMBIA PICTURES FILM NOIR CLASSICS I bundles five noir classics: The Sniper, The Big Heat, 5 Against the House, The Lineup, and Murder By Contract. This collection presents restored and remastered versions of these great films. You’ll see memorable performances by Lee Marvin, Kim Novak, Eli Wallach, Glenn Ford, and Gloria Grahame. The movies are introduced by Martin Scorsese, Michael Mann, and Christopher Nolan. This is a must-buy box set! I can’t wait for the next volume in this wonderful series! GRADE: A