Filling in the Landscape

I have an essay up at Trace Evidence, the Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine blog, about setting.  When do you use a real place and when do you create your own?  The hook, of course, is my story "A Bad Day For Algebra Tests," in the November/December issue.

A Good Day For "A Bad Day For Algebra Tests"

I am pleased to report that "A Bad Day For Algebra Tests" is currently sparkling up the November/December issue of my favorite magazine.  This is my 30th appearance in AHMM, and the third Bad Day story.  Each of these involves bad intentions and confusion in mythical Brune County, and features the ever-bewildered Officer Kite.

The Cop Who Liked Gilbert and Sullivan takes home a medal

My story "The Cop Who Liked Gilbert and Sullivan" (Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine #23) won the Derringer Award for long short story this year.  This is the medal that goes with that honor.  Toni Kelner was kind enough to accept it at Bouchercon and send it to me.  I t now hangs proudly on the office wall.  Thanks to Toni and to the Short Mystery Fiction Society!

Shanks on Crime in Japan

Look what arrived while we were in Louisiana.  This is my story collection Shanks on Crime welcoming six copies of its Japanese translation, Sunday Afternoon Tea With Mystery Writer.  The publisher is Tokyo Sogen.

When Women Didn't Count wins in New Orleans

Last weekend was the American Library Association annual conference.  At the Government Documents Round Table reception, held at the Louisiana Supreme Court building, I received the Margaret T. Lane / Virginia F. Saunders Memorial Research Award for When Women Didn't Count.  It's always a thrill to be recognized by your peers.  Western's Dean of Libraries, Mark Greenberg was there and kindly took this video.

Shanks at the Bar in Japan

My story "Shanks at the Bar" is making its first periodical appearance in the Japanese magazine Mysteries!  The exclamation point is theirs. 

When Women Didn't Count gets video reviewed

Alicia Kubas works at the University of Minnesota Libraries.  Last week she appeared on their video series Read This Book! to review my book.  Thanks, Alicia.  Go Golden Gophers!

The Cop Who Liked Gilbert and Sullivan wins!

Wonderful news: "The Cop Who Liked Gilbert and Sullivan" is the winner of the 2018 Derringer Award for Best Short Mystery Story!

The Red Envelope on Amazon

My "The Red Envelope" won the Black Orchid Novella Award in 2012 and it was published in Alfred HItchcock's Mystery Magazine the following summer.  James Lincoln Warren was kind enough to set it up in a Kindle-friendly format for me, but lazy me, I didn't put it up on Amazon until yesterday.  Now the world can read it for 99 cents.

Shanks on Crime published in Japan

My collection of short stories, Shanks on Crime, has just been published in Japan.  According to the automatic translator, the new title is Sunday Afternoon Tea With Mystery Writer.  If you look closely you can see the English title on the page as well.  Cool!

The publisher is Tokyo Sogen.

Plainfield, New Jersey on Youtube

I wrote a song about my home town   Here it is on Youtube. 

WWU on When Women Didn't Count award

My employer just bragged about my book getting an award. 

Spilling the beans on The Cop Who Liked Gilbert and Sullivan

Gerald So is graciously interviewing the finalists for this year's Derringer Awards.  Today I get to talk about my story.

Derringer likes The Cop Who Liked Gilbert and Sullivan

I am honored that the Short Mystery Fiction Society has listed "The Cop Who Liked Gilbert and Sullivan" as a finalist for the Derringer Award for Best Short Story.  Vote early and often.

When Women Didn't Count wins!

Every year the Government Documents Round Table of the American Library Association gives awards for special merit in the field.  The prize for scholarship was just given to my book When Women Didn't Count.

The 2018 Margaret T. Lane/Virginia F. Saunders Memorial Research Award is awarded to Robert Lopresti, Western Washington University Libraries, for his book, When Women Didn't Count: The Chronic Mismeasure and Marginalization of American Women in Federal Statistics published by Praeger. Digging back into the history of how women have been represented or completely missing in U.S. government data collections since the late 1700s, Lopresti has revealed how this inaccurate data has affected women, men, and all of American society. The book challenges readers to reexamine their understanding of data collection methodologies and to think more deeply about biases and weaknesses in these methodologies as they have changed throughout the history of the U.S. and its perception of women. The Awards Committee was impressed with the sheer number of government reports, documents, and statistical information consulted as well as the variety of federal agencies examined. The book is of critical importance at a time when data is valued so highly in decision-making and policy.

I am thrilled and honored.

Shanks at the Bar in Japan

That is the cover of the April 2018 issue of Mysteries! magazine, published in Japan.  It features the first ever magazine appearance of my story "Shanks at the Bar."  Of course, it appears in English in my book Shanks on Crime.

When Women Didn't Count at WWU: the video

In February I was able to speak as part of the Western Libraries Readings Program.  I read the chapter on prostitution.  You can see the film of it...  This blog doesn't want me to load it so here's a link.

Catherine Dilts on Nobody Gets Killed

Catherine Dilts reviews mystery stories, bless her.  This week she looks at four stories from the March/April issue of AHMM.  Here's what she says about mine.

Robert Lopresti's entry in this issue of AHMM is Nobody Gets Killed. I am impressed by how this author handles both humor and serious subjects with equal skill. This story is one of the serious variety. You can read about the author's inspiration and the writing process here. This story proves that AHMM publishes variety. This is not a standard mystery story. Instead, during a routine traffic stop, tension builds to the conclusion of a piece that reads more like literary fiction. Nicely done. 

Thank you, Catherine!

When Women Didn't Count bookfaced

Silly but it's fun.  Talented student photographer Michael Nguyen was taking bookface pictures in the library.  This is me with co-worker and firend Tamara Belts.

When Women Didn't Count at Wikipedia

Another first.  My book was cited in Wikipedia, in the article on Lucille Foster McMillin, who headed the Civil Service Commission during World War II.

Nobody Gets KIlled at SleuthSayers

Today at SleuthSayers I explain the tragic circumstances that inspired "Nobody Gets Killed."

When Women Didn't Count gets cited

A proud moment for a librarian author.  My book has just received its first citation in a scholarly article.  Thank you, Helen L. Norton.

Nobody Gets Killed at Trace Evidence

Today at the AHMM blog I explain how I needed a little help to write "Nobody Gets Killed."

When Women Didn't Count in Louisiana

To celebrate Women's History Month, the St. Tammany Library in Louisiana is urging people to read my book.  What excellent taste and judgment!

Nobody Gets Killed

"Nobody Gets Killed" is in the March/April 2018 issue of my favorite publication, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.  That's three issues in a row, which makes me feel like Edward D. Hoch's dumb kid brother.

When Women Didn't Count at the FDLP Academy

In October I spoke about my book at the Federal Depository Library conference, sponsored by the U.S. Government Publishing Office.  They asked if I would like to do a webinar for their series the FDLP Academy.  I was honored to comply but I didn't want to repeat myself so I focused on the research process that went into making the book.  Figured that would be of more interest to govdoc librarians.  Anyway, I did it live and it is now available for anyone to watch.

Me being interviewed

One reason for attending Bouchercon is to meet mystery writers.  To network, as they say.  In Toronto I met Janet Irvin and she offered to interview me for her site.  And here it is.  Thanks, Janet!

When Women Didn't Count comes to Western Washington University

As part of the Western Libraries Reading Program I will be reading from my book at 4 PM, Wednesday February 21 in the Main Readng Room (i.e. Harry Potter Room) at Wilson Library.  Love to see you there.

DttP does When Women Didn't Count

DttP: Documents to the People is the newsletter of GODORT, the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association.  In the Inter 2018 issue Sonnet Ireland wrote a very nice review of my new book.  Here is part of it. 

"How many women were the head of their households in 1930?  How man were single mothers in 1890? Librarians have a desire to answer every question that comes their way, but some questions have no accurate answers.  This is especially true of government statistics on women, as Lopresti demonstrates beautifully...   His treatise on the subject is enlightening, delving into the inconsistencies in how women were considered (or ignored) across different government surveys.  Most infuriating are the times when results were labelled as unreliable or flat-out wrong because the answers did not meet expectations.... This books is an important work that sheds light on the sexism that permeates our statistics, even as recently as the last decade."  

Words and Music on Shanks on Crime

The wonderful Don Coffin just finished reading my collection of short stories, Shanks on Crime.  I'm happy to say he likes it, and he writes about it at his blog Words and Music.

Train Tracks and Catherine Dilts

Catherine Dilts is one of the few people who regularly review mystery short stories.  Today she picked four highlights out of the current AHMM.  One, I am happy to say, is "Train Tracks."

The Song Behind Train Tracks

Today at SleuthSayers I explain how Utah Phillips indirectly led me to writing "Train Tracks."

The story behind Train Tracks

Today at Trace Evidence I explain the true story of the Orphan Train, which inspired my tale "Train Tracks," in the latest AHMM.

Train Tracks at the University

Well, that's nice.  Western Washington University acknowledged my new story in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.