Willeford's death left me bereft—no more Hoke novels! However, the series ended with a great note of wistful longing and regret (The Way We Die Now).

Leonard is one the best, and he seems to get better as he goes along. "The Hot Kid" and "Up in Honey's Room" are as fine as anything he's ever written.

My Ellison Moment
A friend and I attended a signing at a local comic book store outside DC. Harlan greeted the long line with, "Don't you people have ANYTHING better to do on a Saturday morning?" It was a grand time. Harlan was full of pithy comments the entire time, lobbing bon mots at every opportunity. When I…