Small Update

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This is just a small update to reassure visitors that 17th Street is still active. Unfortunately, I have been incredibly busy over the past few months with my research which has prevented me from updating the site in any major way. Nevertheless, I have recently fixed up a small problem with the Alienist quiz. I have also updated the Caleb Carr interview page with a link to a News Hour interview that was conducted in 2002. The link to the 1997 Charlie Rose interview has also been updated. Many thanks to the visitors who suggested these changes. If you find any other problems with the site, please feel free to contact me. Thank you for your patience!

New Site Content

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First and foremost, I would like to extend warmest wishes to Caleb Carr who is celebrating his 54th birthday today. Many happy returns, Mr. Carr!

Second, I am pleased to be able to announce some new site content in this update. Specifically, I have begun work on expanding the Books section of the site, and the first new piece of content that I have added is a 40 question quiz for you to try. This is my first attempt at writing the quiz so if you believe that any of the questions are inappropriate, I have gotten an answer wrong (uh oh), or you simply feel that there are better questions out there, I welcome you to contact me. Alternatively, if you have any question ideas for an Angel of Darkness quiz, I would also love to hear from you.

Finally, some you you may be interested to know that I have recently added a link on the Interviews page to an audio interview relating to Killing Time that Mr. Carr gave in 2000. It’s an interesting listen, so I recommend checking it out if you haven’t already heard it.

Book Recommendation

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Not Alienist news but for anybody looking for a good read this summer (or winter, if you live in the southern hemisphere), Caleb Carr has recently praised a new Sherlock Holmes novel, Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson, which was released on April 28, 2009. Mr. Carr wrote: “At long last, an author of rare talent combines a thorough, enthusiastic knowledge of the Sherlock Holmes canon with truly rigorous research into, and respect for, what remains one of the greatest and most horrifying unsolved murder cases in modern history: the Jack the Ripper killings. Where others have failed, Lyndsay Faye’s extremely impressive debut novel succeeds, on every level, providing thrilling entertainment without blatant exploitation. It will instantly take a place of distinction among the best attempts of contemporary authors to continue the work of Arthur Conan Doyle, and is, quite simply, a must for Holmes fans and Ripperologists alike.”

Regarding an update of 17th Street content, I have unfortunately been snowed under for the past few months with research and teaching so my travels into the world of 19th century New York have had to be put on hold. I am, however, currently working on an update which I hope will be available in the next few weeks. In the meantime, if you know of any Caleb Carr news that hasn’t been posted here, please feel free to contact me so that it can be shared with other visitors to the site. Thanks and happy reading!

Small Author Section Update

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I only have a very small update of site content to report this month. A photograph of Mr. Carr has been added to the author section courtesy of Frank Arnold, and links to some additional interviews with Mr. Carr have been added as well. Further updates to the site content should be coming soon.

I would also like to remind visitors to wander over to the message board every now and then. Even during periods when the main site is quiet, there are often some interesting topics related to the Alienist books up for discussion there. For example, discussion topics that have recently been added include: your picks for movie casting, your picks for a narrator for the third book, Laszlo and Sara’s relationship, the role of Mary Palmer, the reliability of the book narrators, historical figures in the books, and the use of foreshadowing in the books. There are also discussion topics relating to Mr. Carr’s other works including The Devil Solider and Killing Time. Members are welcome to create their own discussion topics as well; after all, the more people who actively participate at the message board, the better it is for everyone.