Thanks to director Robert Meyer Burnett, I was able to attend most of the recording sessions for True Noir via Zoom.

I wish I could share with you the names of the cast members, as they are all well-known actors (particularly among genre fans) whose participation thrilled me. Rob Burnett encouraged my participation, though I am loathe to interfere with a director (being one myself). I limited my input to things that might really matter, particularly when my knowledge of the history behind scenes in this adaptation (by me) of True Detective might color a performance.

I weighed in seldom, however (and only at breaks), as Rob is completely on top of the material. I don’t exaggerate when I say I’ve been thrilled hearing these name actors bring my characters, through my words and their performances, very much to life. I’ll say more when I can reveal their names, and that will come soon enough with the KickStarter campaign.

What’s unusual here is that the Kickstarter (as I understand it) will be used to expand the venues for True Noir: The Nathan Heller Casebooks. Unusually, we will have completed the recording and probably the editing/mixing before we even go to KickStarter. You will not have to wait for the dramatization to be finished, because it already will be. It’ll be more like a purchase than an investment, although it will be both.

The long-term plan is – if this first project succeeds well enough — to adapt several more Heller novels, perhaps as many as five, and then move on to at least three seasons of live action. The plan is for me to do all of the scripting myself.

Since I intend (and my intentions don’t always hold) to make the forthcoming as-yet-unwritten One-Way Ride the final Heller novel, I will (again, if this works in the marketplace – I have no doubts about its artistic merit) spend much of the rest of my career buttressing the existing Heller novels, novellas and short stories with these adaptations, which I hope will lead more readers to the books…and Heller to what I consider immodestly to be his rightful place in a pantheon that includes Sam Spade, Phillip Marlowe and Mike Hammer.

Those of you who enjoy my novels need not be worried – I am endeavoring to sell a trilogy that will make everyone reading this smile; and will be continuing the Antiques series with my wife Barb as my half of Barbara Allan. My age is limiting certain aspects of my career – doing signings and attending conventions is tough for me now. As you will notice, I am shutting down Crusin’, my oldies band, after 50 years (not counting the five years of the Daybreakers). This is tough. I love doing this, and it has provided a certain amount of exercise and as well as a distraction from the more frustrating aspects of making a living as a writer of elaborate lies, i.e., fiction. But the issues that accompany my ongoing struggle with a-fib, and the lingering effects of my operating-table stroke, mean my energy level for physical activity is limited. No problem writing, though. Still, the reason I’m stepping away (at long last) from rock ‘n’ roll is not performance – I can still do that – but the inability to set up and tear down my keyboards and amp without exhausting myself physically mean I have to depend on my wife Barb and son Nate to do most of that work.

And I hate that.

So Crusin’ will soon recede in my rearview mirror, though I don’t pledge not to mount a reunion or two, if I’m up to it.

When I listen to music on Sirius XM (God I wish those DJs would shut up), and I hear any number of songs that I either never played or played often, it’s sweet torture. Will I really never play the Fudge version of “Keep Me Hangin’ On” again, or Deep Purple doing “Hush”? Will I never again do a Beatles tune or Zombies or Lovin’ Spoonful? That’s tough. I admit it. Really tough. So is prepping a CD of originals with Crusin’ over the last two years that we never got recorded. Maybe we can gather to do that.

Life is wonderful and terrible. Same is true of humans, of course. But I sure do appreciate what I’ve been able to do – to play rock ‘n’ roll since I was in high school, and make a living writing hardboiled mysteries, something I started trying to do in junior high.

And my grandkids Sam and Lucy, and my son Nate and daughter-in-law Abby, they live right up the street from us. How cool is that? And my wife Barb has been with me since 1966 (we married in ‘68) and she is still beautiful and at least as smart as I am. Talented, too.

Mickey Spillane was my friend. So was Donald E. Westlake. I was in a band with Bill Mumy and Miguel Ferrer (and Steve Leialoha and Chris Christensen). I made two movies with Patty McCormack playing a grown-up Bad Seed. This has been a hell of a ride.

And I’m still riding.

I hope you’ll indulge me in the gallery of photos from the penultimate performance of Crusin’ on July 30, 2024.

Barb (center) with Shelly and Lisa left and right, at the Muscatine Art Center Ice Cream Social, where Crusin’ performed its second-to-last gig. The former our late great guitar player Jim Van Winkle’s wife during his years with the band, the latter widow of our wonderful sunny bass player, Brian Van Winkle, who appeared with us at the Iowa Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame induction concert in 2018.

Guitarist/vocalist Bill Anson at the Ice Cream Social.

M.A.C. Keyboards and vocals, with Crusin’ at the Ice Cream Social.

Longtime Crusin’ drummer/vocalist Steve Kundel at the Ice Cream Social.

Eight year-old grandson Sam Collins dancing to his grandfather’s music at the Ice Cream Social.

Bass guitarist Scott Anson at the Ice Cream Social (son of Bill).

Crusin’ at the Muscatine Art Center’s Ice Cream Social. Our second-to-last scheduled gig.

M.A.C.

Tags: Crusin', Nathan Heller, One-Way Ride, True Detective, True Noir, True Noir: The Nathan Heller Casebooks