Bradley Denton
Bradley Clayton Denton is an American science fiction author. He has also written other types of fiction, such as the black comedy of his novel Blackburn, about a sympathetic serial killer. He was born in Towanda, Kansas, and attended the University of Kansas at Lawrence and graduated with degrees in astronomy (B.A.) and English (M.A.).
An all time favorite of Roaming the Arts is Denton’s 1993 classic:
Read Kirkus Review of Blackburn
Link above is to Goodreads site while the BradleyDenton.net site is being reimagined.
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Brian Freeman
Brian Freeman is a prominent American author renowned for his gripping psychological thrillers and suspense novels, which have achieved international success. With a career spanning over two decades, Freeman has established himself as a master of suspense, characterized by complex, deeply emotional character development and fast-paced, twist-filled narratives. His work, which frequently explores the dark, hidden motives behind human behavior, has earned him a place as a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author.
Born on March 28, 1963, in Chicago, Illinois, Freeman displayed a love for writing from a young age, influenced by an eighth-grade teacher who recognized his talent. He graduated with distinction from Carleton College in 1984. Before transitioning to a full-time writing career in 2005, Freeman worked as the director of marketing and public relations at the Minneapolis law firm Faegre & Benson. This background in corporate communication provided a foundation for his disciplined approach to writing and self-promotion.
The exciting thing about including Brian Freeman in Roaming the Arts is that the site’s founder began his reading passion with Robert Ludlum and his characters created in the 1970’s. The beginning of that came via Ludlum writing under the pen name Jonathan Ryder.
Freeman made his literary debut in 2005 with the thriller Immoral. The novel was an immediate success, garnering critical acclaim as an Edgar Award finalist for Best First Novel and winning the Macavity Award.
His writing style is often described as “psychological suspense” that delves into the “hidden intimate motives that draw people across some terrible lines”. He focuses on creating realistic characters, shunning the “all good or all bad” trope in favor of the moral “shades of gray”. His books are known for their “you are there” settings, often featuring the cold, atmospheric backdrop of Minnesota, particularly Duluth.Freeman’s work has been honored multiple times by the thriller community. Spilled Blood won the Best Hardcover Novel award from the International Thriller Writers. His debut, Immoral, was a nominee for the Dagger, Edgar, Anthony, and Barry awards. He is also a multiple-time winner of the Minnesota Book Award.
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Phillip Margolin
Location – Oregon
Phillip Margolin
A great collection of legal thrillers written over a span of forty years.
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Jesse Winchester
in memoriam
Jesse Winchester, the esteemed singer-songwriter who became a symbol of the anti-war movement when he moved to Canada to escape the draft in the Sixties, died April 11th, 2014, from bladder cancer. Winchester, who was living in Virginia when he died, was 69.
While never as well known as peers like James Taylor and Jackson Browne, Winchester wrote some of the defining singer-songwriter tracks of the seventies — evocations of American and Southern life like “Yankee Lady,” “Biloxi,” “Mississippi You’re on My Mind” and “The Brand New Tennessee Waltz” that ached with feelings of loss for the country he decided he had to leave. The songs gained him a cult following and critical respect, and were covered by everyone from George Strait to Tim Hardin. Winchester was considered such a formidable songwriter that a 2012 tribute album, Quiet About It, featured versions of his songs by Taylor, Elvis Costello, Jimmy Buffett, Rosanne Cash, Lucinda Williams, and Vince Gill, among others.
Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1944, Winchester started playing music in Memphis, where his family later relocated. In 1967, he received a draft induction letter, but instead of showing up, he took a plane to Montreal. “I was so offended by someone’s coming up to me and presuming to tell me who I should kill and what my life was worth,” he told Rolling Stone in 1977. He arrived in Canada with only $300 and no connections, but settled into a new life, joining a local band and finally writing his own material. (Rolling Stone)
RIP Jesse
