Kate--First, I just subscribed to "Sin Street" this evening. I've seen you referencing it in your different E-Mail alerts, so I wanted to check it out. Congratulations to you and your collaborator, Sissitrix, for an incredibly terrifying, harrowing story! We're definitely not in the realm of Medium-style erotica fare here. This is brilliant, graphic, gloves-off writing. Mickey Spillane to the n-th degree. It's horrifying and enraging. Enraging on a visceral level. You did an incredible job of doing this from Erin's POV--they've tortured, terrorized, and degraded this woman indescribably--one of them her husband? And the drawings by Sissitrix add to the horror--very evocative. I felt her desolation--her abandonment--the poignant reference to a "Harvard MBA"--that her life was definitely not always like this, that it was turned around somewhere, I'm guessing by this bastard Brian, who was such a "catch" that he did this to her. Heartbreaking stuff, Kate--I wanted to do a John Wick on this sorry-assed, depraved bunch and get this girl out of there! But given that you both have launched this as a noir forum (one of my favorite genres, from the old-time hard-boiled stuff of Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, James M. Cain, et al, to the modern neo-noir stuff--and of course the different film versions--Tarantino and that lot), I've got the feeling that Erin will return, and do some John Wick-ing of her own, and settle accounts for good with her dirtbag, scumball, degenerate gambling bastard husband Brian! Highest marks to you both--keep at it--this is terrific, and terrifying stuff, but well-done, both in narrative and illustration--and unabashedly authentic--happens all over the world, in countless places, unreported.
Thank you John. Two thoughts arise. First, I’m drawn to Sissitrix like a moth to a flame. They draw how I write and that’s at the core of our collaboration. Second, we agree that a noir universe on Substack can be greatly entertaining. By subscribing and leaving reviews such as you have inspires and helps the creative process. This is my favourite story project. We wanted Erin to start from a deeply distressful place and take her on a journey we can’t fully reveal. The artworks have set this story on fire in my opinion and I love the whole universe being created.
Kate--totally behind the venture, and looking forward to seeing where this goes--surely to be a macabre, dark path, and that's incredibly fertile creative territory (re-reading the now immortal Cormac McCarthy's "Blood Meridian" again right now and that chilling masterpiece reveals another facet of the shadowy/gothic/evil upon every reading)--I'm in for the long haul--fully armed to endure the hazards and evils of the noir realm!
I usually take a single expresso in the morning. I will take a double, and dark, real dark, to enjoy your review. What a pleasure to read from you what we are trying to do. Thank you. Working with Kate is an intense pleasure. She makes me darker, profoundly noir, and I like the places we are going through this publication. Sin Street has many naughty, dirty, and degenerate stories to tell. Have a seat!
Greetings from a fellow espresso addict--if not a Triple Grand Master! I mean every last word--this is a kickass realm the two of you have created, and I find it refreshing in a creative landscape replete with, and aggressively insistent upon, a saccharine, absurd, antiseptic view of humanity and the world at large--in certain media sectors, plastic, commercial hyper-optimism is the norm, where smiles, banners, balloons and absent-minded ignorance are the norm. Not so--happy endings are not the norm, and even in the realm of crime, "justice" is an illusory concept, and forget any notion of realistic judgment or vengeance. "Sin Street" and similar dark, "dirty" universes are a necessary tonic and counterweight to the sugary avalanche of theme park friendliness we're subjected to--so keep going!--J. By the way--my drink of choice is a black redye: dark roast black coffee (a large--always), with 2, maybe 3 shots of espresso--that's my jam!
Thanks! Busy hammering out the final elements of my second Medium story--the first episode of my very first series effort--finished the whole thing Sunday, hated it--realized I had the gist of what I wanted in something I cobbled together as a brainstorming exercise over a year ago--now doing a Frankenstein job on it--but probably generated a whole slew of new ideas to work from in the future!
Kate--First, I just subscribed to "Sin Street" this evening. I've seen you referencing it in your different E-Mail alerts, so I wanted to check it out. Congratulations to you and your collaborator, Sissitrix, for an incredibly terrifying, harrowing story! We're definitely not in the realm of Medium-style erotica fare here. This is brilliant, graphic, gloves-off writing. Mickey Spillane to the n-th degree. It's horrifying and enraging. Enraging on a visceral level. You did an incredible job of doing this from Erin's POV--they've tortured, terrorized, and degraded this woman indescribably--one of them her husband? And the drawings by Sissitrix add to the horror--very evocative. I felt her desolation--her abandonment--the poignant reference to a "Harvard MBA"--that her life was definitely not always like this, that it was turned around somewhere, I'm guessing by this bastard Brian, who was such a "catch" that he did this to her. Heartbreaking stuff, Kate--I wanted to do a John Wick on this sorry-assed, depraved bunch and get this girl out of there! But given that you both have launched this as a noir forum (one of my favorite genres, from the old-time hard-boiled stuff of Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, James M. Cain, et al, to the modern neo-noir stuff--and of course the different film versions--Tarantino and that lot), I've got the feeling that Erin will return, and do some John Wick-ing of her own, and settle accounts for good with her dirtbag, scumball, degenerate gambling bastard husband Brian! Highest marks to you both--keep at it--this is terrific, and terrifying stuff, but well-done, both in narrative and illustration--and unabashedly authentic--happens all over the world, in countless places, unreported.
Thank you John. Two thoughts arise. First, I’m drawn to Sissitrix like a moth to a flame. They draw how I write and that’s at the core of our collaboration. Second, we agree that a noir universe on Substack can be greatly entertaining. By subscribing and leaving reviews such as you have inspires and helps the creative process. This is my favourite story project. We wanted Erin to start from a deeply distressful place and take her on a journey we can’t fully reveal. The artworks have set this story on fire in my opinion and I love the whole universe being created.
Kate--totally behind the venture, and looking forward to seeing where this goes--surely to be a macabre, dark path, and that's incredibly fertile creative territory (re-reading the now immortal Cormac McCarthy's "Blood Meridian" again right now and that chilling masterpiece reveals another facet of the shadowy/gothic/evil upon every reading)--I'm in for the long haul--fully armed to endure the hazards and evils of the noir realm!
I usually take a single expresso in the morning. I will take a double, and dark, real dark, to enjoy your review. What a pleasure to read from you what we are trying to do. Thank you. Working with Kate is an intense pleasure. She makes me darker, profoundly noir, and I like the places we are going through this publication. Sin Street has many naughty, dirty, and degenerate stories to tell. Have a seat!
I'll have a double too, please.
Greetings from a fellow espresso addict--if not a Triple Grand Master! I mean every last word--this is a kickass realm the two of you have created, and I find it refreshing in a creative landscape replete with, and aggressively insistent upon, a saccharine, absurd, antiseptic view of humanity and the world at large--in certain media sectors, plastic, commercial hyper-optimism is the norm, where smiles, banners, balloons and absent-minded ignorance are the norm. Not so--happy endings are not the norm, and even in the realm of crime, "justice" is an illusory concept, and forget any notion of realistic judgment or vengeance. "Sin Street" and similar dark, "dirty" universes are a necessary tonic and counterweight to the sugary avalanche of theme park friendliness we're subjected to--so keep going!--J. By the way--my drink of choice is a black redye: dark roast black coffee (a large--always), with 2, maybe 3 shots of espresso--that's my jam!
I cannot wait to read the newsletter you launched. I love the stuff your mind is made of.
Thanks! Busy hammering out the final elements of my second Medium story--the first episode of my very first series effort--finished the whole thing Sunday, hated it--realized I had the gist of what I wanted in something I cobbled together as a brainstorming exercise over a year ago--now doing a Frankenstein job on it--but probably generated a whole slew of new ideas to work from in the future!