Michael A. Kahn

Marcus Aurelius and COVID-19

Posted on April 16, 2020April 16, 2020 by Michael Kahn

I keep a copy of the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius nearby and am continually amazed by the wisdom and the timely relevance of the musings of a Roman emperor from nearly 1,900 years ago. I learned today that he lived through the Antonine Plague of 165 CE, a global pandemic that wiped out more than…

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A Special Heaven for Authors: My Fantasy

Posted on March 22, 2020April 23, 2020 by Michael Kahn

I’ve been thinking about the afterlife lately. Not mine, though at age of 67 I know I am closer to my end than my beginning. But, to quote Marcus Aurelius, “It is not death a man should fear but he should fear never having to live.” So I try focus on the living part. But…

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Napoleon’s Penis: The Ultimate MacGuffin?

Posted on March 15, 2020March 16, 2020 by Michael Kahn

The answer: absolutely. And yes, I know where you focused on that painting of Napoleon. But before we take a closer look at that titular appendage, we need to understand the MacGuffin and its key role in many of your favorite books and movies. So what is a MacGuffin? Coined by master filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock,…

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Cover Reveals: The Good, the Bad, and, well . . .

Posted on March 4, 2020March 4, 2020 by Michael Kahn

Most authors have little say in the design of our book covers, and thus arrives that anxious moment when the publisher reveals its proposed cover for your novel. You hope for the best. This time I got lucky. For my next Rachel Gold novel, Bad Trust, due in April of this year, I can state…

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Thank you, Dorothy Parker

Posted on February 28, 2020February 28, 2020 by Michael Kahn

Dorothy Parker in 1924, photographed in the backyard of her New York residence

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Cheerful Words of Wisdom from Falstaff

Posted on February 9, 2020February 11, 2020 by Michael Kahn

During these cold dark days of winter, with ice and sleet in the forecast and Spring more than a month away, we could all use some cheering up. For Ishmael, in the opening paragraph of Moby Dick, that meant it was “high time to get to sea as soon as I can.” For me, it…

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From Sancho Panza to Saul Goodman: More Thoughts on the Cage-Free Character

Posted on January 12, 2020January 30, 2020 by Michael Kahn

As many of my readers know, I am a big fan of what I have named the Cage-Free Character. Those fictional free-range characters occupy a special place in my library, my own novels, and my heart. What exactly is a Cage-Free Character? He or she typically starts off as a minor character in a novel…

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My Answer to the Question of the Month

Posted on December 23, 2019December 23, 2019 by Michael Kahn

The editor of Clues, the publication of the Midwest Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America, reached out to me with the following question for its members: “What are your top tips for finding readers once your books are out in the world?” Given that I haven’t been able to quit my day job, I…

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Upcoming Appearance at the St. Louis Jewish Book Festival

Posted on November 7, 2019 by Michael Kahn

I am pleased to announce that I will be one of the featured speakers at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, November 12th at the St. Louis Jewish Book Festival, held each year at the Jewish Community Center on 2 Millstone Campus Drive in St. Louis, MO 63146. I will part of the annual “Missouri’s Own!” panel…

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Life Lessons from My Dog

Posted on October 28, 2019October 29, 2019 by Michael Kahn

Nearly a decade has passed since our beloved dog Kirby died. Just the other day, as I was searching through some old files, I came across a column I wrote on Kirby that was published 20 years ago in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Those lessons he taught me back then remain as true and important…

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