In our first literary collaboration, my wife Tara Laskowski and I played with alternating perspectives and a epistolary structure in a tale based on one of Joni Mitchell’s most popular songs—part of a full anthology of crime fiction inspired by her career.
The Beat of Black Wings was edited by Josh Pachter and features 28 contributors, covering highlights from each of Mitchell’s 17 albums. Those stories and authors, broken down by album, include:
Song to a Seagull (1968)
“Marcie” by Ricki Thomas
“The Pirate of Penance,” by Marilyn Todd
Clouds (1969)
“The Gallery,” by Christine Poulson
“Both Sides, Now,” by Art Taylor and Tara Laskowski
Ladies of the Canyon (1970)
“The Priest,” by David Dean
“Big Yellow Taxi,” by Kathryn O’Sullivan
Blue (1971)
“River,” by Stacy Woodson
For the Roses (1972)
“Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire” by Donna Andrews
“Blonde in the Bleachers,” by Carol Anne Davis
Court and Spark (1974)
“Help Me,” by Abby Bardi
“Free Man in Paris,” by Brendan Dubois
The Hissing of Summer Lawns (1975)
“Shades of Scarlett Conquering,” by Adam Meyer
Hejira (1976)
“Blue Motel Room,” by Edith Maxwell
Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter (1977)
“Talk to Me,” by Emily Hockaday and Jackie Sherbow
“The Silky Veils of Ardor,” by Greg Herren
Mingus (1979)
“The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines,” by Amber Sparks
Wild Things Run Fast (1982)
“Man to Man,” by Barb Goffman
Dog Eat Dog (1985)
“Dog Eat Dog,” by Elaine Viets
Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm (1988)
“The Beat of Black Wings,” by Josh Pachter
Night Ride Home (1991)
“Cherokee Louise,” by Matthew Iden
“Ray’s Dad’s Cadillac,” by Michael Bracken
Turbulent Indigo (1994)
“Sex Kills,” by Alan Orloff
“Last Chance Lost,” by Sherry Harris
Taming the Tiger (1998)
“Harlem in Havana,” by Alison McMahan
“Taming the Tiger,” by Mindy Quigley
Shine (2007)
“Bad Dreams,” by John Floyd
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