David Simmons Interview - Ghosts of East Baltimore

Dark and Stormy Book Club

David Simmons
Ghosts of E#ast Baltimore
Show Notes
On the first official episode of 2024, we talked with David Simmons about his book “Ghosts of East
Baltimore.: David was delightful. Worm, fresh out of jail, tries to make a little money to get back on his feet,
and make it back to the halfway house before his 9 pm curfew. But what should be a simple drop-off, spirals
into a nightmare. Worm is faced with a number of obstacles like Greek gangsters, gimps, mecha suits, wild
drugs, and more. This feels like the perfect cross-genre book written for me especially with the clone
conspiracy theory sprinkled in.
Ghosts of East Baltimore is a wild ride and the perfect mix of elegant yet literary cosmic hood horror with
textured prose that not many could pull off. Rich with history, and a deep-seated love for Baltimore, this is a
fantastic crime fiction debut.
TRIVIA
Author Gary Phillips has edited several anthologies over the years. One that won particular accolades was
one that paid homage to a past president. Which one?
a. Nixon
b. Bush
c. Washington
d. Obama
Phillips has edited a number of anthologies including Orange County Noir and The Obama Inheritance:
Fifteen Stories of Conspiracy Noir, with the latter receiving the 2018 Anthony Award for Best Anthology. The
Obama Inheritance was inspired by the many conspiracy theories generated about President Barack Obama.
Each story in the anthology focused on one conspiracy theory as a means to "Riff on it, take it apart and turn it
on its head, and give the reader a thrill ride of weirdo, noirish, pulpy goodness
Which mystery author has a span of 29 years between the publishing of one of her mysteries?
a. Mary Roberts Reinhart
b. Ruth Rendell
c. Mildred Davis
d. Amanda Cross