June 4 was one of the hottest days on record in Oklahoma City and Norman. Despite that, for most of AIEP's meetings in the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma, the delegates were crossing their arms against the cold. One thing for sure, the air conditioning in the new Gaylord College is incredibly efficient.
The first time I met Stuart Kaminsky was in Spain, about twenty years ago. I was new to the mystery game and basking in the warm greetings to my first novel when I was invited to attend the Semana Negra, that grand carnival held each year to celebrate the black or crime novel. Authors from around the world gathered in Madrid and got aboard the black train for the long ride to Gijon on the northern coast. The train was a special one, normally set aside for the king of Spain, with beautiful woodwork, linen-covered dining tables, and free-flowing wine.
Search the phrase Belgian crime writing on the Internet and thousands of references to Georges Simenon pop up, even though Simenon spent most of his life in France and a lengthy period in the United States. As with Agatha Christie's detective Hercule Poirot, most of us need to be reminded that Simenon was in fact born Belgian and not French. Because of the cultural connection between southern Belgium and France we also often overlook the rich culture of northern Belgium, or Flanders.