Susie Bright's Journal

Dear Loved Ones, My first new book in five years— Santa Cruz Noir — is out this June 5th! It’s... tight. What is this Noir thing? It's 20 addictive short stories on the dark side, Locals-Only, with no moral compass whatsoever. It’s part of Akashic Books’ legendary Noir series with... Read more →

Aztec Classes with My Father: From Nahuatl to Yiddish

Dear Lise and Susie, This email to you has been germinating for several years. I was a student of your father's— or as I knew him,"Professor Bright"— at UCLA in the early 1970s. Since reading his 2006 obituary in the Times, I have wanted to write you a note expressing... Read more →

Whitney Houston’s Death is Probably Not What You Think It Is

I’m grieving, like many. Whitney was thrilled to be alive and didn’t want to go this soon. People talk about how much pleasure her music gave them; but really, she got the most out of it. That glow you saw inside Whitney when she sang was unadulterated passion. Imagine feeling... Read more →

Checking Out: Sally Binford and the Planned Suicide

I received Sally Binford’s good-bye letter the day after her body was found. To those I love-- Most of you know that for some time I've been planning to check out—not out of despair or depression, but a desire to end things well. I've been lucky enough to have had... Read more →

Halloween Movie Quiz for the Morbid and Perpetually Disturbed!

Hells' bells! It's time for Dr. Anton's Phibes' Abomimably Erudite, Musically Malignant, Cursedly Clever Halloween Horror Movie Quiz! As you know, I am a diehard fan of the rigorous movie quizzes devised by Dennis Cozzalio at his swoon-worthy filmblog, Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule. I am posting my... Read more →