Dashiell Hammett & Lillian Hellman – Literary Power Couple

I won another t-shirt at MentalFloss.com for submitting a tidbit of trivia about Dashiell Hammett and Lillian Hellman.  See the first entry in the notification I received below.

I’m a fan of literary noir.  Although I admit I haven’t read The Thin Man, I am currently reading Lillian Hellman’s memoir Scoundrel Time about her and Hammett’s involvement in the McCarthy trials.  The Red Scare was a time during the 1950′s that maliciously infringed on the constitutional rights of American citizens.

The trials and red-baiting helped to tragically  destroy many writer’s  careers including those of Dashiell Hammett and  Lillian Hellman.  It is ironic that Dashiell, who contributed so much to start the hard-boiled crime fiction movement, was once considered a traitor and criminal himself.  You can read for free Lillian Hellman’s (picture at right) account of their time together here.

The Power Couple!