Reading 'The Maltese Falcon'

Los Angeles' participation in the national Big Read program has been to encourage reading and discussion of "The Maltese Falcon," the classic Dashiell Hammett noir novel from 1930 that the organizers say "set the standard by which all subsequent detective fiction would be judged." Activities this month have included an exhibit on the book and 1941 film at Barnsdall Park, programs at schools and youth centers, and an L.A. "Noir-chitecture" tour through the L.A. Conservancy that included stops at Warner Bros., the Formosa Cafe (that Formosa) and the Glendale railroad depot featured in "Double Indemnity." OK, so the public events culminate tomorrow with an 11 a.m. Zócalo panel on Hammett and the book featuring David Kipen, Director of Literature/National Reading Initiatives at the National Endowment for the Arts, authors Richard Laymon and Tom Nolan, publisher Vince Emory and editor Julie Rivett, Hammett's granddaughter. Info