DANCING ON THE EDGE OF THE ABYSS:
GOODISVILLE 2025
Celebrating the 108th Birthday of
David Loeb Goodis
[March 2, 1917 – January 7, 1967]
SEATS ARE LIMITED ON THE BUS
WHO: David L. Goodis was a prolific writer, churning out numerous novels, movies, screenplays, pulps, and short stories. He is considered to be one of the greatest noir masters that include Jim Thompson, Chester Himes, and Charles Willeford, to name a few. His work is characterized by a gritty, cynical, and often fatalistic tone, exploring themes of despair, loneliness, and the underbelly of his favorite city, Philadelphia. Some of his most well-regarded novels include The Burglar, Nightfall, Down There (which was adapted into the acclaimed film Shoot the Piano Player by François Truffaut), and Dark Passage, adapted into the film starring Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart. Goodis’s work has significantly influenced subsequent generations of crime writers and filmmakers, contributing to the enduring legacy of noir fiction. Despite a period of relative obscurity, Goodis has experienced a resurgence in critical and popular interest in recent years, with his novels being rediscovered and appreciated for their literary merit.
WHEN: March 2, 2025 – 12:00 noon until 5:30 PM
WHERE: Fishtown Crossing, 2401-2499 Aramingo Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19125 [We will meet in Fishtown at 12 Noon at J.R.’s Saloon, 2663 E Norris Street] (by I-95’s Girard exit — there is plenty of free parking across the street from J.R.’s at the Fishtown Crossing shopping center, 2401-2499 Aramingo Ave).
WHAT: A Birthday Celebration for Philadelphia’s Most Famous Noir/Pulp Writer. Our 18th year celebrating the life of David Goodis.
COST: $35.00/person. Payments can be made by Venmo to: @NoirCon or by check payable to NOIRCON.
[NOIRCON, 209 Dogwood Lane, Wallingford, PA, 19086-6006].
Price includes bus ride to some of Goodis’s favorite haunts, his final resting place, special guest appearance, birthday cake, door prizes, Special Commemorative Goodis Swag, etc.
Can’t make the bus trip, but interested in participating in NoirCon 2025 in Palm Springs, California? Then contact us at noircon@gmail.com.
