7 Seconds

7 Seconds was a mainstay of the hardcore scene in 80's and beyond--an inspiration to stay positive during a time when there wasn't a lot to be positive about.

I wrote this brief bit about them in my novel.

They have just announced they're breaking up, but we'll keep listening to what they had to say.

Now he lowered the needle onto the record. The first song began in a quick blur of guitars, the drums as fast as a blender. You wanna be the way I am but you could never understand. The singer's voice was earnest and fierce. He sang so fast the lyrics were a jumble of syllables run together, as if there were only so much time to say what he had to say before people stopped listening. 

Not Another Punk Rock Flea Market in Scranton, PA

UPDATE: Unfortunately, Joyce and I will not be at the flea market March 10 because we need to attend a funeral that day.

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The name says it all! I'll be selling and signing copies of my novel this Saturday, March 10 from 1:00 to 7:00 in Scranton, PA.

I'll also be joined by Joyce Victor, author of a simultaneously funny and heartbreaking book about death.

Click the link for details:
Not Another Punk Rock Flea Market

Thank you

My "world" tour is over! Thank you to everyone who stopped by my table. I wrote my novel to memorialize a unique moment for the people who were there and bring it to life for the people who weren't. It was so encouraging and re-affirming to talk to everyone about their memories of City Gardens or about their own local scenes (no idea Wilkes-Barre had hardcore bands in the 80's!).

Thank you also to everyone who took a chance and bought my book. Hope you enjoy it!

Special thanks to the people who keep the energy going: Jeff Stumpo of Library Express in Scranton, PA; Joseph Francis Kuzemba and all the crew at the Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market; and Mark Campas, NEPA Punk Rock Flea Market.

And finally thanks to my great table-neighbors: GentlemenKilla of Philly and the pirates of Wilkes-Barre!

Fall 2017 World Tour! (well, my world, not *the* world)

It's going to be a busy fall! (Yeah, for me, four events in three months is downright overwhelming.)

I'll be selling and signing books in PA and NJ starting 9/1. Stop by and say hello.

Library Express at the Steamtown Mall in Scranton, PA Friday, 9/1 7:00-9:00: This is a cool spot for book browsing--great selection of off-beat and interesting stuff. If enough people show up I'll do a reading. Maybe I'll go meta and read the big climactic scene that takes place in a mall.

Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market at the Historic Roebling Wire Works building in Trenton, NJ Sunday, 10/22 10:00-5:00. This one is huge and always a blast. This will be my third time at the TPRFM. I may take a break from it after this while I work on my next book, so if you're in the area and would like to pick up a copy of "This Is What You Want. . . " or "The Night Bazaar," stop by my table.

NEPA Punk Rock Flea Market at the Kingston Armory in Kingston, PA Sunday, 10/29 12:00-8:00. Looking forward to finally doing an event in NEPA, where I now live.

Flemington Punk Rock Flea Market in Flemington, NJ Sunday, 11/19. Real close to my home town of Hopewell! Looks like a cool variety of vendors at this one (and also me).

Fascism

From my novel. The main character contemplates the aftermath of a skinhead riot at the club:

These guys were all the same. It wasn't muscle or even hair-trigger rage--it was sheer stupidity that gave them strength. They were never going away. They'd stay here forever, never changing, because they couldn't imagine anything else, or make any other choice. That was the only power they had. They were dumber than everybody else.