The Real Memphis Mike (don't settle for imitations)

 My 1st print book now exists. What a strange way to put it. I've always enjoyed writing, even when I was a kid and it wasn't cool . Honestly, I never thought I'd do anything with it. It was just another outlet for all of the ideas banging around in my head. For decades, a lot of these thoughts became songs. Now I've returned to the simplicity of words. I write because I enjoy telling stories - pretty much the same with songwriting. The only difference is that now I don't have to go on a stage or into a recording studio. There I days I miss both, but who knows...maybe one day I'll do it all again. Writers write for different reasons. Some for acclaim or notoriety. Some for profit. Same as with music, painting, sculpting, acting - I think those goals are a matter of seeking validation. But for what? Doing what you enjoy is validation enough. For years I've written this blog. In some ways, it's the perfect medium for me. I do it, it's done, published, ...

My dad was difficult. I can't say we ever had a great relationship, but not for lack of trying. We saw in each other the parts of ourselves we didn't like - or just didn't know how to handle. Contrary to popular myth, dad wasn't a saint. He could be a sonofabitch. His own mother, who loved him dearly, would tell you the same thing. She often just didn't understand him. Sure, he saved a lot of people's lives, and kept many more going well past their sell-by date - but he wasn't a saint. Really, none of us are.  My dad was short-tempered. He could be violent. He was a typical only child and product of his time. He grew up in a very working-class household and strived for what he considered a better life. How that translated to moving to Steubenville, OH I'll never understand.  Actually, I do - but that's a conversation for a different time. As it's Father's Day, allow me to focus on dad's good side. He could never be accused of not being ha...

 I told myself I wouldn't do this. I didn't want to share any part of the new book yet. But - I'm enjoying it too much, and that feels selfish. Lord knows I don't write for any reason other than to share stories, so I edited a few bits down to this little excerpt. You might like it. Might not. Might think WTF?! Might ignore it all together. No matter what you think, or if you even read it at all, I'm enjoying writing it. Those who know me won't be surprised. Yet. - MCM 6/20/26 Mid-afternoon sun spilled through a dirty window, cutting across the living room in long golden beams. Dust drifted lazily through the light. Teddy the cockroach made his way up a dusty work boot. The boot had been there longer than anyone could remember. So had the body beside it. The humans who once occupied the old house were long gone. Their furniture remained. Their toys remained. Their guns remained. Even some of the humans themselves remained, though mostly as bones and geography. T...

I might not be posting much for a while. Allow me to explain... As a writer, I have on occasion had to stop and ask myself, "Good Lord, what have I created?" I'm currently having one of those moments. About 24 hours ago, I started toying with a story idea. It began with the premise of 'any given Tuesday'. Let's face it, outside of politics, Tuesdays are rarely exciting. The Monday blahs are over, the workweek has begun in earnest for most, and the clock is ticking away 'til the weekend. This was all well and good, until I started adding different elements to the thought of 'any given Tuesday'. That's when I let the weirdness in. I would, if I honestly thought I could , give you an idea of the basic story - but I can't. It's weird. It's complex. It's multiple perspectives of singular events. Overall, it's a challenging exercise in determining identity. There. I've made it sound even weirder and undigestible than is necess...

  I hosted a radio show for a while called It's About To Get Interesting! on Music From the 412 Radio here in Pittsburgh. It streamed all over the US, UK, and Canada, and the really crafty listeners were able to stream it as far away as Australia and Singapore! One of my favorite episodes was when I not only introduced the listeners to all sorts of 'East Bloc' rock & roll, punk rock, pop, etc., but got to interview my friends Abagar Quartet from Bulgaria!  For the next year or so, I heard from a lot of listeners who really enjoyed the show. I decided to do a second episode of it! I was looking for something to listen to while working on some home projects today, and I found the links for both shows, so here ya go! Just in time for the weekend, and the World Cup (for those who enjoy that sort of running around stuff).  There's great music out there, sometimes you just have to go looking for it!  STAY MOIST CITIZENS! click for this episode click for this episode

 I can now add Published Author to my CV.  If you're reading this, you already know I write. A lot. Always have. Probably always will.  For years, many have suggested I write a book - erm, perhaps those folks missed my audiobook .  In the past year or so, I've written a full-length novel (Tales From Americatown), and roughly four collections of short stories. So, what to do with them? I've found the publishing world to be as awful as the music industry. I've had conversations with a number of literary agents, as well a few small publishers. Color me uninterested. The next reasonable step was to look into self-publishing.  I have a few friends who have gone this route, to varying degrees of success. Mind you, we each get to define success our own way. To me, success is finishing a story (or a song, album, performance). These friends have freely given tips and pointers, and for that I'm eternally grateful. After looking through different methods of self-publishing...