The book is an invitation to community.
Punk rock + Jesus + AIDS + Nationalism + Sex + Apocalypse. But funny. That's the stuff of my memoir, Dead Virgins for America.
It’s fun to write a book. Okay, fun is the wrong word. Whatever, the book is a place to start. Lay out the concerns, the struggles, the breakthroughs. Then share.
Sharing is where community comes from. Community is what keeps us alive. It can be really good to be alive. If you share.
And so the circle closes. I bailed on Facebook after the toxicity of 2016. But I missed sharing with the thousands of friends I’d connected with, from so many realms, over the course of a strange lifetime. Then I discovered Substack and saw a new way.
Artists want to be heard. People want to connect. Roots want to grow deeper.
I currently work as a screenwriter in Hollywood. But I’ve also been a journalist for The Washington Post and others. I’ve composed scores and an opera. I grew up recording and touring in loud arty punk bands.
I had reason to think I’d be dead by 30. As a teen, I thought Jesus was the most punk rock bastard I’d ever encountered. My family was a violent trainwreck. I’ve had to teach myself kindness, self-control, and empathy. It’s an ongoing process.
These are the pillars of my writing. My memoir is called Dead Virgins for America. I’m tracking in realtime the process of getting it published, so that others can glean useful tactics. I publish my progress every Saturday, along with a book excerpt. I also publish Q&As with authors and other fun stuff mid-week. Please comment, subscribe, share.
