Writer, indie publisher, et cetera
Jersey
Dennis McGackin Jr. Music Program
Jan 24th
For the Monmouth County, New Jersey crowd, there’s a new music program at the Freehold Borough YMCA in memory of Dennis McGackin Jr. (January 25, 1982 – May 21, 2009). Here’s the press release:
Celebration Kick-Off Party
Dennis McGackin Jr Music ProgramSponsored By The Graeme Preston Foundation for Life
The Dennis McGackin Jr Music Program was developed by the Graeme Preston for Life Foundation to inspire kids with music. They have partnered up with the Freehold Borough YMCA and Music University to facilitate a program where children attending the YMCA will have an opportunity to see how music can enrich their lives.
Dennis, known to many as DJ, had a passion for many things but two which really stand out were his love for Freehold and music. Although DJ left us too soon, his passion for music will carry on in the students of this program at the Freehold Borough YMCA.
The Dennis McGackin Jr Music program was implemented to offer children attending the YMCA with the opportunity to experience music by providing lessons from Music University on a weekly basis in continuing twelve week sessions. The children will have supervised practice sessions throughout the week where they can review and master what they have learned in their lessons. By doing this we hope to not only expose children to music but to give them a chance to have a professional teacher guide them to mastering music.
The Dennis McGackin Jr Music Program will inspire and introduce children to music, playing individually or as a group. It will instill a sense of accomplishment with both short and long term goals and benefits that the children can carry throughout all aspects of their life. The Dennis McGackin Jr Music Program will spread the grace of Graeme by positively impacting and enriching the lives of the children of Freehold Borough.
The Grace of Graeme goes on!
Date: Monday January 25, 2010
Time: 5:00-7:00pm
Location: Freehold Borough YMCA Community Center
41 Center Street, suite 2
Freehold, NJ 07728
From the News Transcript article:
Free program to unite children with musicThe Graeme Preston Foundation for Life will be providing an instructor and new instruments for the Dennis McGackin Jr. Music Club at the YMCA Community Center, Center Street, Freehold Borough.
The free program, open to anyone in the community, will be held every Wednesday from 4-7 p.m. for 12 weeks from Feb. 3 to April 21. Instruction will be provided to the first 30 children between the ages of 8 and 17 who register for the club.
Lessons will be given on guitar during the first hour, keyboard for the second hour and drums for the third hour.
The YMCA will host the music club’s kickoff celebration party from 5-7 p.m. Jan. 25. The party will include music and refreshments.
The objective of the Dennis McGackin Jr. Music Club is to provide children with the opportunity to experience music by taking lessons and practicing on a weekly basis, thus instilling a sense of accomplishment with short- and long-term benefits, according to a press release.
Lessons will be provided by Steve Kelly of Music University, Freehold Township. The children will be playing individually and as a group.
The Graeme Preston Foundation for Life is funding the program by providing an instructor and new instruments.
The program was created by Kelley Mc- Gackin, Dennis McGackin, Paul Sallee and Scott Preston.
Atlantic City Reading + Interview
Jul 30th
I’m reading in Atlantic City on Saturday as part of an event hosted by Barry Graham of DOGZPLOT.
FRIDAY JULY 31, 2009
IRISH PUB – 10PM – 12AM
Mary Miller, Elizabeth Ellen, Andrea Kneeland, Kate Wyer, Barry Graham
SATURDAY AUGUST 1, 2009
BOARDWALK PAVILLION
(next to bally’s – across from memorial)
6PM-8PM
Kevin Michaels, Timothy Gager, Robert Lopez, Joe Salvatore, Timmy Waldron Scott McClanahan, Justin Sirois, Jackie Corley
SUNDAY AUGUST 2, 2009
(tentative)
Curtis Smith, Randall Brown, Amanda Nazario, Lydia Copeland, Erin Pringle, Lane Falcon
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Lee Rourke interviewed me at 3:AM Magazine. I love 3:AM so I was really excited about this interview.
Word Riot Press to release anthology of New Jersey writing
Jul 18th
photo credit: Lauren Vallese June 2009
Press Release
Middletown, NJ — Punk rock-spirited independent publisher Word Riot Press will release What’s Your Exit?: A Literary Detour through New Jersey in May 2010.
The anthology, edited by Alicia A. Beale and Joe Vallese, will include feature new and previously published work from over 40 writers. Among the book’s contributors are Joyce Carol Oates , Tom Perrotta, Robert Pinsky, Jason Biggs, J. Robert Lennon, Alicia Ostriker, Paul Lisicky , Louise de Salvo, Donna Steiner, Joe Weil, Maria Mazziotti Gillan, Lee Klein, Suzanne Paola, James Richardson, Susan Fox Rogers, Gerald Stern, JC Todd, BJ Ward, and Sung J. Woo.
What’s Your Exit? will be comprised of contemporary literary fiction, memoir, and poetry about, inspired by, and representative of the Garden State. Themes of family, friendship, travel, culture, sexuality, love, fear, violence, nostalgia, and longing populate the anthology, which features writers and styles as eclectic and beautiful, and as unnerving and mysterious and bold as the place that unites them in this work.
An index in the back of the anthology will list the collected works by Parkway and Turnpike exits, an homage to the traditional way Jersey folk identify and relate to one another—the simple but loaded inquiry, “What exit?”
“We want What’s Your Exit? to be our gift to New Jersey,” said Vallese, a Palisades Park native and undergraduate writing teacher at New York University.
After developing their vision for the anthology, Beale and Vallese sought a New Jersey-based publisher equally enthusiastic about the scope of the project.
“We believe Word Riot Press is a company with the passion and literary aesthetics to propel this book in both a profitable and artistic direction,” said Beale, a Long Branch native.
Word Riot Press publisher Jackie Corley, a New Jersey resident, sees the book’s publication as a milestone for the company. “Up until this point, we have mainly published small paperbacks by rising literary notables, such as Nick Antosca, Kevin Sampsell and David Barringer,” Corley said. “An anthology of this range, with such an impressive collection of established and up-and-coming authors represents an exciting step in our growth.”
Go, Timmy, go!
Apr 16th
WORLD TAKES author Timmy Waldron has recently been honored by the New Jersey State Assembly:
New Jersey General Assembly
Assembly Resolution
By Assemblyman Gusciora
WHEREAS, The General Assembly of the State of New Jersey is pleased to honor and salute Timothy Patrick Waldron, an esteemed lifelong resident of West Trenton, Mercer County, in recognition of his highly acclaimed first book, World Takes; and
WHEREAS, A graduate of Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Timothy Patrick Waldron is a renowned author and editor whose work has been circulated widely on the Internet and in print, his debut book of thirteen short stories was published in March 2009 by Word Riot Press; and
WHEREAS, Timothy Patrick Waldron’s World Takes has been noted as being both darkly humorous and endearing as it leads readers through America’s interior landscape with tales that explore people of all backgrounds; and
WHEREAS, Within all spheres of his life and work, Timothy Patrick Waldron has established a model to emulate and set a standard of excellence toward which others might strive; and
WHEREAS, It is altogether proper and fitting for this House to pause in its deliberations to praise the creative work of Timothy Patrick Waldron, and to commend him as an individual of strong character and exceptional determination; now, therefore
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey: That this House hereby salutes Timothy Patrick Waldron, pays tribute to his meritorious record of achievement, and extends sincere best wishes for continued success in his literary career; and,
Be It Further Resolved, That a duly authenticated copy of this resolution, signed by the Speaker and attested by the Clerk, be transmitted to Timothy Patrick Waldron.
The year in home improvement
Dec 24th
We fixed up our condo this year. Onward with boring photos!
Painted cabinets go a long way.
Ta-da!
The hallway got some treatment
New dishwasher
And a new stove
Willowbrook Road
Sep 6th
Took a bunch of photos today of my favorite road. It’s where the climax of At the Slaughter takes place.
Here’s one panorama using Autostitch. And here’s another.
Literary Death Match
Jul 27th
Coming soon to Literary Death Match:Timmy “The Enforcer” Waldron
Word Riot Fiction Editor
Repping Word RiotTimmy’s stuff is hella funny and he will totally lay the smackdown on any opponent.
Also, Timmy is from Jersey and Jersey triumphs all.
Just saying…
May 24th
The new version of Sitemeter looks like ass. And you have to be logged in to check your complete stats, even if you set up your account to let anyone view it.
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I’m going to Book Expo America next week. If you see me at Book Expo, high-five me and I’ll give you a nickel. I like giving away money.
Book Expo has this Facebook/MySpace type Web site for attendees. I found it very entertaining for a couple of days. Now I’m indifferent to it.
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My new thing is writing in the super early mornings after work. (I work at home from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.) I’ve also taken to writing facts on index cards from the non-fiction books I’ve been reading. My brain has atrophed since college. I’m trying to un-atrophy it.
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There are kid-biting, pet-eating coyotes in my old hometown.
Aaron Trammell, The Interview
May 9th
I interviewed great, big, giant rock star Aaron Trammell about his new album Dignity.
I’m posting the last part of the interview first because it’s the best part. (This was my first attempt at interviewing someone since I was a reporter and there was a requisite amount of awkwardness in the beginning as we tried to figure out what the hell we were doing.)
We don’t really discuss Aaron’s album in this part, but that’ll come soon.
Listen: Aaron Trammell, The Interview – Part 1
-We discuss Red Bank, violence and racism, but in, you know, a fun way. Aaron is actually quite hysterical.
-A couple of curses so file it under “not safe for work.”
Enjoy.
Coming this Wednesday
May 7th
This is my friend Aaron Trammell.
Aaron is a great, big, giant rock star.
I think Aaron’s first band’s name had the word “troutfish” in it.
I first met Aaron in high school when he harassed me about listening to said troutfish CD, even though we had never met before. He heard that I played the guitar and therefore would like his damned evil troutfish songs.
Aaron was the manager of Clearview Cinemas in Red Bank and was known by man, woman and child in the area as “that guy with the hair who works at Clearview.”
Aaron’s parents live in a house that Vince Lombardi once bought for his own parents. Vince Lombardi is buried in a cemetary in town where a statue known as the Dancing Jesus lies in waiting. I wrote a story titled “Dancing Jesus at the Broadway Diner”; I drew from an incident that happened to Aaron at the Broadway Diner for that story.
Aaron’s coming over for dinner on Tuesday, and I’ve promised him excellent Thai food (though the fact that I’m out of kaffir leaves is causing me great intestinal distress). I’m going to interview Aaron and make a long podcast or several short podcasts out of it and post it/them on Wednesday. I think I’m going to make this a semi-regular feature, using podcasting as an excuse to invite my friends over for excellent Thai food, only to turn around and viciously interrogate them.
Aaron’s very smart and has a new CD out. This is going to be fun.
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