Tony O'Neill (1 Viewer)

Hey everybody, long-time lurker first-time poster.

I just finished reading Tony O'Neill's new novel, "Down and Out on Murder Mile." It's really good. He's also got a book of poetry out that's really good. And I say that as someone who only really likes Buk's poetry.

Check it out here and let me know I'm not crazy in thinking this guy's pretty good.

A SERENITY PRAYER

what no one tells you in rehab
is that nothing changes-
nothing improves
when you remove heroin
from the equation
the same hate
the same fear
the same impotent
muted fury

I've read books
and attended meetings
and fucked myself bloody
but nothing works-

nothing makes me
as pure and holy
and peaceful and serene
as a hit of Mexican dope
and the only existence possible
is one of resignation
to my fate, to my
unceasing insanity

and I realize
I was sold a fairy tale
by slick used car salesmen
bearing bibles
weak coffee
and empty, politician smiles

This was taken from www.burningshorepress.com. There's a few more there if you like this one.
 
Dear Rob or Miki or whoever this is at Burning Shore Press - please do not insult the users here with transparent bullshit like this "Jim Hall" post. You can promote your books as much as you'd like, but do it honestly. If you continue along these lines all you will accomplish is making yourself into an inside joke around here.

Hmm, now that might be a clever marketing angle...

And please don't reply saying that the two users are unrelated. That would just be awkward and embarrassing for all of us:

Jim Hall - 71.109.248.206 (Verizon Internet, Long Beach, CA)
wayrob - 71.109.211.71 (Verizon Internet, Long Beach, CA)

This was a misguided idea on your part. Let's just try to forget it happened and continue to hold Burning Shore Press in high esteem.
 
Jim Hall is a journalist based out of Long Beach, just like we are. Of course we know him - literary Long Beach is a small place (half of which uses the east-side Verizon server, by the way). He has reviewed readings we've sponsored and once interviewed me for his blog. He's also a poet and I've read with him on several occasions. Oh yeah, I like the guy too; he's a friend.

Jim really likes Tony O'Neill's work, including the book of his we put out. The other day he emailed Mik and said that he wanted to start a O'Neill thread on your board and asked if he could post some poems from our website. He told him that that would be great, so long as he linked us (that's our rule for anyone who reprints our stuff). That's the story. Pretty sinister, huh?

The book of Tony's we published came out in the summer of 2006. It's now the winter of 2009. If we're pulling a "marketing ploy" it's pretty damn late in the game. By the way, I've openly promoted the play of Dan Fante's we put out over on his thread. If I wanted to push Tony's work here I would have openly done that as well.

I really wish you would have contacted us privately if you thought something fishy was going on. Public misunderstandings like this just end up hurting everyone.

P.S. Might I suggest you just delete this thread and let Jim or someone else start another one if they want. This one has already been ruined by politics and no useful discussion will probably take place. You also might want to apologize to Jim. He's just a fan who wanted to participate on your board. I'm sure he must be feeling pretty insulted.

http://jimhallsleepsallday.blogspot.com/
 
I'm very much a real person. A real person who does not work for Burning Shore Press. Like Rob said, we know each other and I consider him a friend.

My intention was to tell like-minded people that there's a contemporary writer who I think is doing cool work. Sorry if that's not what the "All things *not* Bukowski" forum is intended for.
 
That's the story. Pretty sinister, huh?

This [thread] has been ruined by politics and no useful discussion will probably take place.
Sorry Jim. Make yourself at home.

Mr. wayrob, the post looks like spam, and I am quite certain I'm not the only one who would have been suspicious of it. I just happened to see it first. I'm not sure what "politics" you are referring to.
 
I recently read both DOWN & OUT and SONGS FROM THE SHOOTING GALLERY and really enjoyed them both. The work is gritty, honest, & doesn't fall victim to all that would doom it in the hands of a lesser writer. I remember thinking 15 chapters into DOWN & OUT & I that there wasn't a wasted word so far--the pace of it is tight, with genuine detail...& the downward spiral at the fringes of both celebrity & the American Dream is pretty sexy subject matter...especially because it isn't invented. I plan on buying more of his work.

For the collectors out there, a fine broadside of similar subject matter (simply begging to be framed) is also available from 10pt Press--a homerun for anyone who likes Tony's work & has a punchhole in a sheetrock wall that needs covering before the landlord gets wind of it...
 
yeah, usually when a first-time poster drops in to tell us how he likes another author, suggests forum people here will like it too, copies some of the work, and then adds a link where the work can be purchased, we assume it's spam. nothing against jim hall, burning shore, or anything else, but that's just how it is.

if you went up to a group of people having a conversation and started talking about how much you liked pepsi and how you thought they might like pepsi too, and then you pointed to a pepsi machine against the wall, those people having the conversation would probably think you were trying to sell pepsi rather than joining their conversation. it doesn't mean you still couldn't become part of their conversation later [hint hint].
 
For the collectors out there, a fine broadside of similar subject matter (simply begging to be framed) is also available from 10pt Press--a homerun for anyone who likes Tony's work & has a punchhole in a sheetrock wall that needs covering before the landlord gets wind of it...

Recommendation enough; just bought it, along with justin barrett's. I need more wall space.
 
Yeah, what jordan said. It's simply not the best thing for a first post.
Now that we've straighten things out: welcome!
(there's a 'New-blood' section, where new members can introduce themselfes. Just in case...)
 
We only sell Coke.

Welcome to the forum, after that nearly rocky start. Like they say, go to the New Blood section and start a thread to introduce yourself. Tell us about your Bukowski opinion.
 
A SERENITY PRAYER
This one doesn't do much fr me.
To morose - heavy - to well crafted - flat - impotent.
The line seems almost too tight.
I need to see something more,
perhaps a wild glint of mad laughter despite it all.
Some hint of irrational strength holding the poem together

Otherwise it "smacks" to much of self-therapy for my taste.
 

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