Happy New Year everybody!
2011 is going to be an incredibly busy year for myself and Doubt It Publishing. I'm not even sure where to begin, but I guess we'll proceed chronologically.
The deadline for Doubt It Publishing's Author Of The Year has come and gone and it's time to make the announcement. I'm proud to let you all know that I've chosen Mark McElligott's Random Thoughts From A Broken Mind for publication this year. It's an uproariously funny collection of hilarious, 'out there' rants that made me laugh out loud on multiple occasions. His sense of humor is a blend of Woody Allen, Dave Attell and Steve Martin. He's goofy, perverse and tremendously talented and we're both looking forward to showcasing his work to a much larger audience this spring!
I've got a full slate of new bar assignments for the Buffalo News Gusto that I'll be knocking out at a rate of one bar per week. After reviewing The Dog House in Alden, I was saddened to discover that they closed until further notice before I had time to do the write up. My condolences to the owners as well as the staff there for the unfortunate incident that led to their shutting down. I had a wonderful time when I went and there was a roofing accident a week later that led to their demise.
At the end of this month (on Thursday, January 27th at 6 p.m.), The Big Words I Know By Heart Radio Hour will be recording live on location by hosting a free concert with 2010 Buffalo Music Award winners for Best Rock Duo Of The Year Busted Stuff at Dee's Firehouse on 4628 Broadway Ave. in Depew. If you're free, we'd love to see you at this event! Dave and Cynthia are great people and they're incredibly talented, so I look forward to hearing them play again. They're also launching a debut CD of original music around the same time frame, so hopefully they'll have copies on hand to sell.
As far as my autobiography goes, the first draft is finished. Icarus On The Mend: Memoirs Of A Manic Depressive clocks in at a hefty 430 pages (so far) and if the book gets any larger upon revision, I may have to split it into two volumes from a cost standpoint. I'd prefer not to charge more than $30 for the book in a soft cover format, so that could be the direction I take when the book is released in either 2012 or 2013. The book is unlike anything I've written before, and while I've been guarding the manuscript for its explosive content and the cacophony of sensational revelations within, I'll be auctioning off the second draft this spring. The current bid is at $50. If you want to read the book before it comes out, feel free to email me with a bid before spring.
In February, I'll be interviewing artist/writer Dylan Horrocks (Hicksville), who hails all the way from New Zealand. This will be a studio show for The Big Words I Know By Heart Radio Hour. His breakout book was just republished this previous summer from Fantagraphics press and it's one of the best graphic novels I've ever read. Don will be co-hosting with me.
By April, my ninth collection (Mockery) will launch online and in stores. It's a 130 page collection of nothing but finely tuned rants and the book is layered like a stand up comedy act. This is the first book where I've worked diligently on the pacing of the humor throughout the book and the effect on readers should be noticeably different and vastly improved. It'll retail for $14.99 and while I never say never, this may be my final essay collection. Eve Barbour (of Eve Barbour Designs) will be working on the cover layout and interior and Ryan Miller took the cover photo (a black and white picture of me laughing at a little girl who dropped her ice cream cone). I've started working on a fiction novel which I'm not prepared to discuss in any capacity yet as the work is still fresh.
I'm not sure what the back half of 2011 will hold for me, Doubt It Publishing, Mark McElligot and The Big Words I Know By Heart Radio Hour, but I'm certainly looking forward to it. This is going to be a great year and I look forward to taking the journey with all of you. As always, stay tuned to the web sites for more details as they emerge. To sum everything up, get ready to laugh. A lot.
Sincerely,
Tom Waters
