I guess this is the part where I talk a little bit about myself. After several decades on this planet, it’s still something I find difficult to do. Let’s start at the beginning. I was born and raised in New York City when Times Square was known for peep shows, pickpockets, Sam Ash, and hole-in-the-wall record stores.
Being an only child in a single-parent household meant that more often than not, the TV and stereo were my constant companions. As a kid, I was a really early reader, and my love for words came from checking out the album liner notes whenever my mom put on records. Well, I would attempt to read them. By the age of five, I did know that every album had a producer and an engineer.
Besides playing third base for the Yankees, my dream job as a kid was to be a TV sitcom writer. There were several stops along the way to working in film and TV. My post-college journey led to a job at Tower Records Lincoln Center, where I spent a short period as a rock LP buyer.
I got my start in the TV biz as a production assistant on various music videos, including the KRS-One–led Stop the Violence Movement. My focus shifted to post-production, where I spent the better part of 25 years. During that time period, I never stopped writing, whether it was my journals or a few failed attempts at a screenplay. Writing gave me a sense of calm and was the one thing that I did for myself that did not have to involve anyone else.
The end of my career in post-production coincided with my journey into writing. It began with a friend of mine who was starting a website called Albumism. He knew how much I loved music and brought me on as a contributor. The novel writing began shortly after that. I’ve had a ton of ideas bouncing around in my head for years, but could never put them together until I joined a writers’ workshop.
Living in New York during the growth of punk, the birth of hip hop, and graffiti’s takeover of the art world, I figured it was the perfect backdrop for a coming-of-age story. I began writing How Did I Get Here? I originally intended for it to be a TV series, but a writer friend of mine told me my early drafts had the makings of a really good book. I took that bit of encouragement and I’ve been running with it ever since.
My aim is to make 2027 the year How Did I Get Here? gets published. Also, I’m currently working on the companion novel, The Infinite Courtship of Susana & Theo. I want this website to be a place where I can share my music writing, parts of my novel, short stories, and my thoughts on what’s happening now. I hope you stick around and join the ongoing conversation. Peace and be well.