So last month I wrote a short film. Okay, a short custom video. It's a comedy about, well, custom videos. Let me back up. Recently I listened to journalist Jon Ronson's excellent podcast The Butterfly Effect, which explores the ramifications of websites like Pornhub inundating the internet with free (i.e. stolen) porn films. The podcast … Continue reading Here’s what happened when I decided to write one of those custom adult videos
That time my mom tried to make me a Gerber baby
I don't often write about my parents, who died many years ago (my mom in 1994, my dad in 2007), but given that I just turned 45, I find myself thinking of them more than usual. I got rid of A LOT of old stuff after my dad died (my sister, thankfully, saved a bit … Continue reading That time my mom tried to make me a Gerber baby
Why I dedicated my new Maui novel ‘Pau Hana Time’ to my friend Chris
It's finally happened: Event Horizon Press has published my third novel, titled Pau Hana Time. You can find it right now in paperback at Amazon (click here to buy it). An e-book version is coming soon, which will also be available at Amazon. This was a far more difficult novel to write than I originally … Continue reading Why I dedicated my new Maui novel ‘Pau Hana Time’ to my friend Chris
Donald Trump is scary because America is scary
The enslavement of Africans and African-Americans. The Pequot War. The Olowalu Massacre. The Trail of Tears. The Mexican War. The Civil War. The Sand Creek Massacre. Wounded Knee. I've seen this Feb. 9 Vox.com post from Ezra Klein, titled "The rise of Donald Trump is a terrifying moment in American politics," a few times already in my … Continue reading Donald Trump is scary because America is scary
UPDATED: Remembering the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
It's hard for me to believe that the Space Shuttle Challenger blew up 30 years ago today, killing all seven astronauts aboard. I was in the 8th grade when it happened–at Katherine Edwards Middle School in Whittier, California–and my first reaction upon hearing other kids talking about it was that it was BS. But when I walked into … Continue reading UPDATED: Remembering the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
Remembering when I first remembered the 9/11 terrorist attacks
For me, remembering the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist hijackings and attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon means remembering my friend Chris Atencio. My Newport Beach, California neighbor and close friend at the time, it was he who woke me up that morning to tell me what was happening (he didn't own a television, but … Continue reading Remembering when I first remembered the 9/11 terrorist attacks
Why would anyone love America?
I usually reserve this space for something pithy or maybe an update on my novels, but right now it seems more fitting, more necessary, that I just write out some feelings. The massacre at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston on Wednesday night has been on my mind a lot, and I just feel the need to get … Continue reading Why would anyone love America?
We live in an era of giant statues, errors and robots
People still get fired for incompetence in this country, right? I mean, it's difficult for me to believe that given some of these developments: • This week the U.S. Postal Service released a new "Forever" stamp bearing poet Maya Angelou's likeness and a quotation that actually comes from someone else. • In the fall of 2014, Indiana … Continue reading We live in an era of giant statues, errors and robots
Third Charley Ridgway Maui noir novel is in the can
So yeah, yesterday I "finished" my third Charley Ridgway novel. I put "finished" in quotation marks because it was more like me just deciding not to tweak it anymore. I emailed it to Event Horizon Press yesterday afternoon, and now just have to wait and see what they say. The hard thing about writing a series … Continue reading Third Charley Ridgway Maui noir novel is in the can
Thinking about Ray Bradbury and my latest Maui novel
Perhaps because I'm working on a new novel (the third in my "Charley Ridgway" series of trashy noir set on Maui), I've been reading a lot more old interviews in The Paris Review than I used to. Considering that I never before read The Paris Review until I installed Flipboard on my iPad, even just the few of … Continue reading Thinking about Ray Bradbury and my latest Maui novel
Anthony Pignataro 