Friday, September 30, 2011
Music
Last December, my son Charlie and I recorded several original songs at Mr. Small's Recording Studio on Pittsburgh's North Side. We did it on a Sunday, arriving at 8 in the morning. In a flash, it was 6:30 in the evening. The time flew. Not a minute was wasted. It was an awesome experience. To share the music with my son was very special. Much more of a bonding event than golf, or a football game, or fishing. There was something about the creating. Can't wait to do it again.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Autumn
This is my favorite time of year. Cool, crisp mornings. Falling leaves. Smoke from chimneys. Sleeping with the windows open. Enjoy the season.
In October, my wife and I will make the annual trek to the All American Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus OH. The event, which is billed as the largest convention in the United States, runs for most of the month. There are thousands of horses, thousands of people, vendors, food, and on and on. For those of you within distance, it is worth the trip just to see the sheer volume and to get an inside look into the horse industry and some of the world's best competitors.
Hope to see you there. In any event, enjoy autumn wherever you are and whatever you are doing.
In October, my wife and I will make the annual trek to the All American Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus OH. The event, which is billed as the largest convention in the United States, runs for most of the month. There are thousands of horses, thousands of people, vendors, food, and on and on. For those of you within distance, it is worth the trip just to see the sheer volume and to get an inside look into the horse industry and some of the world's best competitors.
Hope to see you there. In any event, enjoy autumn wherever you are and whatever you are doing.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Teaser
Here is an excerpt from the upcoming book of short stories.
"I hope the chicken lo mein is still in the refrigerator. I will heat it up for breakfast. I would like to have hot sauce on it, but that would make for a bad day with Arnold. I can remember what that would be like and imagine it just as well as eat it. I hope it is still there. Sometimes the lowest expectations are the ones that are most satisfying to fulfill. It is there. I will heat it, and eat, and have the best breakfast ever."
"I hope the chicken lo mein is still in the refrigerator. I will heat it up for breakfast. I would like to have hot sauce on it, but that would make for a bad day with Arnold. I can remember what that would be like and imagine it just as well as eat it. I hope it is still there. Sometimes the lowest expectations are the ones that are most satisfying to fulfill. It is there. I will heat it, and eat, and have the best breakfast ever."
Monday, September 26, 2011
Wedding
This past Friday night, my son, Charlie, was married to Alexandra Saenz. It was a beautiful night and a beautiful wedding. The party after the ceremony was great! It's really cool when people celebrate from the heart, and when happiness is pervasive. That's what we had.
We wish for them lots of good things, but above all to keep that pervasive happiness. Nothing matters as much as that.
Cheers Charlie and Alex. Cheers!
We wish for them lots of good things, but above all to keep that pervasive happiness. Nothing matters as much as that.
Cheers Charlie and Alex. Cheers!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
The Failure of Politics
According to the historians, Winston Churchill said, "I would rather be right than be re-elected." Fast forward about seventy years. The American political landscape is shaped by the opposite approach. When I write my fiction, I get to vent. The following excerpt, from the short story Night Sweats with Arnold (to be released in October in a compilation of short stories called Death of an Atheist: And Other Short Stories), is some of the steam coming out:
"The news is driving me crazy. To control and direct the making and administration of public policy, that is to govern. So why can’t these egotistical bastards do it. Everything is about an interest, special or not, personal or not, economic or not; it is always about an interest not connected to the public good. One clear interest driving almost every decision, word spoken, gesture made, seems to be the need to be re-elected. God forbid one of these whining stuffed shirts actually made a decision that comports with governing, i.e., one that is in the best interests of the public."
The general lack of leadership in government is disgusting.
"The news is driving me crazy. To control and direct the making and administration of public policy, that is to govern. So why can’t these egotistical bastards do it. Everything is about an interest, special or not, personal or not, economic or not; it is always about an interest not connected to the public good. One clear interest driving almost every decision, word spoken, gesture made, seems to be the need to be re-elected. God forbid one of these whining stuffed shirts actually made a decision that comports with governing, i.e., one that is in the best interests of the public."
The general lack of leadership in government is disgusting.
Injustice in America
Yesterday was a sad day in America. Two more people were executed. What a shame. A shame on us.
The death penalty is a human rights issue, not a penal issue. It does not deter crime, it targets mainly those who cannot afford a decent lawyer, and by reliable and verifiable accounts (note the work of the Innocence Project in New York) often gets the wrong man. The high execution rate in America belies its history of respect for individual rights, in particular, and its role as a world leader in the protection of human rights, in general.
There is just no case worth it. The justice system is not fool proof. Mistakes are made. So why continue with a sentence that is irrevocable and, when based on a mistake, tragic?
America's adherence to the death penalty defines the country in an unfortunate way to the rest of the world. It is long past time for it to end.
The death penalty is a human rights issue, not a penal issue. It does not deter crime, it targets mainly those who cannot afford a decent lawyer, and by reliable and verifiable accounts (note the work of the Innocence Project in New York) often gets the wrong man. The high execution rate in America belies its history of respect for individual rights, in particular, and its role as a world leader in the protection of human rights, in general.
There is just no case worth it. The justice system is not fool proof. Mistakes are made. So why continue with a sentence that is irrevocable and, when based on a mistake, tragic?
America's adherence to the death penalty defines the country in an unfortunate way to the rest of the world. It is long past time for it to end.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Excerpt from Work in Progress
This is an excerpt from the first chapter of one of my work-in-progress novels.
The following excerpt is Copyright 2011 Matt Cairone
All Rights Reserved.
"The manor track was made up of dilapidated old shacks clustered around the city dump. I wondered how you could live there with that smell. I never asked Shorty. That would be rude. But he lived there all right, smell and all. Most people never saw the full manor track because they turned right around and left lickety-split after dumping their trash. I’m not sure why, but my father wanted me to see it, so we drove all the way back several times."
Once the book of short stories is released, this is most likely my next project. It is a story about living in Southern New Jersey in the late 60's.
The following excerpt is Copyright 2011 Matt Cairone
All Rights Reserved.
"The manor track was made up of dilapidated old shacks clustered around the city dump. I wondered how you could live there with that smell. I never asked Shorty. That would be rude. But he lived there all right, smell and all. Most people never saw the full manor track because they turned right around and left lickety-split after dumping their trash. I’m not sure why, but my father wanted me to see it, so we drove all the way back several times."
Once the book of short stories is released, this is most likely my next project. It is a story about living in Southern New Jersey in the late 60's.
British Author Reviews The Brit: Drawing Dead
I was very pleased to have British author Kate Ayers read and review my book. I was even more pleased to read what she said about it:
"This paperback grabbed me from the first page. A gritty fast moving thriller that is a real page turner. The characters are so vivid and fairly jump off the page whilst the prose is terse and only descriptive when necessary. Reminds me of Raymond Carver in its clarity. The tension rises with each chapter and within each chapter so one is left with question upon question. Cairone's plot is rather like a game of poker holding the reader in suspense, he gives nothing away until he's ready to move on to the next part of the story.This focuses the reader entirely on the plot. The crime, the intricacies of the judicial system, the romance and love interest are so well balanced. Loved this and can highly recommend it as a work of literary excellence. Waiting for the next one."
You can pick up the paperback from the Amazon store and at other online book retailers. Or if you prefer the digital reader, it is available as an ebook in the Amazon Kindle store. Cheers, and thanks Kate.
"This paperback grabbed me from the first page. A gritty fast moving thriller that is a real page turner. The characters are so vivid and fairly jump off the page whilst the prose is terse and only descriptive when necessary. Reminds me of Raymond Carver in its clarity. The tension rises with each chapter and within each chapter so one is left with question upon question. Cairone's plot is rather like a game of poker holding the reader in suspense, he gives nothing away until he's ready to move on to the next part of the story.This focuses the reader entirely on the plot. The crime, the intricacies of the judicial system, the romance and love interest are so well balanced. Loved this and can highly recommend it as a work of literary excellence. Waiting for the next one."
You can pick up the paperback from the Amazon store and at other online book retailers. Or if you prefer the digital reader, it is available as an ebook in the Amazon Kindle store. Cheers, and thanks Kate.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Excerpt: The Diagnosis
My book of short stories is in the final editing stage. I hope to have it out in paperback and as an e-book in October. Here is an excerpt from one of the short stories, The Diagnosis.
"The alarm rang at five thirty. Peter had just fallen asleep. He pulled himself up onto his elbows. He wiped sleep from his eyes. He waited for the morning erection to go down before he stood. His right leg was still sore from playing basketball the other day, and he was slow getting out of bed.
He needed to pee, and he made it to the toilet just in time. He peed for a long time, and he thought to himself that the stream was good and steady and hard, not anything like the morning void of a sick man. Keep telling yourself, he thought, and maybe you can start believing your own bullshit.
He looked in the mirror. He hated to shave, but he would have to today. He hadn’t seen Lynn in a long time and he wanted to be presentable. He wiped the little spots of lather off his face and dabbed his chin with a small hand towel. He showered and dressed.
He left his apartment and went straight to Starbucks. He ordered his usual, went to the tall stool at the tall table in the corner, and opened up the Post-Gazette to the sports section. He read some and finished his coffee. He looked at his cell phone to get the time. He walked to the patio to call Lisa."
I will be sure to let everyone know when the book is finished and available. Thanks for checking in!
"The alarm rang at five thirty. Peter had just fallen asleep. He pulled himself up onto his elbows. He wiped sleep from his eyes. He waited for the morning erection to go down before he stood. His right leg was still sore from playing basketball the other day, and he was slow getting out of bed.
He needed to pee, and he made it to the toilet just in time. He peed for a long time, and he thought to himself that the stream was good and steady and hard, not anything like the morning void of a sick man. Keep telling yourself, he thought, and maybe you can start believing your own bullshit.
He looked in the mirror. He hated to shave, but he would have to today. He hadn’t seen Lynn in a long time and he wanted to be presentable. He wiped the little spots of lather off his face and dabbed his chin with a small hand towel. He showered and dressed.
He left his apartment and went straight to Starbucks. He ordered his usual, went to the tall stool at the tall table in the corner, and opened up the Post-Gazette to the sports section. He read some and finished his coffee. He looked at his cell phone to get the time. He walked to the patio to call Lisa."
I will be sure to let everyone know when the book is finished and available. Thanks for checking in!
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Death of an Atheist: And Other Short Stories
I just finished proofing the second draft of this new compilation of short stories. Still on target for an early October release.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Couldn't Put it Down
Here is what one reader says about The Brit: Drawing Dead. You can read all the reviews on the Amazon Kindle page.
"I sat down on a Friday evening, figuring I would read a few pages of The Brit before going to bed. A hundred pages later, I finally turned out the light. The same thing happened on Saturday night and Sunday night. Why was it so hard to put the book down? Quite simply, Matt Cairone is a great storyteller. He weaves the reader through the characters and the plots in such a way that you want more. He develops the characters, even to the most mundane detail, so that you're eager to know them better. He takes a simple plot and describes it so that you can't wait to find out what's going to happen next. And when you think the plot has concluded and all the characters are developed, you realize that you still have another twenty pages or so with a twist you never expected. I highly recommend this book."
Why not see for yourself?
"I sat down on a Friday evening, figuring I would read a few pages of The Brit before going to bed. A hundred pages later, I finally turned out the light. The same thing happened on Saturday night and Sunday night. Why was it so hard to put the book down? Quite simply, Matt Cairone is a great storyteller. He weaves the reader through the characters and the plots in such a way that you want more. He develops the characters, even to the most mundane detail, so that you're eager to know them better. He takes a simple plot and describes it so that you can't wait to find out what's going to happen next. And when you think the plot has concluded and all the characters are developed, you realize that you still have another twenty pages or so with a twist you never expected. I highly recommend this book."
Why not see for yourself?
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Comments on The Brit: Drawing Dead
P. King, from Palo Alto CA, says the following after finishing The Brit: Drawing Dead.
"I haven’t read anything like it in a long time. Reads almost like a European existentialist novel from the early-20th century. Spare on the description and plot, but great pacing and subtle characters. I read it in two sittings, which is unusual for me."
Visit http://www.amazon.com/Matt-Cairone/e/B0056982PA to see how you can get a copy.
"I haven’t read anything like it in a long time. Reads almost like a European existentialist novel from the early-20th century. Spare on the description and plot, but great pacing and subtle characters. I read it in two sittings, which is unusual for me."
Visit http://www.amazon.com/Matt-Cairone/e/B0056982PA to see how you can get a copy.
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