Christian Picciolini's Blog - Posts Tagged "extremism"
'Romantic Violence: Memoirs of an American Skinhead' out today.
I think I'm a pretty "normal" person. And by normal, I mean a little fucked up like the rest of you. Though, I'm not afraid to admit it anymore. My body and soul are dented. Fractured. Emotionally. Spiritually. Whatever. And I'm working to repair that, though I'll never wipe it completely away. We've all got some issue we wish we could pound back out with a rubber mallet. And, mostly, we never really talk about it because we hope to move on from it. We talk around it, sure. We broadcast what we're comfortable with, looking for attention when we need it, but we hardly talk about the real truth to each other for fear of feeling inferior or like an outsider.
Here's my truth. I was a spoiled, middle-class, only child (for 10 years before my brother was born) with parents from another country who worked their butts off for me, and I didn't really begin to appreciate that until it was too late. Instead, I was embarrassed by them because they were different. Other than that, I was a pretty good kid. Lonely, yet creative, struggling to find my identity growing up just like most kids. I was mildly talented. Athletic. Shy. My parents loved me (and still do). And they knew that the grandparents and aunts and uncles they let watch over me while they were out working--trying to get their slice of The American Pie--loved me too. So, why worry?
But I was also very ambitious. And ambition sometimes can be compromised by negativity if it's sought after for selfish or desperate reasons. And when someone, anyone, began to pay attention to me, I thought I had to try and impress them. Girls. Other dudes. Adults. The cool kids. White supremacist skinheads. Whoever. I wanted to belong. I wanted to matter. I still do. Don't we all?
But in my ambitious youthful pursuit, I also said words and did terrible things and I hurt a lot of people and I have learned to take ownership of those mistakes and make up for them any way I can. I know I was wrong. For seven years of my life, I was dead wrong.
As part of the healing process and in hoping to try and steer others from the destructive path I once chose, I decided to write about my experiences. Here, for the first time to the general public, are 90,000 words about a part of my life I'm glad I won't have to write about again. If you choose to read my story, Romantic Violence: Memoirs of an American Skinhead I hope you glean something positive from it. I thank you for your support. If you know someone battling hatred, prejudice, or having an identity crisis, turn them on to 'Romantic Violence.' It may just resonate with them and help them understand that they are not alone.
I want to thank so many people for helping me make my book a reality after starting it 10 years ago. I couldn't have done it without you.
Michael Mohr, Jill Bailin, Collin Diederich, Nick Colella, James and Kira at Bookfly, Thomson-Shore, Kenny Laguna, Joan Jett, Nancy, Nora Flanagan, Matthew Hoffman, Jane Rosenthal, Don De Grazia, John Horgan, Dmitry Samarov, Lonnie Nasatir, Mark Potok, Jerry Brennan, Pete Simi, Mark Seliger, Mike Racanelli, Dana and Julia, my LAH colleagues (Angela King, Tony McAleer, Sammy Rangel, Frankie Meeink), the AVE family, my parents and extended family, my wife Britton, my boys Devin and Brandon, my brother Alex, and all the generous support of my Kickstarter backers. Thank you!
If you purchased a copy through my Kickstarter campaign, then you have a limited edition version that will never be replicated. You should have received your package by now. If you haven't, look for it to arrive any day now. If you weren't able to participate but want a copy, no worries, the print and ebook versions have launched publicly today and can now be purchased through most book-buying platforms (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Google Play, your local bookstores, etc).
I look forward to hearing all your honest feedback. Thank you.
#makegoodhappen
– Christian Picciolini
Here's my truth. I was a spoiled, middle-class, only child (for 10 years before my brother was born) with parents from another country who worked their butts off for me, and I didn't really begin to appreciate that until it was too late. Instead, I was embarrassed by them because they were different. Other than that, I was a pretty good kid. Lonely, yet creative, struggling to find my identity growing up just like most kids. I was mildly talented. Athletic. Shy. My parents loved me (and still do). And they knew that the grandparents and aunts and uncles they let watch over me while they were out working--trying to get their slice of The American Pie--loved me too. So, why worry?
But I was also very ambitious. And ambition sometimes can be compromised by negativity if it's sought after for selfish or desperate reasons. And when someone, anyone, began to pay attention to me, I thought I had to try and impress them. Girls. Other dudes. Adults. The cool kids. White supremacist skinheads. Whoever. I wanted to belong. I wanted to matter. I still do. Don't we all?
But in my ambitious youthful pursuit, I also said words and did terrible things and I hurt a lot of people and I have learned to take ownership of those mistakes and make up for them any way I can. I know I was wrong. For seven years of my life, I was dead wrong.
As part of the healing process and in hoping to try and steer others from the destructive path I once chose, I decided to write about my experiences. Here, for the first time to the general public, are 90,000 words about a part of my life I'm glad I won't have to write about again. If you choose to read my story, Romantic Violence: Memoirs of an American Skinhead I hope you glean something positive from it. I thank you for your support. If you know someone battling hatred, prejudice, or having an identity crisis, turn them on to 'Romantic Violence.' It may just resonate with them and help them understand that they are not alone.
I want to thank so many people for helping me make my book a reality after starting it 10 years ago. I couldn't have done it without you.
Michael Mohr, Jill Bailin, Collin Diederich, Nick Colella, James and Kira at Bookfly, Thomson-Shore, Kenny Laguna, Joan Jett, Nancy, Nora Flanagan, Matthew Hoffman, Jane Rosenthal, Don De Grazia, John Horgan, Dmitry Samarov, Lonnie Nasatir, Mark Potok, Jerry Brennan, Pete Simi, Mark Seliger, Mike Racanelli, Dana and Julia, my LAH colleagues (Angela King, Tony McAleer, Sammy Rangel, Frankie Meeink), the AVE family, my parents and extended family, my wife Britton, my boys Devin and Brandon, my brother Alex, and all the generous support of my Kickstarter backers. Thank you!
If you purchased a copy through my Kickstarter campaign, then you have a limited edition version that will never be replicated. You should have received your package by now. If you haven't, look for it to arrive any day now. If you weren't able to participate but want a copy, no worries, the print and ebook versions have launched publicly today and can now be purchased through most book-buying platforms (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Google Play, your local bookstores, etc).
I look forward to hearing all your honest feedback. Thank you.
#makegoodhappen
– Christian Picciolini
