Carl Alves's Blog, page 58
January 5, 2013
10 Questions with Ronald Malfi
In The Narrows, is the town of Stillwater based on a real place?
Stillwater is based loosely on the area of western Maryland just west of Cumberland, where the Cumberland Narrows wind through the mountains in much the same fashion as they do in the book. I’ve kept the names of the mountains the same in the novel, although I’ve slightly altered their positions around the town to better suit the story. Even the plastics factory in the book is based on the old Artmor Plastics Corporation that was based on Wills Mountain in real life. So in a sense I’ve sort of taken that area and run it through my mental processor so that it comes out similar to Cumberland but also a bit different, too.
2. Who has been your biggest influence as a writer?
That’s a tough question. I’ve had different influences throughout different parts of my writing career, and not all of them have been authors. Of course, Stephen King’s and Peter Straub’s works were almost among my favorite and most influential. Ernest Hemingway is a writer I’ve always idolized and attempted, from time to time, to emulate. Music has also influenced my writing, as I feel every story I write has a specific soundtrack—anything from Springsteen and Mellencamp to both modern and classic jazz. The beats in the music translate to the beats in the text—dialog and exposition each have their own beats, their own tempo. Lastly, I’ve got a two-year-old daughter, and just becoming a father has influenced my writing in that I’ve readjusted the things I find engaging in the things I write (and read). I think you’d agree with me, Carl, but I don’t think a person can comprehend the breadth of true horror until they have a child. You worry about them constantly. The moment they’re born, you become a side-player in the story of your life, because now it’s all about them. As a horror writer, this has opened the door to a fresh new understanding of what true horror really is. I think this is reflected strongest in some of the work I’ve been doing lately.
3. What made you want to start writing horror?
Stephen King. I read his book The Eyes of the Dragon when I was just a young boy and went out and sought all his work after that. I read It right around the time I was about the same age as the young protagonists in the novel—eleven or twelve—and it just sucked me in. As a kid, I tended to go bounce from different artistic pursuits like a frog going from toadstool to toadstool; I’d watch cartoons then began drawing my own. I’d listen to certain music and wanted to play that music on the guitar or piano. I made “movies” with an old video camera, utilizing my siblings as actors, set to the Back to the Future soundtrack. Keeping with this trend, after reading King, I decided to write my own story, one which decidedly ripped off King’s Eyes of the Dragon (and one which I still have in a steamer trunk in my basement). Of all those pursuits, the writing has never left me, and it has only matured as I have. When I began to write “seriously,” it was King’s influence that came out on the page. That changed as I matured and continued writing, so that after a time I had developed my own style, my own voice. And although I’ve written non-horror stories and even what the good folks at publishing marketing departments would term a “mainstream novel,” I’ve always come back to horror. It’s where my heart lies and where my mind goes.
4. Is there any subject that is off limits for you as a writer?
Of course, I have my preferences as to what interests me—I’ve never been a big gore fan, for instance—but if the story calls for it, then no, nothing is off limits. Someone once said it’s the artist’s job to never look away, and I believe that.
5. The Narrows has some strong mystery elements. Do you ever foresee writing a mystery novel in the future?
I’d say that nearly everything I write has some element of mystery to it. My 2011 novel Floating Staircase is just as much a mystery as it is a ghost story. The town’s name in Staircase is Westlake, which is a nod to crime writer Donald Westlake, so yeah, that was a very conscious thing. Even older books, like Passenger, is a mystery at its heart, albeit done in an unusual fashion.
6. How did you come up with the concept for The Narrows?
On the heels of the success of my novel Snow, which deals with some unique monsters, I continued thinking along those lines. Vampires have been done to death, and there was nothing left about them that—at least for me—scares me (although I’ve recently read Enter, Night by Michael Rowe, a wonderful novel which shows that there are still some delightfully creepy and original things being done with the sub-genre). Yet I still liked the feel of vampire stories—the gothic dread, the atmosphere. I thought, What if I could write a vampire novel without vampires? What type of creature could take their place—a creature that, throughout history, may have given birth to the vampire legend? And that opened up the door to all these thoughts. I thought of the symbiotic relationship between animals in the real world, and that was how I came up with how the creatures eat and survive. The story I built around these creatures was based very loosely on an old manuscript I’d written...oh, I guess back when I was a teenager...about vampires coming to a small town. I took pieces of that old story and Frankensteined it into this new tale.
7. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
The Sun Also Rises.
8. Do you outline prior to writing your story, or do you work out the plot as you write?
I never outline. I let a story stew in my head for some time, and once that opening sentence jumps out at me, I sit down and begin to write. Often, I’ll have some semblance of an idea where the story is headed, though I generally never have the ending completely planned out. I feel this gives the stories a more natural and organic feeling. I also find that outlining a story breeds writer’s block; once I know where a story is going—once I know all the beats and how it ends—I lose interest in writing it. I write from the point of view as the first reader, and I want the reading process—the writing process—to be one of adventure and discovery.
9. What current writing projects are you working on?
I’ve recently finished a novel called Little Girls, which my agent is currently shopping around. I’m also gearing up to promote the paperback and ebook release of my novel Cradle Lake which will be out in June. In the next few months, Samhain Publishing will be re-releasing my 2004 novel The Fall of Never in paperback and ebook, and I’m really excited about that. And of course, my novella The Mourning House was just released this month from Darkfuse Publications, and has already garnered some delightful reviews.
10. If you could invite five people to a dinner party (alive or dead, real or fictional) who would you invite?
I’d invite my grandfather, and keep the remaining four chairs empty.
Stillwater is based loosely on the area of western Maryland just west of Cumberland, where the Cumberland Narrows wind through the mountains in much the same fashion as they do in the book. I’ve kept the names of the mountains the same in the novel, although I’ve slightly altered their positions around the town to better suit the story. Even the plastics factory in the book is based on the old Artmor Plastics Corporation that was based on Wills Mountain in real life. So in a sense I’ve sort of taken that area and run it through my mental processor so that it comes out similar to Cumberland but also a bit different, too.
2. Who has been your biggest influence as a writer?
That’s a tough question. I’ve had different influences throughout different parts of my writing career, and not all of them have been authors. Of course, Stephen King’s and Peter Straub’s works were almost among my favorite and most influential. Ernest Hemingway is a writer I’ve always idolized and attempted, from time to time, to emulate. Music has also influenced my writing, as I feel every story I write has a specific soundtrack—anything from Springsteen and Mellencamp to both modern and classic jazz. The beats in the music translate to the beats in the text—dialog and exposition each have their own beats, their own tempo. Lastly, I’ve got a two-year-old daughter, and just becoming a father has influenced my writing in that I’ve readjusted the things I find engaging in the things I write (and read). I think you’d agree with me, Carl, but I don’t think a person can comprehend the breadth of true horror until they have a child. You worry about them constantly. The moment they’re born, you become a side-player in the story of your life, because now it’s all about them. As a horror writer, this has opened the door to a fresh new understanding of what true horror really is. I think this is reflected strongest in some of the work I’ve been doing lately.
3. What made you want to start writing horror?
Stephen King. I read his book The Eyes of the Dragon when I was just a young boy and went out and sought all his work after that. I read It right around the time I was about the same age as the young protagonists in the novel—eleven or twelve—and it just sucked me in. As a kid, I tended to go bounce from different artistic pursuits like a frog going from toadstool to toadstool; I’d watch cartoons then began drawing my own. I’d listen to certain music and wanted to play that music on the guitar or piano. I made “movies” with an old video camera, utilizing my siblings as actors, set to the Back to the Future soundtrack. Keeping with this trend, after reading King, I decided to write my own story, one which decidedly ripped off King’s Eyes of the Dragon (and one which I still have in a steamer trunk in my basement). Of all those pursuits, the writing has never left me, and it has only matured as I have. When I began to write “seriously,” it was King’s influence that came out on the page. That changed as I matured and continued writing, so that after a time I had developed my own style, my own voice. And although I’ve written non-horror stories and even what the good folks at publishing marketing departments would term a “mainstream novel,” I’ve always come back to horror. It’s where my heart lies and where my mind goes.
4. Is there any subject that is off limits for you as a writer?
Of course, I have my preferences as to what interests me—I’ve never been a big gore fan, for instance—but if the story calls for it, then no, nothing is off limits. Someone once said it’s the artist’s job to never look away, and I believe that.
5. The Narrows has some strong mystery elements. Do you ever foresee writing a mystery novel in the future?
I’d say that nearly everything I write has some element of mystery to it. My 2011 novel Floating Staircase is just as much a mystery as it is a ghost story. The town’s name in Staircase is Westlake, which is a nod to crime writer Donald Westlake, so yeah, that was a very conscious thing. Even older books, like Passenger, is a mystery at its heart, albeit done in an unusual fashion.
6. How did you come up with the concept for The Narrows?
On the heels of the success of my novel Snow, which deals with some unique monsters, I continued thinking along those lines. Vampires have been done to death, and there was nothing left about them that—at least for me—scares me (although I’ve recently read Enter, Night by Michael Rowe, a wonderful novel which shows that there are still some delightfully creepy and original things being done with the sub-genre). Yet I still liked the feel of vampire stories—the gothic dread, the atmosphere. I thought, What if I could write a vampire novel without vampires? What type of creature could take their place—a creature that, throughout history, may have given birth to the vampire legend? And that opened up the door to all these thoughts. I thought of the symbiotic relationship between animals in the real world, and that was how I came up with how the creatures eat and survive. The story I built around these creatures was based very loosely on an old manuscript I’d written...oh, I guess back when I was a teenager...about vampires coming to a small town. I took pieces of that old story and Frankensteined it into this new tale.
7. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
The Sun Also Rises.
8. Do you outline prior to writing your story, or do you work out the plot as you write?
I never outline. I let a story stew in my head for some time, and once that opening sentence jumps out at me, I sit down and begin to write. Often, I’ll have some semblance of an idea where the story is headed, though I generally never have the ending completely planned out. I feel this gives the stories a more natural and organic feeling. I also find that outlining a story breeds writer’s block; once I know where a story is going—once I know all the beats and how it ends—I lose interest in writing it. I write from the point of view as the first reader, and I want the reading process—the writing process—to be one of adventure and discovery.
9. What current writing projects are you working on?
I’ve recently finished a novel called Little Girls, which my agent is currently shopping around. I’m also gearing up to promote the paperback and ebook release of my novel Cradle Lake which will be out in June. In the next few months, Samhain Publishing will be re-releasing my 2004 novel The Fall of Never in paperback and ebook, and I’m really excited about that. And of course, my novella The Mourning House was just released this month from Darkfuse Publications, and has already garnered some delightful reviews.
10. If you could invite five people to a dinner party (alive or dead, real or fictional) who would you invite?
I’d invite my grandfather, and keep the remaining four chairs empty.
January 1, 2013
The Narrows by Ronald Malfi
In The Narrows the dying town of Stillwater, located in the mountains of Maryland, sets the tone of desolation and hopelessness that permeates the novel. Floods have ravaged the town for a number of years, causing most of the residents to leave and the industry that once supported the town to shrink away. The floods also brought in a monstrous entity that is killing the townspeople and taking possession of its children.
The Narrows is a brilliantly written novel written by Ronald Malfi. The novel equally blends elements of mystery, suspense and horror, and is gripping from beginning to end. Malfi uses a slow build, starting with nothing overtly horrific, but giving hints as to what will come. He does a good job of introducing well-written characters including Stillwater’s sheriff, who is holding onto Stillwater like a man grasping a life preserver. Naturally, he doesn’t know what to make of the town’s new predator as he puts together pieces suggesting that something all together unnatural is loose in the town.
The novel is reminiscent of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot and Scott Nicholson’s The Harvest. The writing quality is top notch. His prose has a lyrical quality to it. The suspense ultimately builds to a crescendo as Journale faces off in a fight to the finish with the creature haunting his town. With this novel, Malfi has established himself as a modern master of horror. If you haven’t read any of his novels, then you are missing out spell-binding horror. The Narrows would be a good place to start on your journey into the mind of Ronald Malfi.
The Narrows is a brilliantly written novel written by Ronald Malfi. The novel equally blends elements of mystery, suspense and horror, and is gripping from beginning to end. Malfi uses a slow build, starting with nothing overtly horrific, but giving hints as to what will come. He does a good job of introducing well-written characters including Stillwater’s sheriff, who is holding onto Stillwater like a man grasping a life preserver. Naturally, he doesn’t know what to make of the town’s new predator as he puts together pieces suggesting that something all together unnatural is loose in the town.
The novel is reminiscent of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot and Scott Nicholson’s The Harvest. The writing quality is top notch. His prose has a lyrical quality to it. The suspense ultimately builds to a crescendo as Journale faces off in a fight to the finish with the creature haunting his town. With this novel, Malfi has established himself as a modern master of horror. If you haven’t read any of his novels, then you are missing out spell-binding horror. The Narrows would be a good place to start on your journey into the mind of Ronald Malfi.
December 29, 2012
The End of the World (As We Know It) part 3
Solar Flare
A massive solar flare as seen in The Knowing could wipe out the planet in a hurry. It would be so quick, we probably wouldn’t even realize it was happening. Scientists have found solar superflares occurring in distant solar systems, however our sun has never exhibited this type of behavior, and as a star ages, it becomes less likely to form a solar flare that would destroy the planet. Likelihood of a solar superflare – slim.
nuclear explosion
Nuclear War
Once upon a time, a nuclear disaster would have been much higher in our collective consciousness, but the end of the Cold War has diminished this possibility, at least in our psyches. Still nuclear annihilation remains a distinct possibility. Scientists believe that it would take the detonation of one hundred bombs would create a nuclear winter. The detonation of 1000 nuclear bombs would wipe out humanity. Currently, nine countries have nuclear weapons, some of them rogue nations like North Korea, significantly increasing the chances of nuclear disaster.
Zombies
Zombies are certainly popular these days, and why not, the walking dead are pretty cool. There are two ways zombies could occur. One is the traditional type of way, where corpses rise from the dead and attack their former human brethren. Another is that some type of biological agent, either natural or engineered, can cause people to turn into zombies. I’m not going to handicap the likelihood of this happening, although purely looking at popular culture would lead one to think this sort of thing is imminent, but if it were to happen, if they were of the lumbering, slow-moving variety like the ones found in Night of the Living Dead, then I think we can systematically wipe out these kinds of zombies. If they were the hyper-fast, ultraviolent ones like in 28 Days Later, then this type of zombie would overwhelm humanity and give us a pretty solid butt-kicking.
A massive solar flare as seen in The Knowing could wipe out the planet in a hurry. It would be so quick, we probably wouldn’t even realize it was happening. Scientists have found solar superflares occurring in distant solar systems, however our sun has never exhibited this type of behavior, and as a star ages, it becomes less likely to form a solar flare that would destroy the planet. Likelihood of a solar superflare – slim.
nuclear explosion
Nuclear War
Once upon a time, a nuclear disaster would have been much higher in our collective consciousness, but the end of the Cold War has diminished this possibility, at least in our psyches. Still nuclear annihilation remains a distinct possibility. Scientists believe that it would take the detonation of one hundred bombs would create a nuclear winter. The detonation of 1000 nuclear bombs would wipe out humanity. Currently, nine countries have nuclear weapons, some of them rogue nations like North Korea, significantly increasing the chances of nuclear disaster.
Zombies
Zombies are certainly popular these days, and why not, the walking dead are pretty cool. There are two ways zombies could occur. One is the traditional type of way, where corpses rise from the dead and attack their former human brethren. Another is that some type of biological agent, either natural or engineered, can cause people to turn into zombies. I’m not going to handicap the likelihood of this happening, although purely looking at popular culture would lead one to think this sort of thing is imminent, but if it were to happen, if they were of the lumbering, slow-moving variety like the ones found in Night of the Living Dead, then I think we can systematically wipe out these kinds of zombies. If they were the hyper-fast, ultraviolent ones like in 28 Days Later, then this type of zombie would overwhelm humanity and give us a pretty solid butt-kicking.
December 26, 2012
The End of the World (As We Know It) part 2
Volcano
Scientists believe that the type of volcano that does major devestation and could end life as we know it occurs roughly every 25 million years, so chances are we’re pretty safe from a super-volcano. The best chance of a major eruption in the next millennium would be at Yellowstone Park. Roughly every hour, Old Faithful explodes with hot water creating a super-cool visual. The reason why this geyser erupts is geothermal energy radiating from a subterranean source of magma. Every six hundred thousand years, the Yellowstone Caldera erupts in a massive storm of lava and ash, which could wipe out the human race. The last time the Yellowstone Caldera erupted was 640,000 years ago. You do the math.
Alien Invasion
The possibility of being annihilated by an alien invasion has always intrigued me, so much so that it’s the topic of my novel Reclamation Mother Earth, due out next year by Montag Press. This is certainly a topic that has been addressed in film and literature, but it’s usually approached with a rah-rah attitude where humans rally and stomp the aliens. I don’t see that happening. If aliens were capable of interstellar travel, then their technology would far surpass ours. I don’t think that we humans would stand much of a chance against aliens. Despite the many movies that have been made like Independence Day, Battle of Los Angeles, and War of the Worlds, the probability that humans being able to defeat aliens capable of interstellar travel would be miniscule. Their level of technological superiority would overwhelm the advantages that we have of knowing the planet and defending home turf. Basically, if aliens were to attack us, we would be in deep trouble.
Black Holes
Spinning black holes are believed to be able to bend space, time and light around them. Scientists surmise that galaxies may have spinning black holes at their center. This type of black hole could certainly destroy the planet Earth, but with the closest one 1600 light years away, we’re probably pretty safe from them. Besides the naturally occurring variety, scientists speculate that massive atomic reactions could also create devastating black holes.
Scientists believe that the type of volcano that does major devestation and could end life as we know it occurs roughly every 25 million years, so chances are we’re pretty safe from a super-volcano. The best chance of a major eruption in the next millennium would be at Yellowstone Park. Roughly every hour, Old Faithful explodes with hot water creating a super-cool visual. The reason why this geyser erupts is geothermal energy radiating from a subterranean source of magma. Every six hundred thousand years, the Yellowstone Caldera erupts in a massive storm of lava and ash, which could wipe out the human race. The last time the Yellowstone Caldera erupted was 640,000 years ago. You do the math.
Alien Invasion
The possibility of being annihilated by an alien invasion has always intrigued me, so much so that it’s the topic of my novel Reclamation Mother Earth, due out next year by Montag Press. This is certainly a topic that has been addressed in film and literature, but it’s usually approached with a rah-rah attitude where humans rally and stomp the aliens. I don’t see that happening. If aliens were capable of interstellar travel, then their technology would far surpass ours. I don’t think that we humans would stand much of a chance against aliens. Despite the many movies that have been made like Independence Day, Battle of Los Angeles, and War of the Worlds, the probability that humans being able to defeat aliens capable of interstellar travel would be miniscule. Their level of technological superiority would overwhelm the advantages that we have of knowing the planet and defending home turf. Basically, if aliens were to attack us, we would be in deep trouble.
Black Holes
Spinning black holes are believed to be able to bend space, time and light around them. Scientists surmise that galaxies may have spinning black holes at their center. This type of black hole could certainly destroy the planet Earth, but with the closest one 1600 light years away, we’re probably pretty safe from them. Besides the naturally occurring variety, scientists speculate that massive atomic reactions could also create devastating black holes.
December 24, 2012
The End of the World (As We Know It) part 1
Asteroid
Asteroids and other space objects hit the Earth on a regular basis. It is estimated that asteroids large enough to crush a city land every few hundred years. Furthermore, the type that could wipe out our civilization land every one hundred million years, so the type of asteroid that would do major devastation landing on Earth isn’t highly probable. NASA has assured us that there are no asteroids coming toward the Earth that can do any damage in the near future, so a near-term demise by asteroid is unlikely, at least as far as the Mayan prediction is concerned.
Chemical/Biological Weapon/Virus
This could happen a few different ways. If you have never had a chance to read The Hot Zone by Richard Preston, I would highly recommend it. In the book, the ebola virus is transported stateside by accident and nearly causes devastation. If there ever were an airborne version of ebola that has the ability to incubate and stay alive for an extended period of time, then that could certainly spell doom for humanity. This is something that could even occur naturally, based on the way that viruses mutate and replicate. If ebola or a variation can incubate for a while so that the symptoms are readily seen, then they could be inside of somebody as they travel by plan, train or automobile, giving them an opportunity to infect others in the process. The current way ebola spreads prevents it from being very wide-spread, however, if the virus went airborne, then the situation would dramatically change. The other aspect of ebola that prevents it from putting a serious hurting on humanity is that it doesn’t survive long. Give it a slower mortality, a longer incubation period and spreading through the air, then the world would be a dangerous place to be in. Right now, the two most dangerous types of viruses that we face are the avian flu and smallpox.
The more likely scenario is a doomsday device that is bio-engineered. Work has been done on developing these type of weapons. If terrorists were able to manipulate some seriously dangerous viruses, let’s say a combination of the avian flu and ebola, then that type of biological weapon could certainly wipe out humanity. This is another area that has always fascinated me. I touch on this in my debut novel, Two For Eternity, where that specific type of virus has been engineered to destroy humanity.
Asteroids and other space objects hit the Earth on a regular basis. It is estimated that asteroids large enough to crush a city land every few hundred years. Furthermore, the type that could wipe out our civilization land every one hundred million years, so the type of asteroid that would do major devastation landing on Earth isn’t highly probable. NASA has assured us that there are no asteroids coming toward the Earth that can do any damage in the near future, so a near-term demise by asteroid is unlikely, at least as far as the Mayan prediction is concerned.
Chemical/Biological Weapon/Virus
This could happen a few different ways. If you have never had a chance to read The Hot Zone by Richard Preston, I would highly recommend it. In the book, the ebola virus is transported stateside by accident and nearly causes devastation. If there ever were an airborne version of ebola that has the ability to incubate and stay alive for an extended period of time, then that could certainly spell doom for humanity. This is something that could even occur naturally, based on the way that viruses mutate and replicate. If ebola or a variation can incubate for a while so that the symptoms are readily seen, then they could be inside of somebody as they travel by plan, train or automobile, giving them an opportunity to infect others in the process. The current way ebola spreads prevents it from being very wide-spread, however, if the virus went airborne, then the situation would dramatically change. The other aspect of ebola that prevents it from putting a serious hurting on humanity is that it doesn’t survive long. Give it a slower mortality, a longer incubation period and spreading through the air, then the world would be a dangerous place to be in. Right now, the two most dangerous types of viruses that we face are the avian flu and smallpox.
The more likely scenario is a doomsday device that is bio-engineered. Work has been done on developing these type of weapons. If terrorists were able to manipulate some seriously dangerous viruses, let’s say a combination of the avian flu and ebola, then that type of biological weapon could certainly wipe out humanity. This is another area that has always fascinated me. I touch on this in my debut novel, Two For Eternity, where that specific type of virus has been engineered to destroy humanity.
December 22, 2012
A Tribute to Michael Louis Calvillo - part 2
I first met Michael Louis Calvillo at the Stoker Weekend in Long Island, New York. I knew that he was badly ill with cancer, but I could hardly tell. Michael seemed full of life and energy. He was armed with quick wit and a great sense of humor. I attended a workshop on author’s debut novels in which Michael was one of the panelists. He said that he had developed his writing skills by sending love letters to his girlfriend, who would later become his wife. I had never heard that before. That response really struck me. It told me a lot about Michael both as a person and as a writer.
I met Michael the following year at the World Horror Convention in Utah. This time his cancer was much more apparent, yet he still maintained a great attitude and was fun to be around. Although Michael was an exceptionally talented writer, he was an even better person.
--Carl Alves - author of Blood Street
I recall the same panel about debut novels. It was special to me because I was on the panel along with MLC. The other fellow on the panel didn't show. JG Faherty moderated, asking us both questions. Funny, Michael and I were already really good friends and we got to have our own panel together! I didn't know how unique it truly was until I could look back, after Michael had passed away. At the time, I knew he had a battle ahead of him, but I didn't know how long it would last or if it would end on the terms he wanted. He worshiped every facet of life. Everything about it. Michael Calvillo had a black belt in Love, a true master, and I really believe had he not been who he was, the cancer would have claimed him in a matter of months, rather than almost a year and a half.
His novel AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT remains one of my favorites. By his taste in movies and all we discussed, it was obvious he adored domestic cannibal themed horror. Therefore it's awesome he got to put his own fingerprints on the subgenre. I know a ton of people will read him and celebrate his work in the years to come. His talent and his legacy deserves to go on with all the trailblazers of horror and the macabre.
--Benjamin Kane Ethridge - author of Black and Orange
Visit Ben at http://bkethridge.com/
Michael Louis Calvillo's been gone most of this year, and a strange
thing has happened: I've thought about him almost every day. This is
strange because we weren't incredibly close while he was alive; I
never went to his house, or talked to him on the phone, or exchanged
long e-mail correspondences. Yes, I met his wife and daughter, I even
met his mom and siblings at one convention, we went to each others'
readings and signings, but that seemed casual to me at the time.
Except now I've realized...it wasn't. Michael was without doubt that
rarest of things in life: A kindred soul. Yes, his work staggered me,
but that was due in part to how connected I felt to it instantly. When
I read I WILL RISE or AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT, I felt as if I'd known
this guy for my whole life.
And while I've lost others I've cared about, some who were also taken
too young, none felt so cruelly ripped away as Michael Louis Calvillo.
Since I write at home and work in a bookstore during the day, I'm
surrounded by constant reminders of him - his books are always there -
and at least once a day I'd like to grab Fate or the Reaper or God or
whatever by the throat and slap 'im silly for this grotesque cosmic
joke. Screw You, Big Eternal Jerk, for taking MLC at 37. And if you've
got a boss, be sure to pass that message onto Him, too.
--Lisa Morton - author of The Castle of Los Angeles
Visit Lisa at http://lisamorton.com/
Please support Michael's favorite charity Lancers for Life at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lancer...
I met Michael the following year at the World Horror Convention in Utah. This time his cancer was much more apparent, yet he still maintained a great attitude and was fun to be around. Although Michael was an exceptionally talented writer, he was an even better person.
--Carl Alves - author of Blood Street
I recall the same panel about debut novels. It was special to me because I was on the panel along with MLC. The other fellow on the panel didn't show. JG Faherty moderated, asking us both questions. Funny, Michael and I were already really good friends and we got to have our own panel together! I didn't know how unique it truly was until I could look back, after Michael had passed away. At the time, I knew he had a battle ahead of him, but I didn't know how long it would last or if it would end on the terms he wanted. He worshiped every facet of life. Everything about it. Michael Calvillo had a black belt in Love, a true master, and I really believe had he not been who he was, the cancer would have claimed him in a matter of months, rather than almost a year and a half.
His novel AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT remains one of my favorites. By his taste in movies and all we discussed, it was obvious he adored domestic cannibal themed horror. Therefore it's awesome he got to put his own fingerprints on the subgenre. I know a ton of people will read him and celebrate his work in the years to come. His talent and his legacy deserves to go on with all the trailblazers of horror and the macabre.
--Benjamin Kane Ethridge - author of Black and Orange
Visit Ben at http://bkethridge.com/
Michael Louis Calvillo's been gone most of this year, and a strange
thing has happened: I've thought about him almost every day. This is
strange because we weren't incredibly close while he was alive; I
never went to his house, or talked to him on the phone, or exchanged
long e-mail correspondences. Yes, I met his wife and daughter, I even
met his mom and siblings at one convention, we went to each others'
readings and signings, but that seemed casual to me at the time.
Except now I've realized...it wasn't. Michael was without doubt that
rarest of things in life: A kindred soul. Yes, his work staggered me,
but that was due in part to how connected I felt to it instantly. When
I read I WILL RISE or AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT, I felt as if I'd known
this guy for my whole life.
And while I've lost others I've cared about, some who were also taken
too young, none felt so cruelly ripped away as Michael Louis Calvillo.
Since I write at home and work in a bookstore during the day, I'm
surrounded by constant reminders of him - his books are always there -
and at least once a day I'd like to grab Fate or the Reaper or God or
whatever by the throat and slap 'im silly for this grotesque cosmic
joke. Screw You, Big Eternal Jerk, for taking MLC at 37. And if you've
got a boss, be sure to pass that message onto Him, too.
--Lisa Morton - author of The Castle of Los Angeles
Visit Lisa at http://lisamorton.com/
Please support Michael's favorite charity Lancers for Life at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lancer...
December 18, 2012
A Tribute to Michael Louis Calvillo - part 1
Velvet Horror
A Michael Louis Calvillo story, novella, or novel always had his unique stamp on it.
Mike never flinched with his material. It was usually horrorific and often terrifying and sometimes
explicitly erotic. Rarely something I may have ever read. I suppose now days
they might call what he wrote bizarro fiction. But I don't think that would be quite accurate. I think
no matter how bizarre his material that there was often a kind of humorous undercurrent. Not tongue
in cheek. Never. But a lighter touch that softened the over the top nature of the material, which made
it memorable. No flinching with a Mike Calvillo piece of velvet horror.
--Gene O'Neill - author of Taste of Tenderloin
Alive
"We Are Alive"
That chorus plays through my head often. It's a Springsteen song, and is from the point of view of those who've made the great journey to the other side. It's a hymn from them to the living, crying out, telling us they're closeby. A noted nod to 'Ring of Fire' sends this home...as the music we make while on this Earthly plane lives on.
Michael made a lot of invigorating music. His main medium was words, although he also played a mean guitar, too. Not only did his unforgettable stories burn themselves inside the heads of his faithful readers, but so did the words and inspiration he blessed nearly everyone around him with. Just ask any of his swarms of students. Or his close family and friends. Or writers, of who he somehow always found time to help nurture.
Meeting Michael and Michelle and Ben Ethridge in Salt Lake City changed my outlook. Here we're people like me, who were doing it. We'd reconvene many times. Gentle laughter at another convention, where I sat next to Michael at a signing, him selling several books an hour, my stack untouched, his encouragement and faith making that moment fun. Then, during the darkness of my life, the breakup of my family and terrifying medical journey of my Leo, his taking time from networking and even going out to dinner, to sit on a hotel hallway floor and council and lift me.
His gifts to myself and others, so selfless. His gift of his words, everlasting.
When Gene O'Neill, Ben, Brad C. Hodson and I paid tribute to Michael at KillerCon last year, his touch, his soul, his very being, manifested. Through us. Briefly. In flashes. A room packed with his DNA, a little bit living in each of our memories of him, surges within our brains, enough that when put together, one can see an outline, a form, organic colors...
And he is alive. In every one of us he's touched. He is alive. The music he made lives on.
--John Palisano - author of Nerves
Visit John at http://johnpalisano.wordpress.com/
When I read I WILL RISE, I knew Michael was a very special writer, but it was AS FATE WILL HAVE IT that totally blew me away. It is one of the best books I’ve ever read. While he was with us, Michael provided us a glimpse of a superior mind, but he was so much more. He was a wonderful husband and father, he was a great teacher, and he was a friend to many, many other writers. I think of him almost every day, wondering what could have been if he’d had 30 years to give us new books. Michael was a very special man, and I feel very privileged to have been a part of his life.
--John Little - author of Scavenger Hunt
Visit John at http://www.johnrlittle.com/
Please support Michael's favorite charity Lancers for Life at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lancer...
A Michael Louis Calvillo story, novella, or novel always had his unique stamp on it.
Mike never flinched with his material. It was usually horrorific and often terrifying and sometimes
explicitly erotic. Rarely something I may have ever read. I suppose now days
they might call what he wrote bizarro fiction. But I don't think that would be quite accurate. I think
no matter how bizarre his material that there was often a kind of humorous undercurrent. Not tongue
in cheek. Never. But a lighter touch that softened the over the top nature of the material, which made
it memorable. No flinching with a Mike Calvillo piece of velvet horror.
--Gene O'Neill - author of Taste of Tenderloin
Alive
"We Are Alive"
That chorus plays through my head often. It's a Springsteen song, and is from the point of view of those who've made the great journey to the other side. It's a hymn from them to the living, crying out, telling us they're closeby. A noted nod to 'Ring of Fire' sends this home...as the music we make while on this Earthly plane lives on.
Michael made a lot of invigorating music. His main medium was words, although he also played a mean guitar, too. Not only did his unforgettable stories burn themselves inside the heads of his faithful readers, but so did the words and inspiration he blessed nearly everyone around him with. Just ask any of his swarms of students. Or his close family and friends. Or writers, of who he somehow always found time to help nurture.
Meeting Michael and Michelle and Ben Ethridge in Salt Lake City changed my outlook. Here we're people like me, who were doing it. We'd reconvene many times. Gentle laughter at another convention, where I sat next to Michael at a signing, him selling several books an hour, my stack untouched, his encouragement and faith making that moment fun. Then, during the darkness of my life, the breakup of my family and terrifying medical journey of my Leo, his taking time from networking and even going out to dinner, to sit on a hotel hallway floor and council and lift me.
His gifts to myself and others, so selfless. His gift of his words, everlasting.
When Gene O'Neill, Ben, Brad C. Hodson and I paid tribute to Michael at KillerCon last year, his touch, his soul, his very being, manifested. Through us. Briefly. In flashes. A room packed with his DNA, a little bit living in each of our memories of him, surges within our brains, enough that when put together, one can see an outline, a form, organic colors...
And he is alive. In every one of us he's touched. He is alive. The music he made lives on.
--John Palisano - author of Nerves
Visit John at http://johnpalisano.wordpress.com/
When I read I WILL RISE, I knew Michael was a very special writer, but it was AS FATE WILL HAVE IT that totally blew me away. It is one of the best books I’ve ever read. While he was with us, Michael provided us a glimpse of a superior mind, but he was so much more. He was a wonderful husband and father, he was a great teacher, and he was a friend to many, many other writers. I think of him almost every day, wondering what could have been if he’d had 30 years to give us new books. Michael was a very special man, and I feel very privileged to have been a part of his life.
--John Little - author of Scavenger Hunt
Visit John at http://www.johnrlittle.com/
Please support Michael's favorite charity Lancers for Life at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lancer...
December 12, 2012
As Fate Would Have It by Michael Louis Calvillo
As Fate Would Have It centers around two couples, Montgomery and Liz, who are well to do cannibals, and Ashley and her rocker boyfriend, who are strung out on heroin. I don’t know what it says about me, but I found the cannibals far more interesting and easy to relate to. Drug addicts in literature and film are a dime a dozen, but cannibals – way cooler. Montgomery is top chef with a culinary obsession with human flesh. These two couples come into contact after Montgomery kills Ashley’s friend after he runs low on his human food supply. Ashley is desperate to find her friend and believes Montgomery is responsible. She begins to stalk him, convinced of his guilt.
Meanwhile, both of our happy couples are having difficulties. Montgomery is facing a moral dilemma about having to kill his own food. He desperately wants to break his habit, but his girlfriend Liz isn’t so keen on the idea. Ashley and her boyfriend are trying to break their heroin habit, but aren’t having an easy go of it.
Calvillo presents the novel in an interesting way by paralleling these two situations. Although the type of problems the couples face are drastically different, their struggles are very similar. His writing is visceral and hits an emotional chord. There is a certain resonance to Calvillo’s writing that comes through in this novel. The story is a bit short in action but still carries at a nice pace. My only quibble is that I thought the novel had an abrupt ending, and didn’t come to a real conclusion. Michael Louis Calvillo’s life was cut prematurely short, which is unfortunate to all readers since his brilliant mind had much more to offer.
Meanwhile, both of our happy couples are having difficulties. Montgomery is facing a moral dilemma about having to kill his own food. He desperately wants to break his habit, but his girlfriend Liz isn’t so keen on the idea. Ashley and her boyfriend are trying to break their heroin habit, but aren’t having an easy go of it.
Calvillo presents the novel in an interesting way by paralleling these two situations. Although the type of problems the couples face are drastically different, their struggles are very similar. His writing is visceral and hits an emotional chord. There is a certain resonance to Calvillo’s writing that comes through in this novel. The story is a bit short in action but still carries at a nice pace. My only quibble is that I thought the novel had an abrupt ending, and didn’t come to a real conclusion. Michael Louis Calvillo’s life was cut prematurely short, which is unfortunate to all readers since his brilliant mind had much more to offer.
December 9, 2012
The Mafia in Philadelphia Part 3
The Modern Era
John Stanfa took over the organized crime scene in 1991. Stanfa, a Sicilian native, was thought to be the right man to steer the Philadelphia family to its previous glory, but he met resistance in the organization from a group of young mobsters known as the Turks, led by “Skinny” Joey Merlino. Stanfa had a short reign after being convicted on racketeering charges stemming from a bug planted by the FBI in the office of his attorney, Salvatore Avena.
Ralph Natale, a former president of the Camden County bartenders union, took over the Philadelphia family after John Stanfa. The reign of Ralph Natale was a prosperous one, however, as has been the case in recent history, it did not last long as Natale was sent to prison on a parole violation for meeting with mobsters.
“Skinny Joey” Merlino took over from Ralph Natale as the Philadelphia mob boss. Merlino has proven himself to be a ruthless boss. On March 18, 1998, Anthony Turra, a reputed drug lord, was murdered outside his South Philadelphia home. It’s largely believed that "Skinny Joey" Merlino ordered the hit as a message to the independent drug operators in Philadelphia. The Turras upset Merlino for operating in the city and not paying a tribute to the mob.
Merlino’s official reign did not last long. He constantly sought the spotlight and was ultimately brought down by the FBI shortly after his reign started. Much of his activites were destructive in nature. He was known for making large bets with illegal bookmakers, but then not paying them when he lost.
Joseph Ligambi took over as the official boss of the Philadelphia family in 2001, and was a stabilizing force ever since. During Ligambi’s reign he tightened the relationships with the New York families, and increased membership. Unlike “Skinny Joey” Merlino, Ligambi kept a low profile, and has success at making money.
One of the things that made Ligambi successful was creating a small, close circle of associates, and almost exclusively conducting business through intermediaries, insulating himself from law enforcement scrutiny. However, there is some question as to whether Ligambi was truly the boss of the family. Many believe that Joey Merlino was calling shots from prison and since his release from jail on March 15, 2011. To this day, it is believed that Merlino is still running the Philadelphia family from Florida. On May 23, 2011, Joseph Ligambi and 13 members of his crime family were indited by the FBI on racketeering charges related to illegal gambling operations and loan sharking. Steve Mazzone has been named the acting boss, working under the direction of Joey Merlino.
John Stanfa took over the organized crime scene in 1991. Stanfa, a Sicilian native, was thought to be the right man to steer the Philadelphia family to its previous glory, but he met resistance in the organization from a group of young mobsters known as the Turks, led by “Skinny” Joey Merlino. Stanfa had a short reign after being convicted on racketeering charges stemming from a bug planted by the FBI in the office of his attorney, Salvatore Avena.
Ralph Natale, a former president of the Camden County bartenders union, took over the Philadelphia family after John Stanfa. The reign of Ralph Natale was a prosperous one, however, as has been the case in recent history, it did not last long as Natale was sent to prison on a parole violation for meeting with mobsters.
“Skinny Joey” Merlino took over from Ralph Natale as the Philadelphia mob boss. Merlino has proven himself to be a ruthless boss. On March 18, 1998, Anthony Turra, a reputed drug lord, was murdered outside his South Philadelphia home. It’s largely believed that "Skinny Joey" Merlino ordered the hit as a message to the independent drug operators in Philadelphia. The Turras upset Merlino for operating in the city and not paying a tribute to the mob.
Merlino’s official reign did not last long. He constantly sought the spotlight and was ultimately brought down by the FBI shortly after his reign started. Much of his activites were destructive in nature. He was known for making large bets with illegal bookmakers, but then not paying them when he lost.
Joseph Ligambi took over as the official boss of the Philadelphia family in 2001, and was a stabilizing force ever since. During Ligambi’s reign he tightened the relationships with the New York families, and increased membership. Unlike “Skinny Joey” Merlino, Ligambi kept a low profile, and has success at making money.
One of the things that made Ligambi successful was creating a small, close circle of associates, and almost exclusively conducting business through intermediaries, insulating himself from law enforcement scrutiny. However, there is some question as to whether Ligambi was truly the boss of the family. Many believe that Joey Merlino was calling shots from prison and since his release from jail on March 15, 2011. To this day, it is believed that Merlino is still running the Philadelphia family from Florida. On May 23, 2011, Joseph Ligambi and 13 members of his crime family were indited by the FBI on racketeering charges related to illegal gambling operations and loan sharking. Steve Mazzone has been named the acting boss, working under the direction of Joey Merlino.
December 8, 2012
The mafia in Philadelphia Part 2
The era of Gangland violence
The New York families appointed Phil Testa to be the boss in Philadelphia following Angelo Bruno. Pete Casella served as his underboss and Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo as his consigliere. Phil Testa’s reign was a short one as a bomb filled with roofing nails and explosives hidden under the porch of his duplex blew him to bits on March 15, 1981. Underboss Pete Casella blamed the attack on the Philadelphia roofers union, hence the roofing nails. As it turned out Pete Casella was behind the killing of Phil Testa.
Casella took control of the Philadelphia mob scene claiming the New York families had approved of him, but “Little Nicky” Scarfo challenged that by setting up a meeting with the heads of the Genovese and Gambino families, where he found out that the New York families had not approved Casella's taking the leadership mantel. Instead, they appointed Scarfo as the new boss, a decision that would bring violence tothe Philadelphia organized crime scene to unprecedented levels.
In the four years after the assassination of Angelo Bruno, 30 members of the Philadelphia organized crime scene bought their tickets in mob-related disputes. Scarfo’s regime was attacked from both the inside and the outside. Salvatore "Salvie" Testa, a fast-rising hitman in Scarfo’s organization had made over fifteen hits for the boss. Despite that, Scarfo turned on Testa, and ordered a hit on him. This made Scarfo untrustworthy by the members of his own organization. This distrust came to a crescendo when Scarfo met his demise as a result of five members of his regime becoming government informants, testifying against him. The Philadelphia mafia was essentially wiped out by a wide-reaching RICO case brought by the FBI. Scarfo was convicted in 1989 for the murder of Frank "Frankie Flowers" D'Alfonso, and is currently serving two lengthy federal prison sentences.
The New York families appointed Phil Testa to be the boss in Philadelphia following Angelo Bruno. Pete Casella served as his underboss and Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo as his consigliere. Phil Testa’s reign was a short one as a bomb filled with roofing nails and explosives hidden under the porch of his duplex blew him to bits on March 15, 1981. Underboss Pete Casella blamed the attack on the Philadelphia roofers union, hence the roofing nails. As it turned out Pete Casella was behind the killing of Phil Testa.
Casella took control of the Philadelphia mob scene claiming the New York families had approved of him, but “Little Nicky” Scarfo challenged that by setting up a meeting with the heads of the Genovese and Gambino families, where he found out that the New York families had not approved Casella's taking the leadership mantel. Instead, they appointed Scarfo as the new boss, a decision that would bring violence tothe Philadelphia organized crime scene to unprecedented levels.
In the four years after the assassination of Angelo Bruno, 30 members of the Philadelphia organized crime scene bought their tickets in mob-related disputes. Scarfo’s regime was attacked from both the inside and the outside. Salvatore "Salvie" Testa, a fast-rising hitman in Scarfo’s organization had made over fifteen hits for the boss. Despite that, Scarfo turned on Testa, and ordered a hit on him. This made Scarfo untrustworthy by the members of his own organization. This distrust came to a crescendo when Scarfo met his demise as a result of five members of his regime becoming government informants, testifying against him. The Philadelphia mafia was essentially wiped out by a wide-reaching RICO case brought by the FBI. Scarfo was convicted in 1989 for the murder of Frank "Frankie Flowers" D'Alfonso, and is currently serving two lengthy federal prison sentences.
