TOM PICCIRILLI R.I.P.

As you’ve no doubt heard, author Tim Piccirilli passed away earlier this morning, after a long and tenacious battle with cancer. He was one of my best friends for nearly twenty years. As I said on social media earlier, I always called him “Big Bro” and he always called me “Little Bro” because that’w what we were. I am too heartbroken to find and craft the proper words, but it occurred to me that I don’t have to. Tom wrote two pieces years ago that never fail to make me laugh. Indeed, there have been low points in my life when I re-read these pieces, and laughed all over again.

The first one is here, and every word of it is true. The second piece, inspired by the first, is here, and all of it is true, as well (until the point where we left the signing, at which point Pic turned it into a Hunter S. Thompson meets Butch and Sundance pastiche, because he knew that I would love that). As I have every time I’ve re-read them, I’m laughing again, even through tears.

Thanks for that, big bro. I fucking miss you already. Give Dick and Jesus and everybody else a hug from me.