"The Lost of New York" - Family history, authorial advances, and technological hindrances

I finally completed the trailer for my late uncle, John Rigney Jr.'s novel, "The Lost of New York." Yes, it was published in May 2022, but as the saying goes, better late than never.

In putting it all together, I realized there was a vast difference between my uncle's ability to hand-type his novel, as well as other stories, never knowing if they'd ever be published. Compare that to my spending a few hours on an upgraded video editing application to try to capture the tone and spirit of his book. This is after spending months scanning, editing and twice formatting it in book form!

If you didn't know the background of this book, you can read more on my website, which talks more about uncle Butch's story, and how he managed to assemble a novel, a few short stories, and parts of an incomplete novel. At the time he was dealing with drug addiction, unemployment, and being apparently shipped off to Alaska for a government job in lieu of a federal prison sentence.

So how did he manage to save all these pages with no such thing as a photocopier in the late 1950s and early '60s? He must've held onto it dearly. Did he own a typewriter? I don't know how he managed to do all this. His history is kind of lost, other than stories from my mother, and remembrances of repeated stories via my brother.

But his sheer determination is what inspires me. I'm pretty sure that the writing instinct comes from my mother's side of the family, although Uncle Butch was the only one who actually got this far. The fact that he'll never know that I actually ended up publishing his book –and made a few editorial changes, but basically tried to get the spirit of it and clean it up a lot– might amuse him.

In putting together the trailer, I was noting how technological advances have made it so much easier to put together a book and promote it. I'm part of the last generation that spans these two eras, the hand-typed manuscript, which I actually did a few times before I had a computer in the 1980s, to the now-commonplace ebook and audiobook. And then we have artificial intelligence that's basically rewriting books in a bootleg style and robots are selling them online.

For my technological advances over the years, I've had to make changes and adjustments and adapt. I have a website. I have a blog. I have social media. I've made video trailers for almost all of my books, because I can. Also, I learned all these skills after literary agents failed me, and publishers ghosted me, or were occasionally polite enough to reply with a 'No thanks.'

For Christmas, I bought myself a new Macintosh Mini after 11 years of dealing with an old one from work that was sluggish, but functional. So when I bought the new computer, I knew there would be a lot of changes to make. Specifically the video editing software, which is terrific (Filmora Wondershare; not a plug, but it actually works.

Oh, I also composed the music! I did a lot of that back in the 1980s, and fortunately the song I use totally fits the mood of Butch's book. When I composed and recorded it, we used cassette tapes, kids. The internet was not widely used by the public, and Uncle Butch manuscript sat hidden in a box in my parents' house in the attic.

Anyway, there are a lot of adjustments to make the basic things; moving text, old video, as well as lots of new doodads and ways to move things around. So it's a good thing that I waited to make this trailer, because there were certain things I wanted to do that we're unable to do in the previous version. And in Uncle Butch's time, I don't think there was any kind of book trailer.

The downside is that with the new computer, I forgot to export my bookmarks, so my passwords for virtually every single website that I use had to be updated and changed and verified, along all that other baloney that goes along with 21st-century technology.

Not that I'm complaining. Thanks for double-checking to make sure it's actually me doing this blog post, Google!

As I share my new book trailer on the Internet, perhaps even boost it on social media here and there, I'm happy that I was able to actually get this done. I've actually made a few hundred dollars off of Uncle Butch, so thanks for that. It's basically paid for the cost of publishing, etc. Mostly, it's libraries that have purchased it, another advancement that would make Uncle Butch proud. 

I encourage you to give it a try. In paperback or e-book, it's a bargain because it's an archival document of lost era in our history, specifically, New York history and that of my family.

New book outlets and the "disappearance" of PINS

While the holiday shopping season may be over, authors like myself hope that you still consider buying books. A new outlet, along with a recently developed one, provide the opportunity to purchase books like mine from independent booksellers online. 

One book that you won't find among those is my first novel PINS. I'll explain why, but first the good news.

ShopQueer.co is a new LGBTQ-owned online shop co-created by author Eric Servini. They're growing their inventory evevry day, and you can find the best recent LGBTQ books there.

It was very easy to use as an author. I simply entered my ISBNs of my books and in a matter of days they were (almost) all listed. 

And with Bookshop.org, I was able to list almost all my books, including The Lost of New York, written by my uncle seventy years ago. The straight-themed novel, which I edited and self-published, doesn't quite fit into a queer-focused seller's inventory (You can read more about that on my website).

But why is my debut novel far and wide missing from these lists? That's because if you ask a bookseller for the copy, they'll look it up on the wholesalers list like Ingram and Baker and Taylor, which consider it out of print. But that's not true. In fact I still have about 150 copies left.

The problem is, since I closed Myrmidude Press as a DBA, I stopped shipping to Ingram, Baker and Taylor and other smaller book distributors. So, according to them, the book has run its course. You can also find use copies on Amazon and elsewhere, of course. And via e-books/Kindle, all my other books are available as well.

Having contacted wholesale buyers/resellers, they don't buy a case full of old books, especially more than 20 years old. Which make sense, but it would be nice if some smart professor added the book to their curriculum lesson that I can to ship some free copies to some university. PINS was part of nearly a dozen college courses years ago.

But with the flood of new LGBTQ literature, there's really no need for it right now and most people are reading online, and even on their phones.

But what bugs me is the idea that PINS is considered out of print when it actually isn't. Having self-published in a variety of formats, I have found that Ingram is the most dependable and easy for bookstores to find your books. Also, by not publishing through (evil) Amazon, indie booksellers are happier to carry your books. It is a bit of a hassle; you have to input chapter by chapter and the formatting can be difficult with a limited array of fonts. 

And if you didn't know, PINS actually had two printings. The first edition was only a thousand copies. It was all just a big experiment to see if it would work. It did. After the success and reviews, I then ordered five thousand copies from the printer in Michigan. I review excerpts to the front and back cover; well, most of them. There were so many! And then cleaned up all the typos and adjusted the coloring on the cover art.

The idea of doing a third printing would put it back in circulation in any bookstore in the world. I'm considering it now and I understand that it's a lot of work when I have other books already in the process. 

In the meantime, however, if you're reading this, and I know people aren't reading blogs much anymore, but feel free to inquire, send me an e-mail or a DM on my Facebook author page, and I'll be happy to send you a few free paperback copies of PINS while they last. 

Or you could just go to your local library. I recently checked, and was happy to see that 84 U.S. libraries have a copy.

So until the next book project is under way, I'll consider revamping PINS one more time. It's done me well with a translation, a stage adaptation and an audiobook. 

Until then, buy my other books, and other authors' books, on ShopQueer.co and Bookshop.org

 

Among the recent reviews on Amazon, I'll leave you with this expanded insightful rave (with spoilers!) from reader Philip:

"Jim Provenzano explores the homophobic teenage jock culture which sometimes can escalate to ugly incidents in his 1999 first novel PINS. The story is told through the eyes of 15-year-old sophomore Joey Nicci ("his name was not pronounced Nitchey, but Nee-Chee, after which he was dubbed Neech") who has just made the varsity squad wrestling team and fallen for teammate Donald "Dink" Kohrs ("everybody called him Dink because his penis was small -- Dinky Dick -- but the way it pushed up in his sweat pants, Joey figured that wasn't always true"). While Neech and Dink explore their mutual attraction, the team's bullies direct their homophobic wrath against Anthony "The Whiner" Lambros who not only is gay but perhaps more damning is a poor athlete who never wins a match. It's a brutal ending for poor Anthony, and that tragic moment becomes a turning point for Joey Nicci.

"Provenzano provides an authentic voice in portraying the high school locker room, and accurately captures every nuanced dynamic in this complex environment. PINS honestly portrays wrestling's homoerotism and how that can result into homophobic defenses among teenage boys, and captures the innocent rough-and-tumble world of boys and how that can escalate into sinister over-the-line violence.

"Joey Nicci is a likable kid with a Jersey accent -- he wrestles in the "one-twenny-six" weight class -- that makes me smile each time it comes out but it's not so constant that you have to be fluent in "Nerk" (translated as "Newark" in the King's English) in order to understand him. Neech is as nuanced as the book. He's no choir boy but he's a good kid who in the end does the right thing after appreciating that one doesn't go along just in order to belong. It's also refreshing to see a teen character who genuinely loves his family which is there for him in both the triumphant and the trying times. "It's an Italian thing," as Joey says.

"God bless Joey Nicci in PINS. Notwithstanding all the homophobic crap that Neech went through on his high school wrestling team, he found love and kissed a boy."

Queen + Adam Lambert - Rhapsodising over the ‘Rhapsody’ tour

photo: Dana Jacobs

If you know even a little bit about my books, you know my sixth novel, "Now I'm Here," is infused with Queen's music and song titles. 

But it took the reminder from guitarist-composer Brian May himself (okay, one of his staff assistants) who shared my Bay Area Reporter review of their November 8 Chase Center concert, to remind me to share it here:

Themes of science fiction, steampunk and outer space projected onto multiple screens did not upstage the musical artistry of Queen + Adam Lambert at their Chase Center concert November 8. 

With additional musicians – keyboard player and musical director Spike Edney, bass guitarist Neil Fairclough and percussionist Tyler Warren – the band performed an array of classic hits, with recorded audio and video tributes to the late Freddie Mercury.

Even before the concert, a sense of giddiness was in the air as people posed in front of the large billboard outside the Chase Center. The staff was friendly and courteous as we entered and found our seats. While they were fewer festively-dressed fans than at the recent Elton John concert, I learned quickly to not judge by appearances. Two burly men who could have been truck drivers sat in front of us and complimented my vintage Queen t-shirt and my friend’s glam garb as we regaled our tales of 1970s arena rock attendances, including Queen.

In fact, most of the patrons seemed to be in their 50s or 60s and have been Queen fans for decades. There were a few young folks who possibly had yet to enjoy the thrill of seeing guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor joined with Adam Lambert, who proudly announced that he’s been touring with Queen for ten years. His entrance in the first of several glamorous costumes took on a silver gladiator science fiction theme.

photo: Dana Jacobs

The setlist started off in the first section with a bit of “Radio Gaga,” followed by “Hammer to Fall,” a “Stone Cold Crazy” excerpt, and “Another One Bites the Dust.”

Drummer Rodger Taylor took to the mic and drums with his classic, “I’m in Love With My Car” from the “A Night at the Opera” album. Then Lambert reappeared on the extended runway atop a glistening silver motorcycle, in yet more glamorous garb. With a camera set in front of him on the handlebars, his amusing close-ups and hip thrusts brought high camp style.

 “Fat Bottomed Girls” and “I Want It All” proved to be sing-along favorites after that. 

The third section included “A Kind of Magic” (and Brian May’s “magic” sparks-shooting guitar!), “Don't Stop Me Now,” and a rousing sing-along “Somebody to Love,” where Lambert’s stellar vocals outshone any of the amusing pyrotechnics.

A highlight of that section was also Lambert’s use a close-up camera in front of a “mirror” as he primped and sipped champagne (naturally) for “Killer Queen,” yet another song where his camp sensibility and sense of humor really shined.

 As they’ve done since the 1970s, Brian May, still a master of guitar at 76, then took to a solo moment for an acoustic set with the very romantic “Love of My Life” and his futuristic folk classic, “‘39.”

photo: Dana Jacobs

Roger Taylor then banged out an impressive drum solo, which led into the finger-snapping classic, “Under Pressure.” While former bassist John Deacon was not acknowledged onstage, his presence was felt as the famous bass hook began.

The band then segued into a slightly altered version of “Tie Your Mother Down,” followed by the traditional rhythm, then the Elvis-esque “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” which Lambert  completely mastered. 

The fifth section of the concert started with “I Want to Break Free.” The song’s witty drag music video was a hit on European TV but did not work well for American audiences back in the day. Fortunately, those attitudes are long-gone, at least for Queen fans, who’ve embraced Lambert, an out gay artist.

In this concert version, some lucky (and probably wealthy) fans enjoyed box seats behind the stage as the projections turned the stage into a rococo theater.

Brian May then indulged in an expanded guitar solo as he rose up through (projected video of) outer space as a huge meteor and various planets rose and fell as he guided them. Many fans know that Brian May’s early college studies were in astrophysics, so the outer space theme was totally appropriate and visually stunning.

Originally created for Live Aid, Freddie Mercury’s song, “Is This the World We Created?,” co-written with May, offered a somber tone, followed by the rousing yet haunting anthem, “The Show Must Go On.”

photo: Dana Jacobs

And then, the bands ultimate classic, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” began. As they have done since their original concerts in the ’70s, parts were recorded while the band waited in darkness to resume for the rousing finale. But with this new multimedia tour, we got to not only hear but also see excerpts of the classic music video that brought Queen to great fame.

After a pause, in a digitized version, Freddie Mercury, who died of AIDS in 1991, got to make another appearance with his famous “Ayo!” call and response. And of course, everyone joined in, even the stage crew we could see from a distance.

For the rousing encore of “We Will Rock You,” the projection screens showed an animated version of the iconic giant robot from the “News of the World” album cover. The audience double-clapped along to the reprise of “Radio Gaga” and then sang along to the expected closer, “We Are the Champions.”

After the band took their bows for the traditional recorded playing of “God Save the Queen,” you could feel the sense of warm satisfaction that patrons had as they left the Chase Center. Even the packed Muni train was still full of good cheer as people commented on the show.

https://www.chasecenter.com/events

https://www.queenonline.com/upcoming_shows