Today, something pretty damn cool happened. I handed out the first copy of Living the Scene. After all the writing, rewriting, editing, proofreading, formatting, printing, numbering, organizing and packing, I have finally reached the last stage of this ridiculous little journey: Distribution. The first copy went to my boss, Mike. I signed it, handed it […]
Category: The Build (Memoir Process)
Today, Living the Scene Became Real
There are moments in life that quietly change everything. Today was one of those moments. Months ago, Living the Scene was just an idea. I wanted to preserve twenty years of Connecticut’s independent music community—the bands, the venues, the flyers, the friendships, and the stories that made it feel like home. Then came the work. […]
It’s Starting to Feel Real
A few days ago, Living The Scene officially went live for pre-order. I’ll be honest… I had no idea what to expect. The response over the past couple of days has been incredible. Every notification that another pre-order came in has been both exciting and a little surreal. After spending well over a year researching, […]
The First Proofs Have Arrived
On May 17th, the first proof copies of Living the Scene: 2005–2023 – Flyers, Collages, and Stories from My Life in the Independent Music Scene finally arrived. Holding this book in my hands for the first time was honestly surreal. What started as an idea slowly became a massive archival project spanning nearly two decades […]
Out for Proofs-Living the Scene is finished!
It’s done… I did it. I finished the book. Tonight I’m ordering my first author proofs. I started this project back in April 2025, right after my mother passed away from cancer. Since then, I’ve spent countless hours putting this thing together in hopes of capturing the scene as I lived it. 391 total pages […]
Living the Scene: Editing Mode, No Turning Back
Living the Scene is officially in editing mode. Which means I’m deep in it right now. Tightening sentences. Fixing pacing. Making sure the stories land the way they’re supposed to land. This is the part where the book stops being “a thing I wrote” and starts becoming the book you’ll actually hold in your hands. […]
The Publishing Side of Living the Scene
North Cardinal Press is now official. The ISBNs for Living the Scene have been purchased, and a publishing name has been assigned. This project has crossed a meaningful threshold. It is no longer just a manuscript in progress. It now has structure, ownership, and a clear path forward. Living the Scene has always been about […]
From Draft to Daylight
Happy New Year! As of today, my beta readers have only one month left. On February 1st, it comes back to me marked up, challenged, questioned, and sharpened. That’s the handoff point. From there, it’s straight to the editing table. Tightening. Cutting. Refining. Making sure the story reads the way it actually lived, not the […]
Thirty Percent In: Settling Into the Long Middle
December 1 marked the opening of this phase.February 1 marks its close. That creates a sixty-three day span. As of December 19, nineteen days have passed. Roughly thirty percent of the window is behind us, with forty-four days still ahead. This matters because Living The Scene moves in phases, not posts. The early stretch is […]
The Quiet That Follows.
It has been a little over a week since I handed the manuscript to my readers, and the quiet after that push has felt… different. I am nervous and excited. I want this to be something the entire scene is proud of because this memoir isn’t about me, or even OFNR. Not really. It’s about […]