Yeah-hey!
Do What You Want: The Story of Bad Religion is now available for pre-order
For the last few months, I’ve been talking about the Bad Religion book without mentioning its title, like it’s a secret lover whose name I’m forbidden from speaking.
Well, the secret’s out. The book will be called Do What You Want: The Story of Bad Religion and will be available on August 18, 2020, but you can (and should) pre-order it now by clicking on the image below.
The title of the book comes from the song of the same name on Bad Religion’s 1988 album Suffer. The song is buried on the B-side and is just 65 seconds long, but holy hell does it rip. I couldn’t be happier with the title. It’s my favorite song on my favorite album.
This wasn’t always the case. 2018 was the 30th anniversary of Suffer and I got to travel with Bad Religion for a handful of shows in Europe. At many venues the band closed out their set by playing the entire album, which in my opinion is the coolest thing a band can do for its fans. Musicians don’t write, rehearse, or perform songs this way, but it’s how fans experience the music. Hearing Suffer live night after night cemented my appreciation for this punk rock masterpiece.
Today, Bad Religion launched this website that refers to me as an “accomplished music writer,” which was very nice of them to say. It’s got links so you can pre-order your copy through Amazon, Books-A-Million, Barnes & Noble, Apple iBooks, or IndieBound.
Here’s why you should pre-order Do What You Want:
Pre-orders are hugely important for the success of a book. Everyone in the book industry looks at pre-orders to gauge the public’s interest. It’s essentially a vote for a book.
Book stores use pre-sale figures to determine how many copies to order. Ditto librarians, and who doesn’t love libraries? (Jeff Bezos, that’s who.)
All pre-orders count toward the book’s first week sales, which is how bestsellers are determined. Want to make Bad Religion a bestseller? Pre-order the book! It really is that simple.
Pre-orders are usually priced at a discount and tend to ship earlier than books released to bookstores, so you’ll likely get the book sooner and for less money than if you wait for it appear on the shelf of your favorite bookstore.
Think of your pre-order as a gift to your future self!
I’ll have a lot to say in the coming weeks and months about Do What You Want. There are tons of behind-the-scenes stories I’m looking forward to sharing with you. Plus, we’re planning some exciting events.
But right now I just want to say thank you in advance for supporting this book that has meant so much to me for the better part of the last three years.
Here We Go Again
If you’re like most people, you were probably unsure as to which was more appalling: President Trump’s unsanctioned extra-judicial assassination of Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani last weekend, or the neo-conservative push to go to war with Iran.
Last spring I listened to the audio book of Frank Rich’s The Greatest Story of Ever Sold: The Decline and Fall of Truth from 9/11 to Katrina during the run up to the release of the heavily redacted Mueller Report. While this experience wasn’t good for my blood pressure, it was a helpful reminder of what we’re up against.
The story of the Bush administration's craven dissembling as they manufactured the case for the invasion of Iraq should fill every American with rage. But they couldn't have done it without the assistance of a compliant media. The bootlickers at Fox News fell in line, but so did so-called respectable media figures like Bob Woodward, Judith Miller, and Robert Novak. They all rolled over for Rove, Rumsfeld, and Cheney.
At a time when massive spin machines churn out partisan talking points designed to keep us in front of our screens, The Greatest Story Ever Sold is an antidote to breathless reactions to tweets, speeches, and press statements. Rich lays out the facts as they were reported and, more importantly, corroborated. It's an outstanding example of contemporary history that everyone should read because we clearly haven't learned our lesson.
Lit Picks for 1/9-1/15
With the holidays finally over, there are plenty of great literary events in Southern California. Here are some of my recommendations, many of which I plan on attending.
Thursday January 9 at 7:30pm (SD)
Veteran screenwriter Chris Hauty will be at Warwick’s to read from and sign his debut political thriller Deep State. Any novel with a protagonist named Hayley Chill has my attention.
Plan B at 7:30pm (LA)
Brad Schreiber will discuss his new book Music Is Power with Dr. Robert M. Bilder at Chevalier’s Books. Music Is Power is “a guided tour through the past 100 years of politically conscious music, from Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie to Green Day and NWA.” Although Green Day and Dead Kennedys are name checked in the press release, I’m curious to see how punk rock factors into Schreiber’s book. There’s an outside chance I’ll be able to attend this event.
Friday January 10 at 12pm (LA)
Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk will appear at Book Soup sign his new book with the clunky sub-title, Consider This: Moments in My Writing Life After Which Everything Was Different. I’m not the biggest Palahniuk fan but this “kitchen-table MFA” about writing and the writing process sounds intriguing. Please note: This is a signing only and tickets are required.
Plan B Friday-Sunday (SD)
The Book Catapult will be participating in the annual South Park Sidewalk Sale all weekend long with savings of up to 75% selected items.
Saturday January 11 (LA)
Wendy Heard will sign and discuss her new book The Kill Club with Layne Fargo at Book Soup. Really wish I could make it to this event because Heard’s new novel sounds like it shares plot similarities with Adrian McKinty’s bestseller The Chain, which I thought was fine but it didn’t quite live up to the hype. Very intrigued by this book.
Sunday January 12 at 4pm (SD)
Lee Goldberg will be at Mysterious Galaxy to discuss his new novel, Lost Hills, with San Diego author Matt Coyle, whose most recent novel is Lost Tomorrows. Are the similarities of these titles a coincidence? I’m a huge of the Fox & O’Hare novels that Goldberg wrote with Janet Evanovich (but only the ones Goldberg co-wrote) and I’m planning on attending this event. Please note: Although Mysterious Galaxy is moving this month, to the best of my knowledge this event will be held at the Balboa Avenue location, but it’s worth checking before you go.
Plan B at 3pm (SD)
Sydney Williams will discuss and sign her new book Hiking my Feelings: Stepping into the Healing Power of Nature at Diesel Books in Del Mar.
Tuesday January 14 at 8pm (SD)
Poets Underground open mic birthday celebration with Sunny Rey in the Acid Vault at Amplified East Village at 1429 Island Avenue. This event runs every Tuesday and although I’ve never been I’m planning on attending to see local poet Jimmy Jazz perform.
Plan B at 7:30pm (SD)
Kiley Reid will share her new book, Such a Fun Age, at Warwick’s. Reid’s highly anticipated novel has received advanced praise from the New York Times and NPR.
Plan 9 at 7pm (LA)
Alice C. Hill will discuss her new book Building a Resilient Tomorrow with Robert Lempert at Chevalier’s Books. Hill served in the White House as a Special Assistant to President Barack Obama (back when the White House actually gave a shit about the planet) and is a Senior Fellow for Climate Change Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Wednesday January 15 at 7:30pm (SD)
Local author Matt Coyle will discuss Lost Tomorrows, the latest installment in the Rick Cahill series, with radio host and podcaster, Jeff Dotseth at The Book Catapult. What I like about Rick Cahill is that he’s a disgraced cop who was kicked off the force, and other cops despise him and go out of their way to make life hell for him. There are always at least two sets of antagonists in a Rich Cahill mystery: the bad guys, and the cops, i.e. the bad guys with badges. Remember kids, ACAB.
Thanks for reading Message from the Underworld. You really are the best.
