Awkward Press » Tony O’ Neill http://awkwardpress.com Independent publishers of imaginative fiction and daily meditations on the ridiculousness of the universe. Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:24:08 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Apologies to Cherie Currie http://awkwardpress.com/apologies-to-cherie-currie/ http://awkwardpress.com/apologies-to-cherie-currie/#comments Mon, 08 Mar 2010 01:16:28 +0000 jeffrey http://awkwardpress.com/?p=2160 A few days ago, I wrote a comment regarding the book Neon Angel by Cherie Currie that was ghostwritten by our friend Tony O' Neill. In my comments, I said, "For those of you who are unfamiliar with literary terms, that means that Tony basically wrote the whole thing."

Yesterday, I got an email from the legendary Runaways leader herself, telling me that I was totally wrong and that she worked her ass off on it and that I am basically a complete dick, although she said it in a much nicer way than that. Not only that, but Neon Angel was actually originally released in 1989, and the version coming out this year is just a revised version.

And she's totally right: it was a dick thing to say. I know nothing about Tony and Cherie's process, and it sounds like she really did work hard on it. Clearly, if it had already been released, it is not 100% Tony's handiwork. Also, please note that Tony himself had nothing to do with my comments ... he's a great guy who doesn't have a bad word to say about anyone, and as far as I know, he found the book to be a positive collaborative experience.

It's easy to make stupid comments on one's blog and assume that no one will ever see them, but I realize that it's not right to make fun of someone's hard work without knowing the facts behind the matter. I sincerely apologize to Ms. Currie for my unnecessarily rude statements. For the record, I love Cherie Currie's work, I love Tony O' Neill, and any collaboration between the two is bound to be an amazing read. You can buy Neon Angel right here. And check out Cherie's bio website and her artwork for more information about her many talents.

]]> http://awkwardpress.com/apologies-to-cherie-currie/feed/ 4 Comment of the Day http://awkwardpress.com/comment-of-the-day/ http://awkwardpress.com/comment-of-the-day/#comments Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:52:08 +0000 jeffrey http://awkwardpress.com/?p=2124 My love for discussion boards verges on the obsessive. I have wiled away many an afternoon scrolling through 1,000 comments on stories that I don't really care about. I love how there are always those one or two dudes who are clearly just there to pick fights (let's call them "trolls"), and someone will inevitably take the bait, and then the entire board becomes a showcase for a few stray people to type-shout at each other. It is chaos in action and it provides a fascinating glimpse into how people would communicate if there were no barriers or social rules. That is to say, in a really annoying and ultimately depressing way.

But ever so often, one commenter will rise above the fray and say something truly meaningful and heartfelt. I stumbled across one such gem today while reading a Spin Magazine interview with Cherie Currie, former-lead singer of the Runaways (girl group from the '70s, birthing place of Joan Jett and Lita Ford). She has a new book coming out that was ghostwritten by Friend of Awkward Tony O' Neill. (For those of you who are unfamiliar with literary terms, that means that Tony basically wrote the whole thing.) Of course, Tony was not mentioned in this interview, because no one really cares about the ghostwriter. Statement retracted - see here for more info.

The interview is no big shakes; it's just Cherie talking about the Runaways and her love of chainsaw art (what?) But scroll down underneath the interview and you will find this insightful comment:

Posted By Anonymous
03.04.10 3:19 AM
i used to rub one out listening to these chicks! man they gave me a boner!

I love that someone had a driving need to share this information with the world. I believe this is exactly what the inventors of the Internet envisioned it being used for.

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