New Single!: Terri Cockring

wredfright · Terri Cockring

This was originally more caddish, but at some point the song turned into a sweeter look at an old maid, kind of like a Shane MacGowan mix of nasty and nice.  Musically, it's vocals, guitar, fake bass, and drums.  It's fun to play, so I can see playing it live sometime.  Lyrics are below.

Terri Cockring was the last girl at the party.
She thinks it's long past time she departed.
And all the boys offer to walk her home,
but Terri would rather be alone.

Oh, Terri you never let me kiss you, but that's OK.
Terri, I've kissed many prettier women than you since those days.

Terri Cockring reads all the cheap romance novels.
She wonders how she ended up in this hovel.
She used to make all the boys turn their heads.
But that was years ago, and now they're half-dead.

Terri, can you believe we're this old?
Oh, Terri, would you still swat away my hand now?
Oh, Terri, with your parents gone that house must be so cold.
Oh, Terri, do you need a hand to hold?

Terri, I bet you still go to church.
And at night with the tv on, on your recliner you perch.
Oh, Terri, I think that I could have saved you,
and maybe you could have saved me too.

Oh, Terri, I hope someone kisses you before it's too late,
and they shovel in the dirt on your grave.

For more Wred Fright music, give his latest album a listen or download at your favorite digital music site such as Soundcloud, Spotify, or Bandcamp!

Article In The New Hoof & Antler!

I wrote an article on beekeeping that is in the new Hoof & Antler.  You can find it at your local Mickey Mart.  And if you don't live near a Mickey Mart, unfortunately, you're out of luck because they don't put it online.  The good news is that the newspaper is free at the Mickey Mart.  Not that that helps you if you still don't live nearby, but, hey, it's something!

You're always in luck where The Front Yard War is concerned though, so if you haven't read it yet, then get buzzing!

Autographed Fast Guy Slows Down Books Available!

Hey, if you're worried about tariffs pushing up the price of crappy corporate books printed in China (and I'm essentially a free trader, so I feel your pain, just like Bill Clinton would), then let me soothe you with the availability of a printed book from an American author printed right here in Cleveland, Ohio USA (even Trump would approve, well, until he read it and found out the main character likes to poop on world leaders such as himself).  That's right!  Fast Guy Slows Down is now available directly from me, the author!  I'll autograph it and even dedicate it (within reason)--just put something in the notes section when ordering.  Printed books are each $15 domestic and $20 international (I still love my international readers, but you're going to have to deal with the response tariffs from your country on your own, so don't be telling me to mark gift on the customs form and expect it to happen) postpaid.  That's right.  Even inflation won't stop me from charging the same price for these books as they were in 2022 (come to think of it, my first novel was $15 mail order in 2006, so maintaining the same price is rare in these days of $10 for a gallon of orange juice or turning the half-gallon into 46 ounces so you can pretend you didn't increase the price).  And, of course, the EPUB and PDF ebooks are available for $5.  They won't be autographed, but hey you'll get a personal email from me with the book attached (probably in response to your email wondering why the book hasn't zapped to you instanteously--hey, I'm one guy and do this manually; if you want instant gratification, then order the book from Amazon or one of the online book retailers who stock the ebooks [or in Amazon's case, the printed book as well]), and you can print out the pdf version at the library or work for free (well, until your boss catches on and yells at you--just give her or him a copy and maybe that will work once the boss starts chuckling as well).

New Single!: Unreported News

wredfright · Unreported News

Some folks who pay too much attention to the news think the world is a much more frightening place than it actually is.  This song looks at the little stories the news seldom ever notes.  Musicwise, it's the usual vocals, guitar, fake bass, and drums.  Lyrics are below.

Bob held the door open for someone today, and Janet smiled.
And people went to work and did their jobs, and someone laughed.

It's the unreported news.
It's not on the radio or tv.
It's the unreported news, and it might make you happy.

And Mark and Wilfreda fell in love, and Dylan read a good book.
And someone checked the mail and was really excited by what they got.
And Jimmy skipped school to hang out at the library, and Teisha made a new friend.
And someone shoveled the snow off the sidewalk, and a cat purred.

And Sarah paid off her mortgage, and Ryan had a nice nap.
And someone saw their last sunset, but they don't know that yet.
And Laronda thought her new recipe was delicious, and Jason got over his cold.
And in 9 months someone will be born, and someone said "Good morning" to a lonely person.

For more Wred Fright music, give his latest album a listen or download at your favorite digital music site such as Soundcloud, Spotify, or Bandcamp!

Autographed Copies Of The Front Yard War

I have some print copies of The Front Yard War available.  You can now buy an autographed copy directly from me.  You can even now buy a non-autographed copy directly from me, just put in the notes section that you don't want it signed.  Conversely, if you want it personalized, then please put in the notes how you want it personalized and I'll do my best to oblige, but no guarantees.  It's $15 USD domestic including shipping and $20 USD internationally including shipping.  This is for the folks who want an autographed copy but don't live near me or for the folks who don't want to buy from Amazon (though Amazon did print the books right here in good old Cleveland, Ohio USA).  I just picked up the new Bookpage at the library, and, believe me (if you don't believe me, then read the rag yourself, but it's true), there isn't a novel like this, even remotely like this, from the mainstream publishing industry.  If you like your fiction well-mannered, written by an MFA, and starring characters who would fit in well hosting an NPR show, then this is not the book for you.  That stuff bores me.  Maybe it bores you also.  That stuff's like a domestic cat, though that's probably being too nice.  That stuff is like a particularly terrible domestic cat you don't really like but you didn't know any other type was available.  Well, there is.  This stuff is more like the friendly stray cat that prowls your backyard in the middle of the night.  If that's your cup of tea as they say, then give it a read.  Lit ain't dead.  It's just in unexpected places such as the front yard.

New Single!: Dance Party At The End Of The World

wredfright · Dance Party At The End Of The World

This song is about having a good time while the world's exploding.  It had a funky version and a punky version, and I ended up doing them both because they were each fun to play.  Musicwise, it's just vocals, guitar, fake bass, and drums.  It's a fun as well as grim song.  The lyrics are below:

She was fat, but her skin was thin.
It has to end, so it had to begin.
It was a good time while it lasted.
But now it's time to get your ass on the dance floor!

See you at the dance party at the end of the world!

Don't worry about getting dressed up.
We only have 15 minutes
before the missiles arrive
and we're blown to bits--yeah!

Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom!

Couldn't stay lucky forever.
Somebody was going to press the button.
They just couldn't figure out how to share,
so now the bombs are in the air.

For more Wred Fright music, give his latest album a listen or download at your favorite digital music site such as Soundcloud, Spotify, or Bandcamp!

New Pop Lit On Frighty!

Uh, oh, looks like someone noticed!  Fortunately, they are cool, so all is good.  Thanks to King Wenclas at New Pop Lit for giving Frighty a plug!  It was a lot of fun doing a zine again after all these years.  It was an experiment to use the Internet as a distribution system for what is a printed zine, but based on the picture King used it looks like it's working out.  Postage and printing are crazy expensive these days when compared with the 1990s when the zine medium was flourishing.  I used to sell copies of the zine version of The Pornographic Flabbergasted Emus for $3 postpaid, and most issues were 48 pages.  Today, it costs $1.01 just to mail a 20 page zine and that's not including printing costs, which would probably run a buck alone, so this experimental format might be a good solution for keeping print zines affordable and alive.  It cuts out the postage (sorry, USPS!) and the reader has to pay printing costs (sorry, reader!), so I can just concentrate on content.  Check it out and see what you think (remember it's designed to be printed--doublesided, flip on short edge--don't try to read it online):  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1crG3N9s09JQ5zDP-dHdhzZHV03YdtoXQ/view?usp=sharing.

If after reading Frighty, you need more to read, then read my new novel, The Front Yard War! 

The Front Yard War Has Its Own Page!

The Front Yard War by Wred Fright Excerpt by Wred Fright

Scribd finally figured out that I can't violate my own copyright, so they've nicely run an excerpt on their site.  I like my DIY excerpt, but I've been posting on Scribd for about two decades now, so it's above on this post.  The other exciting news is that The Front Yard War has its own page on the blog.  It is here.  You can buy a copy there and otherwise read about the book and its reception.  Now that the page is up, I'll engage in the relatively futile promotion campaign for about a month.  Literature, real literature, in the USA, even in the underground, seems pretty much dead, so I don't expect much reaction, but what the hey.  I'm reading the print version now and enjoying it myself, so maybe someone else out there will as well.  I write the kind of novels I'd like to read.  If somebody else wrote this kind of stuff, then I'd be reading them.  As it is now, I can't find too many contemporary writers I find interesting.  I'm still looking though.  Hey, at least you have me . . .  On another note, Amazon apparently won't let you download ebooks anymore, so if you value downloading your ebooks (and you should because otherwise the streaming folks will censor stuff without you knowing it, when they aren't losing the files completely, and no I'm not being hyperbolic), you can always order the novel directly from me, and I'll email it to you.  It's yours.  Just back it up so you don't have to reorder it down the road . . .