Devil's fire Book

Back in my early 20s, I, Cori Crooks, lived on Alcatraz Ave, (no joke) in a neighborhood on the Oakland/Berkeley (CA) border. On a cloudless, junkie-free day, you could safely stand in the middle of the street, turn toward the water, and be held captive by the clear view of Alcatraz Island.

It was quite the block of artists, musicians, and hopeful dreamers. My roommate and best friend was actress Amber Tamblyn's big sister, who would one day become the singer/guitarist of the celebrated indie girl band, "The Kirby Grips." Two houses down was where "51O Magazine" was printed... where the "Loved Ones" lived next door to ex-members of "Social Unrest"... but I digress.

I lived on the second floor of a 5 story apartment building, which sat right beside another 5 story apartment building. There was a small alley between them, filled with crabby grass, beer bottles, and left over mattresses. The two buildings were so close that if the light was right, you could see all the goings on in the apartment across the way. You didn't need a telescope.

That's where I met "Mike," a friendly-faced punk who always waved and was always home. We said our first hellos through our open (cell) windows. Turns out Mike was a writer. A horror writer actually. He lent me a short story he had just finished and I was so fucking freaked out after reading it that I avoided him for awhile and started closing my curtains. :)

Well, my friend Mike ended up becoming the famed Mike Marano, or "Mad Professor Mike," creator, host, and producer of "Mad Professor Mike's Headbanger Movie Reviews" on the the nationally syndicated show, "Movie Magazine International"! He is also the fiction co-editor at "ChiZine," and the writer of the creepy-ass book, "Dawn Song," which has received an International Horror Guild Award, and a Brahm Stoker Award. Dude! (Side note: No, the character "Cori" in "Dawn Song" is NOT based on me. He swears!)

We laugh (through emails) now at how incredibly weird it is or was- that so many creative types could come from one street. It must have been the water.

Okay- so all this blah, blah, blah was to direct you to a funny-as-hell article Mike has up over at the Suicide Girls site, "Ten Lessons Spider-Man Can Teach Our First Nerd President." Read it and laugh. Then buy his book, "Dawn Song" and get all freaked out and stay inside your house for a month. :)