Hi folks,

There are some scumbags (plus at least one scumbagette) out there who would like to know where I am, so let me get this out of the way:

Where I am the water goes down the drain counterclockwise.

That's it for now on my location.

For those of you who are curious about where I am and who are not scumbags – the vast majority of people reading this – I'm sorry I can't be more specific.

Not that big a deal anyway, right?

A related issue:

The shit storm my new book is causing continues. Good. Again, as Kinsley Amis has said, "If you can't annoy somebody, there's little point in writing."

Here's another one I use in the book, from Mario Llosa: "If you are killed because you are a writer, that's the maximum expression of respect, you know."

Can't I Get Along With Anyone?

Lawsuits, death threats, frightened, caving publishers, lying sacks (and sackettes) of shit in paradise… (Hey, what else is new?) Bring it all on.

On an even brighter note, I'm getting so many queries about when CYGAWA will be in print again that I better say it here: Soon. I'll let you know.

Word of mouth is truly amazing. Thank you all who have been blabbing about the book to your friends. I did not expect this, not to this extent. Viral is what it is. (The next printing will be a big one, with the myriad typos and other screw ups fixed, plus a new chapter and End Note.)

Some of you will be pleased to know what I'm up to, apart from surfing warm water point waves, getting my book back in print, and watching drain water go down the other way: I'm back on the screen adaptation of Cosmic Banditos, for John Cusack's company.

Hooray for Hollywood!

All things considered, a goofball comedy about The Meaning of Life would seem to be appropriate. And so it goes.

Okay. I'll finish this one up with a triple whammy. You guys have been sending me cool Web stuff, which I archive for dissemination. (Keep doing it!) The following three clicks sort of sum up my sorry ass life and times, or certain aspects of it.

First, from Neal Miyake, a very talented surf photog from the North Shore (click the photo below to see it bigger):

Three of you sent me this one:

I suspect that that one was inspired by CYGAWA. Aside from "touché," enough said.

The third of the TW (triple whammy) is a movie that I've been meaning to recommend. It's not available for viewing on the Web, not in its entirety, so you'll have to buy it.

Not only is it worth the bucks, and not only do the filmmakers deserve some compensation, but – apart from the original The Endless Summer -- it's maybe the best surf flick I've seen.

It's called Zen and Zero and please trust me on something: I don't ballyhoo it because I'm in it. In fact, seeing myself and listening to me being talked about at first made me so uncomfortable that I had to watch it a second time to realize how good it is.

A pack of Austrian surfers launch themselves on a trip down the coasts of Mexico and Central America, more or less in search of my sorry ass. (For CYGAWA readers: the Austrians showed up at Pavones during the worst of my catastrophes in 2004, so if I look a bit wild-eyed and am making little sense in the interview, that's why. My last line about "mindless bliss" was somewhat irony-laden.)

Hold on. Austrian surfers? Right. Not Australian… AUSTRIAN. Whoa!

The flick has (deservedly) won several Best Film awards at festivals. Click to their site and watch the trailer. Then just buy the sucker. Trust me.

http://www.myspace.com/zenandzero

Click here to get it from Amazon.com

I'll be in touch.

Allan

ps

I'll have more to say on this soon, but for now I'm taking a break from the shit storm. (Huge thanks to all of you who have written with encouraging words about the book. Can't tell you how much it means to me.)

The book will be back in print soon, and I'll let you know how to get it, if you're interested.

For now, I'm working on the screen adaptation to Cosmic Banditos, for John Cusack's company.

I have very limited Internet access down here. So forgive me if you write and I'm late and/or short in getting back, or if I don't get back at all. I'm distracted by my goofball comedy about The Meaning of Life. (Please do write if you have something to say, though. I really enjoy your emails. Well, most of them.)