Tony only hangs with the best.

This week we are quite lucky to have the badass, recent Giant object-of-affection, Tony O’Neill. Tony is the author of several books including most recently DOWN AND OUT ON MURDER MILE, who took some time to share with us not only the place where his books get made, but also how he was led by Buddha to meet another, perhaps even larger, holy man.

1 – This is my writing desk  “where the magic happens”, ha ha.  I start writing at 8.30am, and usually work through until 2pm.  The desk itself came from a used furniture store in Brooklyn.  It was a present from my parents, just over a year ago.  It’s the first time I have owned a proper writing desk.  Before this desk, i used to write at my kitchen table.  The first book I wrote beginning to end at this desk was probably “Notre Dame du Vide” (13th Note Press) which is coming out this year in France.

2 – I use a pinboard for my ‘to do’ type stuff, and also stuff that catches my eye and might help inspire something in me.  Here we have a feature on Alexander Trochhi, which features a picture of him looking cool, dissolute and angst ridden.  Also a picture of Jesus Melvarde, the so called “narco saint”.  He is considered the ‘patron saint of drug dealers’ although the Catholic Church has never formally recognized him.  He must work, as I have not been busted for dealing drugs in the whole time I have owned this item (touch wood).

3 – Shelves above the desk.  Items of interest – signed poem by Dan Fante (one of my favorite living authors), tiny statue of Buddha that I found when I returned to my old residence in LA, the Mark Twain Hotel to shoot some pictures there.  The Mark Twain was a by the hour hooker motel in the crappy part of Hollywood.  I found the Buddha in the room I rented, as well as some pills and a lot of blood / cum stains.  I consider the Buddha to be lucky, because the day I found it my wife and I ended up hanging out with Ron Jeremy, and he took us to a porn star party in the Valley.  Thank you, Buddha.

4 – More pinboard stuff.  Picture of Vanessa and I outside of one of my favorite bars in LA (The Frolic Room on Hollywood Boulevard).  New York Times clipping from 1987 with the headline “Chicago Mother Traded her Child For Cocaine”.

Buddha leads a man to Ron Jeremy? That’s something I can get behind. Check out the full story on Tony’s website.