By Lauren Zazzara
Features Editor
Journalism and mass communication alum Michael Farrell, ‘00, released his second novel titled When the Lights Go Out on Tuesday.
According to Farrell, the novel revolves around a fictional Buffalo musician named Johnny Nolan.
“He’s an amalgamation of aspects of everyone from Jeff Tweedy to Glen Hansard to Neil Young to your local bar’s Friday night musician—one who has another job and mundane hassles, but still has an artistic need to perform,” said Farrell. “This is who most musicians are. They’re not always Springsteen-level superstars.”
Farrell said both the main character and the novel were inspired by his love of live music, which he experienced in Buffalo and Boston. He grew up in Buffalo and now freelances there for publications such as Buffalo Spree Magazine and The Buffalo News, covering music and nightlife. In Boston, he worked as a sports reporter for The Boston Herald for seven years.
“I would’ve never been able to write this story without a love for music cultivated in Buffalo places like Record Theatre, Home of the Hits or watching a friend’s band thrash around some local Moose Lodge,” he said. “On the other hand, I would’ve never had the focus to finish this novel without working inside Boston venues like Brighton Music Hall and the Paradise Rock Club.”
Music has played a central part in Farrell’s life. He was the assistant music director at WSBU-FM, 88.3 The Buzz while he was a student at Bonaventure. Since, he has reviewed performances from bands including Modest Mouse, Cold War Kids and Band of Horses, he said.
“It’s about what music means to different people, whether the musician or listener,” Farrell said. “And in a lot of cases, what it means to both is mere moments of contentment essential to get through daily life. It’s not always glamorous or explosive or bombastic—but it’s absolutely necessary.”
Farrell also wrote Running with Buffalo, a novel released in 2007. He said that mistakes he made writing that book, such as with typos, pace and prioritizing material, both helped him in writing his second novel.
“These missteps certainly helped sharpen When the Lights Go Out, but also necessitated endless rewrites, edits and sleepless nights,” he said.
“There were positive items, too. Dialogue and details that colored Running with Buffalo—as well as how I wrote about the city of Buffalo—definitely color this work.”
Farrell said that Running with Buffalo was intended to be a “learning novel.”
“And what I learned is that I needed more training, more experience and more education,” he said. “So after earning an MFA in creative writing and placing work in a variety of publications over the past eight years, I’m finally ready with my second act.”
Farrell began writing the novel in 2009 as part of his MFA creative thesis for Pine Manor College’s Solstice Program, a program in which students are only on campus for ten days twice a year for a total of 50 days.
After each residency, they are matched with a faculty mentor to work with for the rest of the semester.
“The premise and early chapters went through grad school workshops, packed with both accomplished and aspiring authors,” he said. “Early versions were read by people who, because of their professions and/or experience, would have plenty of useful insight.”
The book, published by No Frills Buffalo/Amelia Press, is available in western New York bookstores as well as all online retailers, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble, for $14.95, Farrell said.
Farrell also said he will continue to write after the release of When the Lights Go Out, especially if people enjoy his work. “Any real artistic pursuit has a point of no return, where it goes from a hobby to a necessity. I crossed that point years ago,” he said. “I need to write, just like musicians need to play, so I’ll continue to trudge forth. Stay tuned for what comes next.”
zazzarlm13@bonaventure.edu
