Charles Romalotti is an American author of punk fiction. Born on February 10, 1970 in Topeka, Kansas, he is the author of two novels, Salad Days and Pariah, both released by Layman Books. He currently resides in Austin, Texas.

Salad Days

Romalotti's debut novel, Salad Days, was released on June 1, 2000. It is the story of Frank Smith, a determined idealist who is the vocalist for a hardcore punk

Hardcore punk

Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...

 rock band in the mid-1980s. The novel is known for its accurate portrayal of the punk subculture

Punk subculture

The punk subculture includes a diverse array of ideologies, and forms of expression, including fashion, visual art, dance, literature, and film, which grew out of punk rock.-History:...

, and it incorporates actual bands (Black Flag

Black Flag (band)

Black Flag was an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. The band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band...

, Bad Brains

Bad Brains

Bad Brains is an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1977. They are widely regarded as among the pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members objected to this term to describe their music. They are also an adept reggae band, while later recordings featured elements of...

, Descendents

Descendents

The Descendents are an American punk rock band from Hermosa Beach, California. As of 2011, they have released six studio albums, three live albums, three compilation albums and three EPs. The Descendents broke up and reformed several times over the years, sometimes with different musicians...

) and venues (Outhouse

Outhouse

An outhouse is a small structure separate from a main building which often contained a simple toilet and may possibly also be used for housing animals and storage.- Terminology :...

, CBGB

CBGB

CBGB was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.Founded by Hilly Kristal in 1973, it was originally intended to feature its namesake musical styles, but became a forum for American punk and New Wave bands like Ramones, Misfits, Television, the...

's, and City Gardens

City gardens

City Gardens was a nightclub located at 1701 Calhoun Street in Trenton, New Jersey.The Nalbone family of Trenton and Lawrence, New Jersey, owned the building several years before it became the legendary rock club known as City Gardens. The "City Gardens" moniker was first used strictly as a blues...

) from the mid-1980s punk era into its fictional plot. Salad Days has maintained a strong international cult following since its release.

Pariah

On June 1, 2001, Romalotti's second novel, Rash, was released. Much darker in tone than its predecessor, Rash was a suspenseful tale about a group of kids ("Crusties

Crusties

Crusties is a term for members of an urban subculture, with roots in punk and grebo. The term pre-dates crust punk and can be used independently. The trend was most widespread in the UK in the late 1980s and early 1990s but there are also international subsets.-Background:Crusties are distinctive...

") living on the streets of Austin, Texas

Austin, Texas

Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

 in the late-1990s. In 2002, Rash was a finalist for Best Horror in the Independent Publisher Book Award

Independent Publisher Book Award

The Independent Publisher Book Awards , launched in 1996, are designed to bring increased recognition to titles published by independent authors and publishers...

s (IPPY Awards). The initial print run of 1,000 copies sold out within the first 18 months of its release. There was not a second print run (aside from its release in Pariah), and copies are rare.

Talon, the sequel to Rash, was released on June 1, 2002. A third story, The Stickler finalized the trilogy, and the entire series was released in a single book called Pariah on June 1, 2003. The Sticker never had its own independent release.

Bride of the Reaper

Romalotti is working on a new novel with an expected release of Fall 2010. It is titled Bride of the Reaper, similar in tone to Pariah (dark thriller), and is set in the same location (Lawrence, Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas

Lawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County...

) and time period (mid-1980s) as Salad Days. Characters from Salad Days are to be featured in cameo roles in Bride of the Reaper. The story revolved around a quirky girl named Kitty Waugh who lands a role as a horror host

Horror host

Horror hosts are a particular type of television presenter, often tasked with presenting low-grade films to television audiences. This tradition is primarily American, though there have been a few international hosts over the years.-Film Packages:...

in a mid-sized Midwest town.

External links

• Official Layman Books Website http://www.laymanbooks.com/
• Charles Romalotti MySpace Page http://www.myspace.com/charlesromalotti
• Amazon.com listing of titles by Charles Romalotti http://www.amazon.com/s?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=charles+romalotti&x=0&y=0
• Interpunk.com listing of titles by Charles Romalotti http://www.interpunk.com/search.cfm?&searchfor=Charles%20Romalotti
• IPPY Awards Website http://www.independentpublisher.com/department.php?page=546