Last One to Die

"There are certain books you can pass along to friends and loved ones with high marks, and, then, there are books you give very high marks to, but choose not to pass them along. Last One to Die is a must-read. Mike Essington is a modern day Beat writer who takes on gritty reality and serves it up raw. This guy writes from the heart, his tales are gripping, intense, and they take you into an underworld that few have experienced. I've no doubt that Mike Essington shaped these characters from real-life acquaintances, the characters are too compelling, too deep to have been concocted from his imagination. My only complaint is that Essington can't write books as fast as I can read them." James Frey, A Million Little Pieces, My Friend Leonard "Michael Essington, one of the great writers of the American underground. Cutting his teeth in the birth years of L.A. punk rock, Michael has seen it all. Not afraid to speak the truth, he calls it as he sees it, and calls it out when necessary regardless of the fallout. Michael Essington has championed the high energy and spirit of what music should be about, attitude, energy, never compromising and always taking the risks that nobody else wants or is willing to take. Last One To Die is no different, it tells the stories of everyday life through the dark and subtle wit of Michael Essington. A bit reminiscent of Jim Carroll's Basketball Diaries, minus all the self-destructing drug abuse. Last One To Die had me laughing out loud on every page. Michael Essington's memoirs are a great reminder to pay attention to what's going on around you. If you do, you just might realize there the circus is in town every day." Eric Leach, Symbol Six "I am anxiously anticipating Michael's book. I know it will be an honest and vicarious experience for the newv uprising of punx & a nostalgic recall for the veteran punx, especially those like Michael, who was then is now & will always be punkrokk!" Rikk Agnew, The Adolescents, Christian Death, D.I. "As I travel through life there are some things I didn't need to know. One for certain being the life style of Punk and the second being those who live it. Nor I did have any desire or interest to know those who reviewed their music or the music for that matter. However what I do have keen interest in is good writing and storytelling. Mike is one of them, a good writer and a damn good storyteller. He is eloquent and concise and doesn't get lost in the world of minutia. He tells the story and holds you captive page after page. To the point you want to cheat (go to the back of the book) but don't! Enjoy the book. Learn something you perhaps didn't know, I did. Thanks to some well written verse knowledge of a lifestyle and the honesty to tell it." Clyde A. Wray, Poet, Playwright, director and producer author of four books of poetry "Mike E. handles the record reviews and does an outstanding job with them. His present-day takes on records that are often 20 years old are informed and on-the-money most of the time and his reviews of newer product are a reliable buying guide. But he does more than just review records: Mike is a top-notch storyteller and each review also includes an autobiographical anecdote. The story may or may not directly relate to the record being reviewed, but it does give the reader the unique opportunity to learn something about the reviewer and therefore perhaps some insight into the state of mind in which the review was written. Many celebrity "rock 'n' roll journalists" would never dare to be so open." Bryan Rutt, Thatís What I Was Going to Say