Pinball Wizard
by Michael D. Meloan
Michael D. Meloan’s new novella PINBALL WIZARD is a story of love, sex, jets, and Bukowski. Ralph is buffeted between a controlling father, international intrigue in the US defense industry, and a friendship with the writer Charles Bukowski. A wild girlfriend also ratchets-up the action.
“Are you the Pinball Wizard or the pinball?” asks Ralph’s manager inside a nuclear hardened bunker in England. That is the question driving Michael D. Meloan’s new novella–a story of love, sex, jets, and Bukowski.
But in the end, it is Ralph’s turn at the controls.
“My mailbox contained a surprise a week or so ago: PINBALL WIZARD, a novella by Michael Meloan. It is one of the most satisfying reading experiences I’ve had in recent years, in part because it handles a famous writer (Charles Bukowski) as one of its main characters with nonchalant deftness. Meloan’s slightly picaresque story is hard to classify, which is one of the things that makes it such a pleasure to read. He has a gift for writing unapologetically masculine prose; it’s flavorful without being exotic, and it doesn’t hurt that he has a fine ear for dialogue.”–Bill Mohr, writer, critic, and English Literature Professor at California State University, Long Beach
4 out of 5
This was an interesting book, that follows Ralph as he navigates life. The story feels a bit disjointed at times, but it works. Like the pinball Ralph feels he is, the story bounces around. We get glimpses of his personal life, family life, and professional life. A computer programmer waiting on clearance while working on top-secret coding, you’d think Ralph was on the right track, but something about him feels…aimless. Like he’s still not entirely sure what he wants to do in life. I don’t know if I like Ralph, but I found his life, and those around him interesting, and the story wasn’t dull by any means. An interesting piece of literary fiction, especially if you’re not quite sure what you’re looking for.
“You think every woman is a whore. You hate women. Admit it!” said Linda. “That’s why you’re so obsessed with pussy and cock and all that down-and-dirty shit. You can’t look a woman in the eye and relate to her as a human being. All you see is fishnet stockings, tits, and a hole.”
“You’re starting to piss me off,” Bukowski replied. “If it wasn’t for me, I don’t know what the fuck you’d be doing. That shitty little restaurant would be out of business in a week. What would you do if you had to go out and get a real job? I guess you could make Slurpees at 7-Eleven. Or sell oranges on a freeway on-ramp.”
“You’re the kind of vile piece-of-shit that makes people jump off buildings or blow their brains out. You have a genius for sucking every ounce of hope and joy out of anyone around you.”
“At least I have a genius for something. How many even have that?”
“You’re right. I’m sure Hitler was a genius, too.”
“Why don’t you move out? Go ahead and go! Do you think you’re the only woman I can get?”
“No, I’m well aware that the lure of fame—even second-rate fame like yours—is a powerful aphrodisiac for trailer trash women.”
“That’s it!” Bukowski planted his foot underneath the wooden coffee table and kicked it over, launching glasses of wine into the air. “Get out of my house! You DON’T live here anymore! I mean it. We’re through!” Bukowski and Linda stared at each other. Linda’s jaw flexed rhythmically. Then he moved in close. “I mean it! LEAVE!” he screamed, spewing spittle in her face. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
She stood up and looked at me. “Get me out of here,” she said.
“OK,” I replied.
Michael Meloan traveled extensively to England, Germany, and South Korea supporting the Department of Defense as a software engineer. He met the real Top Guns at Ramstein, Germany. He also wrote short stories for Larry Flynt, Buzz, Wired Magazine, and many literary journals. With his brother, Steven, he
penned a published novel called The Shroud. Also with his brother, he wrote journalism for The Huffington Post.
In the ‘80s and ‘90s, Meloan was friends with Charles Bukowski and his wife Linda. Bukowski enthusiastically encouraged his writing and invited him and his wife Cathy to many Hollywood events.
Meloan was also good friends with NPR monologue artist Joe Frank. Their regular brunches at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills were among the most fascinating encounters of his life. They discussed sexual failure, the nature of existence, godly realms, and the existential abyss. Meloan had the privilege of co-writing a number of radio shows with Frank that appeared on the NPR syndicate. The documentaries
Bukowski: Born into This and Joe Frank: Somewhere Out There both contain interviews with Meloan.
Visit the book’s website at www.pinballwizardbook.com.
