I’m pleased as a parakeet to report that on June 14 Crown will publish Break the Skin, the new novel by my friend and writing teacher, Pulitzer Prize finalist Lee Martin. The title comes from a line in the Watershed song “Black Concert T-Shirt.”
My steel toes start kickin’
My new tattoo just ain’t stickin’
You gotta break the skin
Take the needle, just stick it in
I’m still waiting on my Amazon order, so I haven’t yet read the book, but word on the street is that Watershed is also mentioned in the story proper. You’d do right to pick up a copy and see for yourself.
In the meantime, to get all fired up for the novel, here’s a link to my withering Myspace page, where you can listen to the full 1:44 of “Black Concert T-Shirt” and have yourself a Lee Martin pre-party. Sort of like drinking a six-pack in the parking lot before a Tom Petty concert, but with less beer and more words.
JOE OESTREICH 