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Summary: Bus Stations & Trainyards
Review: Dito is a great man, his music is transcendant, this book will f**k with your head. The honesty, pathos and humor which Dito brings forth with every thought on each page is beautiful, tragic and awe-inspiring. From the reader's perspective, it fills you with gut-wrenching longing... for a bygone New York, for your own misspent youth, for the sounds of Gutterboy's music in a filthy bar in the '80s. I was a Guttergirl, I knew him and the band, I was there. After reading one page, I was compelled to drag out my Gutterboy CDs (and homemade tapes we made at every gig) and was transported all over again to the brutal sentimentality of "Growing Up Under the RR" and driven to abject despair for "Bus Stations & Trainyards". People should buy this book, buy the Gutterboy CDs, go see this film (when it comes out). Dito rips our hearts out and shows them to us, so we can see what we are made of and journey back to a better time and place and more profound version of ourselves. To Dito I say, Congratulations on a fine work. Make more music - We need it. And I hope our paths cross again one day. Love, "your girlfriend from under the pool table", Champagne
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Summary: I do not know the New York this book writes of!
Review: I have followed it like a map to stars home. A twisted street map through the dirty streets full of ghost from the 80's. Unfortunately every time I pin point an exact location from the book there seems to be a KMART standing there! Or a Duane REED DRUG STORE!!!!! What a time it must have been. I can't think of a more exciting time to have been down and out and somehow savoring all the madness for US in the future to read. Like a delinquent time capsule A GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS paints a most beautiful portrait! the only true documentation I've found of Inner City life during this time.
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Summary: Raised under the RR
Review: I hope the author of this fine piece of literature knows that there are people out here in the world who still yearn to hear more of the music that made Gutterboy semi-famous. As a book, this insightful guide stands on it's own since you can open up to ANY page and find something of interest, be it historical narrative written from the restless heart of Dito or a simple little anectdote that may arouse laughter or simply warmth. I see that the author has had to change names to protect the guilty sinners but when he does this it doesn't matter because the stories are so visceral in their retelling that nothing essential is lost. Dito, this is no Buck Darma solo, more like a haemorrhage of memories that were written to remind you about those times in your life when the world was so perfect in it's beautiful, dirty, truthful way. I thank you for capturing and keeping those times alive forever.
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Summary: A New generation of writers
Review: It seems to me while the rest of the world has become one giant coorporate melting pot the one thing that has gone back to a grass roots movement is arts and literature. While there are endless run-ons, misspellings and over punctuation at every turn, I was moved. In the end that is what I look for art to do. Move me. This book did that. Well done. Loved the references to some of my boyhood heroes.
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Summary: fuggedaboudit.
Review: Kicked my ass and then some. Can't wait for the film!
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Summary: KICK ASS BOOK
Review: Loved the book from cover to cover. Took a weekend with the Guide and felt like I was on many adventues. A Tom Sawyer of such.
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Summary: Another Great New York Story
Review: These days New York is filled with so many out of towners that you get to missing the New York accent on the streets of the city. This novel takes me back to the days of the 80s when I was taking the 7 train to the Met game or going the other direction for some forbidden fun at the pinball halls in Times Square. We went to bars in Woodside and roamed the East Village going to crazy industrial music clubs.Dito's memoir about a kid from Astoria who forms a band and has great adventures in the big city rings true. He lived life with the pedal to the metal and somehow came out unscathed with lots of valuable memories. Like Mike Tenaglia's book Anti-Hero, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints is for anyone who wants to get the feel of New York City when a one bedroom on Avenue A went for $$$a month, three card monte dealers were the big attraction in Times Square and the subway was free on New Years Eve. Those were the days... Pure Magic!
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Summary: a damed good book
Review: this book borke my heart. It made me cry, and dammit, I'm a full grown man. This book made me grow up and by that I don't mean grow old. It made me respec the fact that we're from Queens NY, and we are all behind the eight ball, and by that I mean we all grew up under the train, or on the wrong side of the tracks. I learned a lot from this book. Dito is the true King of Queens, ladies and gentlemen. And he is a gentleman. This book is violent, let me warn you, but the worst part is how it will brake your heart. You will laugh and cry along with Dito and company. Especially some of his wacky and zany friends, who I knew in real life, but none have the heart and sould of Dito. I remember seeing Gutterboys play in NYC, and one song made me cry. I was with some tough leather boys, so I went into the bathroom and cried. Why did I cry? Because dito looked straight at me. And through me. Into my heart. That night I decided to live my life in Christ. And I swore that I would learn to play an instrument and BE the next Dito! I did it too. I am as good as Dito... but not as good. I have since moved out of NY but I still have my heart and sould in Astoria, Queens. I think that this may be the best book ever writen about Astoria in general. I love youall and god bless you dito!
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