This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, dialogues, settings, and businesses portrayed in it are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual NW Indiana events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
REGIONRAT, a novel / Laskowski, Richard A.
p. cm.- (Six Gallery Press)
ISBN 0-9726301-7-1
Manufactured in the United States of America
HERE'S WHAT'S UP
REGIONRAT is the story of how an underachieving teenager tries to make sense of his friend's destinies, twisted affairs and desperate attempts to get noticed.
Ray has lived in "The Region" all his life, and just like other Regionrats he is stuck in a place he thinks he understands. He feels chained to the midwestern subculture of survival, a lifestyle from which he may never escape.
This story is a reminder to every REGIONRAT of how we survived, and others choked on the grit, in a weird concrete world of creepy industrial smokestacks, liquor store litter and infinite road construction.
STRAIGHT DOPE ON LASKOWSKI
My name's Richard Laskowski. I grew up in NW Indiana. I'm a writer of realism with little academic influence. I wrote a book called REGIONRAT (published by Six Gallery Press in 2003), the story of a tragic death that tore apart a group of NW Indiana friends, and the grief and blame that turned them into lifetime enemies.
SHOW SUPPORT
-this is the part of the show where I drop the code for a sweet-ass MySpace banner for purposes of copy and pasting:
<..a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=14996339"><..img src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/rlaskowski75/regionratbannerzc1.gif" border=0 alt="(219) PRIDE"><../a>
-here's what the banner is gonna look like:
Kimle tanışmak isterim:
HOMEROOM ANNOUNCEMENTS
-REGIONRAT is on facebook. Be cool and join our group.
-REGIONRAT is also an independent film project starring Luke Eberl, Hallee Hirsh, Mae Whitman, and Aaron Himelstein.
Be cool: hit this link for more information on the REGIONRAT Film Project.
-REGIONRAT cover designed by KidDeft®.
-REGIONRAT Soundtrack music provided by Shotgun Elvis and Jason America: Failed Superhero.
-you wanna check out the filmed REGIONRAT preview of the novel on YouTube? Head right HERE.
-the REGIONRAT trailer you just saw was created by Marc Nelson.
-REGIONRATS are rough. Straight up. Cruise into a burn-down session inside the REGIONRAT MYSPACE GROUP.
-REGIONRAT is readily available online. Browse your favorite search engine, go straight to AMAZON, or request your local bookstore to order from SPDBOOKS.ORG
-i've disabled html in the comment section so people don't scratch this MySpace page with spam, but I encourage NW Indiana artists to promote themselves below. If you're a fan of this or that, chill out and take in the info people post below.
Listen to Batching It's debut album "Homage" in it's entirety before it is released! CD out in January 2010! Featuring songs by NOFX, Skankin' Pickle, Swingin' Utters, Pearl Jam, Rancid, Lagwagon, Metallica, Sublime, No Use For a Name, Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer, No Doubt, The Descendents, Less Than Jake and Operation Ivy!
What's happenin? Just so you know we don't ignore our friends, here we are! And to prove it, here are a few badass videos. We can't wait to see you when we're back to playing shows. It's gonna be a few more months, but things are coming together.
Come down to Michigan City's Washington park and hang out with us on the beach while we go live on wbew on the vocolo.org beach party...bikinis optional...we start @ 4PM but will be there to hang at 3PM central time...
Thank you so much for supporting us by adding us to your myspace!! We have a new profile, new songs, and a guestbook we would love for you to sign!! Thanks again! You ROCK!!!!
Come out and celebrate the release of our new album, 'Real World Shaker', with us. The kickoff to a national college radio campaign beginning on the 30th. It should be a wild time. Hope to see you there and as always, thanks for the support - The Wonda
Saturday, June 27th, 10pm @ The Mousetrap (5565 N Keystone Ave Indy, IN) FREE!!! w/ Marshall Robbins
Lifetime warranty Window tinting on sale at Car Teks inc. (219) 864-8858 - Schererville (219) 242-8859 - Valparaiso
Prices
2 Door Coupe $80 4 Door Sedan $95 Entire Std. Cab Pickup(3 windows) $70 Entire Ext. Cab Pickup $80 Entire Crew Cab Pickup $95 Entire Small SUV (Escape, Explorer) $105 Entire Large SUV (Escalade, Expedition) $125
HEY YALL NEW TRACK'S UP, TWO PRODUCED BY MYSELF (PLAY IT YOUR WAY AND FLY MY FRIEND) ALSO CHECK OUT MFF PRODUCED BY THE INSTRUMENTAL HOSPITAL AND TAKE IT OUT ON YOU PRODUCED BY THE HOMIE ORLANDIS... ALL TACKS ARE A MUST HEAR...010
Thanks for your support of the last NLO concert the photos are now viewable on our myspace site. We are currently mixing the last 6 songs on our 17 track project. Look for it in stores in December 2009
Check out the song Survive by Dope. Kinda sums up a Regionrat! Can't wait for the movie to come out. About to re-read the book. Yeah...I'm a huge dork and do that often.