Michael Farrell

(Author's note: Last fall, I welcomed the release of my second novel, When the Lights Go Out. From its earliest stages, drafted throughout two years in grad school and edited after an unexpected return to Buffalo, it took six years to finish.

But as personally momentous of an occasion as this was, the novel  Read More 

(Author's note: When I originally conceived this story, it was rooted in the idea that, sometimes, life isn't about celebrating the best of times. It's about survival, overcoming the worst of times and the strength you can summon in those moments. This message seems appropriate in the wake of the political events of the  Read More 

(Author's note: In the six years I spent writing, editing and rewriting this story, I spent a lot of time amid live music. Not only did I see a lot of performances on my own time, but I also worked for three years as a bartender at three different music venues in Boston, Massachusetts--including  Read More 

(Author's note: With my second novel now making the rounds, figured I should re-post the following essay. It discusses my relationship with my hometown of Buffalo and the need to write about it, both pertinent as my Queen City-set When the Lights Go Out starts to find its way to the public.  Read More