Naomi Kruh
Staff Writer
Author Len Vlahos combines personal experiences, his passion for music and his love for writing in his latest book, The Scar Boys.
Vlahos personal experiences in his band, Woofing Cookies, serves as the main influence throughout the coming of age story’s main character, Harbinger Jones. He was a member of the band from December 1981 to January 1987. Vlahos was heavily influenced to write this story because of a time when his band wound up stranded in Athens, Georgia for four months.
“That experience was a transformative part of my life, and I spent years trying to tell that story,” Vlahos said. “I wrote essays, short stories, screenplays, and none of it worked. Every time I wrote something, it came out as memoir. I was after something more universal.”
Vlahos began creative writing when he was in high school and wrote Sesame Street 2020, a futuristic piece. The story was quite risqué but with the encouragement from his English teacher, Vlahos stuck with writing.
“I love losing myself in the physical and mental act of writing, I love getting lost inside some character’s head,” Vlahos said.
Vlahos decided to tour parts of the United States on his book tour to spread the word of his recent publication, The Scar Boys. Vlahos hopes that by going out to spread the word of his book, he will be able to find the right readers.
“I’m leaving no stone unturned to help the book and its audience find one another,” Vlahos said. “Maybe that will happen and maybe it won’t, but it won’t be for a lack of trying.”
Vlahos visited the Costa library on Feb. 25 during fifth and sixth period as well as Pages Bookstore in Manhattan beach as a part of his book tour. During his presentation, Vlahos explained why he wrote the book and also included video clips from his own band. To top it all off, throughout the tour Vlahos is offering the chance to win an electric guitar if someone is able to explain the cultural relevance of a specific set of notes that he has selected.
“I love meeting people who like to read and like music,” Vlahos said. “It’s not a typical tour in that I’m working appearance in around my day job, so it’s going in fits and starts.”
Vlahos is currently finishing the manuscript for the sequel to The Scar Boys which will be a continuation told from a different point of view. However, Vlahos is still unsure of when the story will be published.
“I’m completely stoked that I get to write and publish another book,” Vlahos said.
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