Brian Costello

Brian Costello is a musician, live talk show host and writer living in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Born in Florida, he moved to Chicago in 1997 to pursue his interest in music. He studied at Columbia College Chicago, and is now an adjunct professor of Fiction Writing at the college as part of the author-teacher program.

Costello's comedy talk show, "The Brian Costello Show with Brian Costello" is performed live from the The Empty Bottle in Chicago to an audience of between 30 and 50 regulars. Performing with Ken Kagawa, the show features interviews with an assortment of guests ("People who are interesting" as Costello described them in the Chicago Tribune) and live music.cite news | last = Hageman | first = William | date = November 9, 2003 | title = A star is brewing - Live! From the Empty Bottle! 'Cheers' meets 'The Tonight Show'! | work = Chicago Tribune ] Costello is also the drummer in local band "Functional Blackouts", who have gained a reputation for "controlled chaos" which has resulted in the band being banned from a number of clubs in the region.cite news | last = Downing | first = Andy | date = March 17, 2006 | title = Functional Blackouts bringing down the house, quite literally | work = Chicago Tribune ]

As an author, Costello's writing has appeared in "Bridge," "THE2NDHAND," "Sleepwalk," "F Magazine," and "Hair Trigger". His first novel, "The Enchanters vs. Sprawlburg Springs", was released in 2006 by Featherproof books. The novel follows Shaquille Callahan, a drummer for the band "The Enchanters" in the fictional community of community of Sprawlburg Springs.cite journal | year = 2006 | title = Get Lit | journal = Demo | issue = 3 | url = http://www2.colum.edu/cps/demo/demo3/getlit.php | accessdate = 2008-06-02 ] It took ten years to complete,cite web | last = Lynch | first = Tom | date = December 13, 2005 | title = Author Visit: Brian Costello | work = Newcity Chicago | url = http://www.newcitychicago.com/chicago/4921.html | accessdate = 2008-06-02 ] and was offered as his thesis at Columbia College. The novel draws on his own experiences, both as a drummer and as a native of Florida, and, like Costello, the protagonist of the novel winds up in Chicago.cite news | last = Rooney | first = Megan R. | date = January 23, 2006 | title = Musician writes about what he knows in debut novel | work = Daily Nebraskan | url = http://media.www.dailynebraskan.com/media/storage/paper857/news/2006/01/23/ArtsbookReviews/Musician.Writes.About.What.He.Knows.In.Debut.Novel-1748877.shtml
accessdate = 2008-06-02 ] In spite of this, Costello has stated that the novel is not autobiographical.cite web | last = Klos | first = Ryan | date = February 2006 | title = An Interview with Brian Costello | work = Bookslut | url = http://www.bookslut.com/features/2006_02_007825.php | accessdate = 2008-06-02 ] His novel has generally been well received,cite journal | year = 2006 | title = Variance | journal = Swimmer's Ear Magazine | issue = 18 | pages = p. 8 ] cite journal | last = Pants | first = Megan | date = April 05, 2006 | title = Enchanters Vs. Sprawlburg Springs, The | journal = Razorcake | url = http://www.razorcake.org/site/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=7206 | accessdate = 2008-06-02 ] although it has been criticized for the use of "heavy-handed" satire. Costello's second novel, "Losing in Gainesville", is due for release in 2008.

Novels

* "The Enchanters vs. Sprawlburg Springs" - Featherproof books 2006

External links

* [http://www.bookslut.com/features/2006_02_007825.php Interview with Brian Costello]
* [http://www.the2ndhand.com/print8/story1.html "The Night I Told My Parents the Truth," a story published in THE2NDHAND]

References