Michael Petracca
Encyclopedia
Michael Petracca is an American novelist who teaches research writing and creative nonfiction
and has served as Acting Co-Director of the Writing Program at the University of California, Santa Barbara
. Petracca's two novels, Doctor Syntax and Captain Zzyzx, published by Capra Press
, feature Harmon Nails III as a protagonist. In Doctor Syntax (set in the Los Angeles
area), Nails is a graduate student struggling to finish his dissertation. In Captain Zzyzx (set in the fictional "Fiesta City", in Southern California
), Nails has rejected academia and plays in a rhythm and blues
band while searching for love. To develop the characters for these books, the author draws upon history as a semi-professional poker
player http://www.pokerpages.com/players/profiles/4765/mike-petracca.htm and jazz
/ zydeco
http://www.sevensouth.com/recordshop/ZydecoZi/01.php / rhythm and blues guitarist and multi-divorced half-Italian half-Jewish Gaviota Buzzard
Club http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=24134 troubadour
(2006). In recent years Petracca’s writing has focused on popular culture
criticism
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1542-734X.1996.1902_71.x http://connection.ebscohost.com/content/article/1028955409.html;jsessionid=AA4A512048E59AC5BF61FBB3C0323E2C.ehctc1 and creative nonfiction, the latter relating volunteers’ contributions in the areas of habitat conservation
http://www.prescott.edu/highlights/alligator_juniper/AlligatorJuniperReviews.html http://nrs.ucop.edu/Coal-Oil-Point.htm and hospice
care. Petracca is the son of noted Hollywood screenplay and television writer Joseph Petracca
.
Creative nonfiction
Creative nonfiction is a genre of writing that uses literary styles and techniques to create factually accurate narratives. Creative nonfiction contrasts with other nonfiction, such as technical writing or journalism, which is also rooted in accurate fact, but is not primarily written in service...
and has served as Acting Co-Director of the Writing Program at the University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
. Petracca's two novels, Doctor Syntax and Captain Zzyzx, published by Capra Press
Capra Press
Capra Press was a Santa Barbara, California-based independent publishing house which has produced works by authors such as Henry Miller, Anaïs Nin, Raymond Carver, Ray Bradbury, Gretel Ehrlich, Ursula K...
, feature Harmon Nails III as a protagonist. In Doctor Syntax (set in the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
area), Nails is a graduate student struggling to finish his dissertation. In Captain Zzyzx (set in the fictional "Fiesta City", in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
), Nails has rejected academia and plays in a rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
band while searching for love. To develop the characters for these books, the author draws upon history as a semi-professional poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
player http://www.pokerpages.com/players/profiles/4765/mike-petracca.htm and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
/ zydeco
Zydeco
Zydeco is a form of uniquely American roots or folk music. It evolved in southwest Louisiana in the early 19th century from forms of "la la" Creole music...
http://www.sevensouth.com/recordshop/ZydecoZi/01.php / rhythm and blues guitarist and multi-divorced half-Italian half-Jewish Gaviota Buzzard
Buzzard
A buzzard is one of several large birds, but there are a number of meanings as detailed below.-Old World:In the Old World Buzzard can mean:* One of several medium-sized, wide-ranging raptors with a robust body and broad wings....
Club http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=24134 troubadour
Troubadour
A troubadour was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages . Since the word "troubadour" is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a trobairitz....
(2006). In recent years Petracca’s writing has focused on popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
criticism
Criticism
Criticism is the judgement of the merits and faults of the work or actions of an individual or group by another . To criticize does not necessarily imply to find fault, but the word is often taken to mean the simple expression of an objection against prejudice, or a disapproval.Another meaning of...
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1542-734X.1996.1902_71.x http://connection.ebscohost.com/content/article/1028955409.html;jsessionid=AA4A512048E59AC5BF61FBB3C0323E2C.ehctc1 and creative nonfiction, the latter relating volunteers’ contributions in the areas of habitat conservation
Habitat conservation
Habitat conservation is a land management practice that seeks to conserve, protect and restore, habitat areas for wild plants and animals, especially conservation reliant species, and prevent their extinction, fragmentation or reduction in range...
http://www.prescott.edu/highlights/alligator_juniper/AlligatorJuniperReviews.html http://nrs.ucop.edu/Coal-Oil-Point.htm and hospice
Hospice
Hospice is a type of care and a philosophy of care which focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's symptoms.In the United States and Canada:*Gentiva Health Services, national provider of hospice and home health services...
care. Petracca is the son of noted Hollywood screenplay and television writer Joseph Petracca
Joseph Petracca
Joseph Petracca was an American novelist, short story writer, screenwriter, and television writer of Italian descent...
.