Louder Than Goodbye

Allen Callaci

WINNER of the Silver Medal in the 2021 eLit Book Awards


Why do we mourn the passing of iconic figures such as Carrie Fisher, Prince or even an obscure regional horror movie host from our youth? Why do we mourn the passing of larger-than-life figures whom we never knew in life as if they were an old friend? Louder Than Goodbye: Reflections and Remembrances from Kurt Cobain to Mary Tyler Moore to the Most Sinister Man to Ever Walk the Earth is a collection of meditations on the passing of pop culture figures and the personal connections to such figures. All were initially written as instant, unfiltered reactions to the unexpected passing of an icon which originally appeared in abridged form in blogs and publications such as BK Nation, The Huffington Post and the I.E. Weekly. They were not written as formal obituaries outlining a person’s career but reflections on how the loss of a larger than life figure can act as a barometer and unwitting spiritual guide through the different phases of one’s own existence.


Allen Callaci is the lead singer for the band Refrigerator, an adjunct professor, and a librarian whose work has appeared in MungBeing, the Poly Post, The Huffington Post, BK Nation, Cinefantastique, Crump Comics and various 'zines in the 90s. His memoir Heart Like a Starfish was published in 2015. He lives in Southern California and is the proud co-founder of the Rancho Cucamonga Public Library's Star Wars Day.