6325 ratings | 1757 reviews | avg rating:3.73

more photos (16)

Scott’s Year In Books

Scott’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at Scott’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

Go to Scott’s 2025 Year in Books

Scott C. Holstad’s Followers (98)

Scott’s Bookshelves

to-read (92)
currently-reading (100)
read (6360)
asia (256)
autographed (168)
beat-writers (90)
biography-autobiography (673)
books-citing-or-mentioning-me (108)
books-i-ve-reviewed-published (112)
business (218)
See all bookshelves »

Scott’s Friends (158)

Alex

7,602 books | 21 friends

Jeff Koeppen

1,398 books | 192 friends

Jason

507 books | 17 friends

Mike

1,499 books | 1,841 friends

Anji Bee

521 books | 198 friends

Carol

4,643 books | 2,940 friends

Rowan MacDonald

5,394 books | 4,896 friends

Paul Haspel

3,863 books | 1,562 friends

More friends…

2026 Reading Challenge

2026

READING

CHALLENGE

Scott Holstad has read 11 of 125 books.

Scott C. Holstad

Goodreads Author

Born

Boston, The United States

Website

https://hankrules2011.com/

Twitter

tangledscott

Genre

Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction

Influences

Charles Bukowski, Albert Camus, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Kenneth Patchen ...more

Member Since

April 2012

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/scottholstad

edit data

Scott C. Holstad is a disabled Pulitzer & BOTN-nominated poet & author with 75+ books to his credit & work in 850+ unique magazines. He is a 33-year member of The Authors Guild & was the founder/publisher of Big Head Press (1990-97), the Tek Thots newsletter (1996-2000) & poetry editor of Ray’s Road Review (2011-2017), as well as a journalist & editor for a variety of commercial publications.

His work has appeared in The Minnesota Review, Exquisite Corpse, Long Shot, Comstock Review, Wormwood Review, Chiron Review, Hawai’I Review, Pacific Review, Southern Review, Sports Illustrated, ;login, the TODAY Show, AIM, Palo Alto Review, Santa Clara Review, Poetry Ireland Review, Flipside, Cyber-Psychos AOD, Fringeware Review, Processed World, Wicked Scott C. Holstad is a disabled Pulitzer & BOTN-nominated poet & author with 75+ books to his credit & work in 850+ unique magazines. He is a 33-year member of The Authors Guild & was the founder/publisher of Big Head Press (1990-97), the Tek Thots newsletter (1996-2000) & poetry editor of Ray’s Road Review (2011-2017), as well as a journalist & editor for a variety of commercial publications.

His work has appeared in The Minnesota Review, Exquisite Corpse, Long Shot, Comstock Review, Wormwood Review, Chiron Review, Hawai’I Review, Pacific Review, Southern Review, Sports Illustrated, ;login, the TODAY Show, AIM, Palo Alto Review, Santa Clara Review, Poetry Ireland Review, Flipside, Cyber-Psychos AOD, Fringeware Review, Processed World, Wicked Mystic, Premonitions, Haight-Ashbury Literary Journal, Kerouac Connection, Bouillabaisse, Bukowski & Serial Killers, Nexus, Stand, The Galway Review, Sivullinen, Gangan Verlag, Ink Sweat & Tears, Misfit, Mad Swirl, Libre, Synchronized Chaos, Hidden Peak Review, Bristol Noir, smols, dadakuku, Five Fleas, haiQu fOO, The Argyle, Cosmic Daffodil Journal, Horror Sleaze Trash, Alien Buddha Zine, miniMAG, Blood+Honey & 西洋文學在臺灣研究書目. His newest book, SURVIVING IMMORTALITY AGAIN, was released in 2025 by Alien Buddha Press.

Among those who have praised his work & books are Edward Field, Gerald Locklin, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Marilyn Kallet, Robert Polito, Jeannine Hall Gaiiley, Laurel Speer, Lisa Zaran, Michael Bugeja, Marvin Malone, GP Lainsbury, CL Huth, Jonathan Penton, Robert Peters, Todd Moore, Alan Catlin, Jon Nakapalau, Eric Jennings, Factsheet Five, Hawai’I Review, Asheville Poetry Review, Blue Villa, Ink Sweat & Tears, Wormwood Review, Dusty Dog Reviews, BBR Directory, Library Journal, Flipside, TapRoot Reviews, NewPages, KIRKUS Reviews, US Review of Books & many more.

Scott Holstad holds degrees from the University of Tennessee, California State University Long Beach, UCLA & Queens University of Charlotte. He’s moved 35+ times, currently lives in Pennsylvania & loves geopolitics, good vinyl, books, custom rigs & hockey. Disabled & retired, he currently holds positions of Professor Emeritus at The Royal United Services Institute for Defence & Security Studies (RUSI) & Researcher (Research Scientist) with the American Academy of Neurology (AAN).

https://hankrules2011.com
X: @tangledscott
IG: @scottsmusicshak ...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Scott C. Holstad questions, please sign up.

Combine Editions
Scott C. Holstad’s books

Average rating: 4.78 · 295 ratings · 127 reviews · 132 distinct works

	Places 4.71 avg rating — 14 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Cells it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 2004	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Surviving Immortality Again it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 6 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Never-Ending Cigarettes it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 1999	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Artifacts it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 2001	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Street Poems it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 1991 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Napalmed Soul it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 1999	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Big Head Press Broadside Poem Collection by Scott C. Holstad (Goodreads Author), Antler (Contributor), Belinda Subraman (Contributor) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 4 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Shadows Before the Maiming 4.75 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 1999	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Hang Gliding on X it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 1999	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Scott C. Holstad…

896 posts
Scott C. Holstad's Blog

They’re Going to Start Killing ICE Agents (D Pakman)

I’m reposting some food for thought…

They’re going to start killing ICE agents by David Pakman

What the killing of Alex Pretti reveals about the risks of unaccountable federal policing

Read on Substack

https://substack.com/embedjs/embed.js

Scott is Currently Reading

Scott Holstad is currently reading

The Big Book of Small Presses and Independent Publishers: Small Presses, book contests, university presses, and independent publishers for unagented authors

by Marylee MacDonald (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

0 minutes ago

Scott Holstad is currently reading

Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America before 1700, 8th Edition by Frederick Lewis Weis (2006-12-23)

by Frederick Lewis Weis

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

3 minutes ago

Scott Holstad is currently reading

How To Write A Novel Chapter By Chapter: A Complete Guide To Outlining, Plotting And Editing Any Novel

by Neil Black

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

20 hours, 21 min ago

rss
Scott’s Recent Updates

Scott Holstad is currently reading The Big Book of Small Presses and Independent Publishers: Small Presses, book contests, university presses, and independent publishers for unagented authors by Marylee MacDonald (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
0 minutes ago · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Big Book of Small Presses and Independent Publishers by Marylee MacDonald. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Big Book of Small Presses and Independent Publishers by Marylee MacDonald <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Scott Holstad is currently reading Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America before 1700, 8th Edition by Frederick Lewis Weis (2006-12-23) by Frederick Lewis Weis	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3 minutes ago · like
Scott Holstad is currently reading How To Write A Novel Chapter By Chapter: A Complete Guide To Outlining, Plotting And Editing Any Novel by Neil Black	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20 hours, 21 min ago · 2 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of How To Write A Novel Chapter By Chapter by Neil Black. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — How To Write A Novel Chapter By Chapter by Neil Black <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Scott Holstad wants to read Alien Buddha Zine 83: standard color print by Alien Buddha	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 26, 2026 07:26PM · 1 like · like
Scott Holstad started reading Jan Kerouac: A Life in Memory by Gerald Nicosia	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 26, 2026 07:25PM · 1 like · like
Scott Holstad started reading Stonewall Jackson and the American Civil War (Civil War Classics) by George Francis Robert Henderson	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 26, 2026 07:24PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Stonewall Jackson and the American Civil War by George Francis Robert Henderson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Stonewall Jackson and the American Civil War by George Francis Robert Henderson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Scott Holstad started reading The Nuremberg Trials: The Nazis and Their Crimes Against Humanity by Paul Roland (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 26, 2026 07:23PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Nuremberg Trials by Paul Roland. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Nuremberg Trials by Paul Roland <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Scott Holstad started reading Bitches Brew by George Grella Jr. (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 26, 2026 07:23PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Bitches Brew by George Grella Jr.. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Bitches Brew by George Grella Jr. <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Scott Holstad started reading Medieval Sexuality: A Research Guide (Routledge Library Editions: History of Sexuality Book 6) by Joyce E. Salisbury	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 26, 2026 07:21PM · like
Scott Holstad started reading Sex in the Middle Ages: A Book of Essays (Routledge Library Editions: History of Sexuality) by Joyce E. Salisbury	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 26, 2026 07:21PM · like

More of Scott's books…

Quotes by Scott C. Holstad (?)

“We wake up, breathe, live life often against our wishes and our better judgement. We console ourselves by telling ourselves this is no fault of our own but that doesn’t take away the reality of the pain, the streaming dreams, the utter shock of life, the shattered pieces of survival.”
― Scott C. Holstad, Cells

tags: blame, existential-dilemma, life, meaning-of-life, pain, reality, shattered-dreams, survival

3 likes

“Fuck the sweats, I want the world. No rhyming for me, no structured bullshit, I want to spread out, feel the bullets whistle past.”
― Scott C. Holstad

3 likes

“i often wonder at what point my thoughts cease to be my reality and simply merge with my dreams to become my fiction, my life.”
― Scott C. Holstad, Distant Visions, Again and Again

tags: dreams, knowledge, life, meaning-of-life, philosophy, poetry, quotes, thoughts, wisdom

2 likes

See all Scott C. Holstad's quotes »

Scott’s Quotes

“But in the end one needs more courage to live than to kill himself.”
― Albert Camus

4784 likes

“Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead.”
― Charles Bukowski

tags: humor

22511 likes

“Hell is—other people!”
― Jean-Paul Sartre, No Exit

tags: garcin, hell, people

2338 likes

“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”
― Christopher Hitchens

tags: atheism, reason, science, skeptic

3330 likes

“A paranoid is someone who knows a little of what's going on. A psychotic is a guy who's just found out what's going on.”
― William S. Burroughs

606 likes

More of Scott’s quotes…

Scott’s Friend Comments

Comments (showing 1-3) post a comment »

date

newest »

message 3: by Scott

Aug 20, 2012 11:39AM

Madeleine wrote: "Any friendly fan of Buk's is a friend of mine! Thank you so much for your kind words and the friend request. I look forward to chatting about books with you in the future!"

Absolutely! The Buk has been my muse for decades. Among my most prized possessions are several books he autographed for me while he was still alive. I really miss him. I'm curious what your favorite Buk book is...? I'm partial to Play The Piano Drunk... as that was the first book of his I ever read. It made a huge impact on me.

I look forward to chatting about books with you too. Cheers!

reply | flag

message 2: by Madeleine

Aug 20, 2012 11:29AM

Any friendly fan of Buk's is a friend of mine! Thank you so much for your kind words and the friend request. I look forward to chatting about books with you in the future!

reply | flag

message 1: by Scott

May 09, 2012 02:31PM

Horrorshow wrote: "Thanks for the Friendship Invite, Scott. :-)"

Thanks to you. I like what you're reading these days. Cheers!

reply | flag

Scott’s Year In Books

Scott C. Holstad’s Followers (98)

Scott’s Bookshelves

Scott’s Friends (158)

2026 Reading Challenge

Scott C. Holstad

Goodreads Author

Learn more
Ask the Author

Popular Answered Questions

Combine Editions
Scott C. Holstad’s books

896 posts
Scott C. Holstad's Blog

They’re Going to Start Killing ICE Agents (D Pakman)

Scott is Currently Reading

rss
Scott’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — The Big Book of Small Presses and Independent Publishers by Marylee MacDonald

See a Problem?

Preview — How To Write A Novel Chapter By Chapter by Neil Black

See a Problem?

Preview — Stonewall Jackson and the American Civil War by George Francis Robert Henderson

See a Problem?

Preview — The Nuremberg Trials by Paul Roland

See a Problem?

Preview — Bitches Brew by George Grella Jr.

Scott’s Quotes

recent posts
Scott’s Groups

Scott’s Friend Comments

Scott C. Holstad’s Followers (98)

Scott C. Holstad

Goodreads Author

Popular Answered Questions

rssScott’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — The Big Book of Small Presses and Independent Publishers by Marylee MacDonald

See a Problem?

Preview — How To Write A Novel Chapter By Chapter by Neil Black

See a Problem?

Preview — Stonewall Jackson and the American Civil War by George Francis Robert Henderson

See a Problem?

Preview — The Nuremberg Trials by Paul Roland

See a Problem?

Preview — Bitches Brew by George Grella Jr.

rss
Scott’s Recent Updates