Ari Surdoval grew up in rural Connecticut and left home for New York City in his teens. There, he studied writing and tended bar. Since 2004, he has lived in and around Nashville. He was the managing editor of Performing Songwriter magazine and the editorial director for Gibson Guitar. He has been an independent writer since 2007.
In 2020 he wrote his first novel, Double Nickels, and published it himself. Double Nickels has been called, “a work of hardscrabble poetry… a finely etched portrait of those consigned to the narrow margins of society” (Bob Mehr, Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements); a novel that “strips life down to its very essence” with moments “where time stops” (Bill Bentley, Americana Highways); “an astonishing debut—part coming-of-age story, part harrowing mystery, with pacing as electrifying and rapid-fire as a Ramones song” (Jaan Uhelszki, Creem); and “S.E. Hinton by way of Hubert Selby. A teenage fever dream of stunted ambition and enduring hope … inspiring enough to imagine that beating the rigged game is possible.” ( Elizabeth Nelson, Lawyers, Guns and Money)
He is currently finishing his second novel, which he plans to publish independently, and collaborating on an artist’s memoir, to be published by Hachette in 2024. He lives in Franklin with his wife and their two children.
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Praise for Double Nickels
“A work of hardscrabble poetry… a finely etched portrait of those consigned to the narrow margins of society.” — Bob Mehr, Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements.
“Strips life down to its very essence, taking away the false facades of humanity in a way that makes the bones grow cold. There are moments in this book where time freezes.” — Bill Bentley, Americana Highways
“An astonishing debut—part coming-of-age story, part harrowing mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat with pacing as electrifying and rapid-fire as a Ramones song. Double Nickels is an impossible-to-put-down hero’s journey through the wasteland of the mid-eighties.” – Jaan Uhelszki, Creem
”S.E. Hinton by way of Hubert Selby. A teenage fever dream of stunted ambition and enduring hope… inspiring enough to imagine that beating the rigged game is possible.” — Elizabeth Nelson, Lawyers, Guns and Money
