3/4ths Another Bullshit Night In Suck City, 1/4th Some Ether, 100% Nick Flynn

Initially I was suckered in by the title, Another Bullshit Night in Suck City. Honestly, who wouldn’t (quite proudly) carry around a book  with an explosive title like that? Not to mention the simplicity of the book cover which spawned various images (in my mind at least) of some anal-retentive print maker meticulously mixing inks while occasionally throwing fits about finger prints and paper weight. In all seriousness though, before I even read the book I actually spent a good deal analyzing the book cover, but I promise not to bore you with any of that. Let's discuss  the actual material between the cover shall we?

I had previously read two books of poetry by Nick Flynn: Some Ether and The Captain Asks For a Show of Hands; naturally I was curious to see how Flynn’s writing would translate into a larger, expansive piece. Since Nick Flynn is first most a poet, it comes as no surprise that his memoir is very lyrical at times. Nick Flynn’s memoir is enjoyable simply due in large part to Flynn’s  voice, diction, the poeticism of his words--there’s an authenticity to it that’s impossible to deny. Not to mention the slivers of humor that tends to show up during serious situations. 

 Had I not initially known this book was written by Nick Flynn, it would have become apparent a few pages in, simply because his style is distinct and easily recognizable. In fact, there are numerous parallels, specifically between Some Ether and Another Bullshit Night in Suck City; and for that I am glad to have read Some Ether beforehand because it provided the basic framework for what Nick Flynn’s memoir encompassed. His poetry at the very least prepared me for what I was about to dive into, and anyone who has read Nick Flynn's work would know that means diving into the deep end. I actually found myself shuffling back and forth through both books, comparing notes, names and situations (the mothers crazy Vietnam boyfriend, oh yes, he completely mentions that in the poem ‘Flashback’ and the bit about pie, drive-in movie-screens, all make sense now!) The memoir  in general provides an in-depth recollection of Nick Flynn’s childhood, his relation with his parents, specifically his father; whereas his book of poetry only scratches the surface of his childhood, and focuses primarily on the suicide of his mother. 

 In Some Ether, the book is divided into four sections, Another Bullshit Night in Suck City is no exception; the book is sliced into six parts and the chapters are rather short. The brief chapters actually lend itself to the quickness of the book, and are probably the only considerable length one could expect a poet to expand upon. Although most of the sections don’t have a particular arrangement, each include chapters reminiscing on childhood, Flynn’s dysfunctional father, the homeless center, and an abundance of Nick Flynn’s personal thoughts (no surprise there).

A good chunk of the story is devoted to Nick Flynn’s alcoholic father, Jonathan, and it seems that the memoir isn’t so much Nick Flynn’s as it is his fathers. In this sense, Jonathan finally has his story, albeit told through his son’s own story. Despite the fact Flynn seems somewhat detached towards his father through most of the memoir, there’s underlying empathy, enough to tell his father’s story, even naming the title of the book after a nickname his father had of his hometown. Flynn also recognizes and asks the agonizing question of whether or not he will become his father considering his own bout with alcoholism, his dire need to write, and his stint towards a downward spiral (he is his father’s son after all). Ultimately though, he lives though his mother does not, he cleans up his life though his father could not, and he becomes the writer his father would not.

Despite the heavy subject matter, the subtle underbelly of empathy and the way in which Nick Flynn strings his words along manages to find a balance.  If you need a book to give you a reason to appreciate your own vanilla life (let’s face it, compared to Nick Flynn’s life, most of ours pale in comparison) then Another Bullshit Night in Suck City is the way to go. If you choose to do so, I highly encourage you to  follow up with  Some Ether because the memoir and poetry complement each other quite nicely.

Newjack By Ted Conover

   Ted Conover is an author and journalist who has spent many years writing and experience many cultural things many will never encounter in their life. He has covered stories from hoping trains with homeless men, traveling with illegal immigrants and even driving a cab for one whole year. His honest journalistic sense comes alive in his creative pieces as he gives you the most in-depth insight a person could get without actually doing.

  In Conover’s piece NewJack he himself becomes a Newjack, the term used for a new correctional officer and is eventually assigned to Sing Sing, New York’s maximum-security prison. You learn through Conover’s introduction to Sing Sing that it was built by inmates for inmates and at the time was the nation’s capital for capital punishment. After what you learn to believe is a short time in the academy and on the job training, Conover finds himself working, more than often alone and always unarmed inside galleries that house more than 60 inmates. He is responsible for the care and custody of many scared first-time inmates, gang members, drug addicts or violent predators. Inside the prison Conover writes with forwardness, not only giving the reader an in-depth view of the prison through his words but as well as the thought and questions that ponder him as he sees the reality of our nation’s prison system.

  Conover meets a variety of people through out his experience from  “bugs” or mentally disturbed inmates, the prison’s transvestites along with those that have spent years working inside the prison. He however is faced with many obstacles besides those housed inside the prison. He has to ask himself if the job can truly be done by the book. You learn to see past the stereotype of a correctional officer.

  The most important influence you see is how Conover portrays correctional officers as being forced by the circumstances they are under. He also clearly struggles as much as he feels for the inmates but knowing at any moment that could turn on him too.

“Cigarettes packs that lacked a New York State revenue stamp… were not allowed to be distributed to inmates, and were apparently thrown away. I thought of the inmates I know whom nobody was likely to remember at Christmas. There were lots of them. My heart went out to the most pathetic. When no one was looking I stuffed about a dozen of the cigarette packs into my jacket.”

Newjack has been praised as “sympathetic, intelligent, and engrossing” as Conover has been said to be “a gifted-and dedicated-journalist.” This riveting book will make you rethink everything you once thought about correctional officers. Conover, a professor at New York University teaching journalism, passes through the bars of brilliance with this book.

 

When You Are Engulfed in Flames

If you’re looking for continuous pleasure in a book (nearly demented and otherwise) then this is the one for you. Unplug your television, switch your phone to vibrate, and switch your vibrator to OFF. Once the cat is fed and you’re as comfy as can be on the couch, get up once more because you forgot the glass of wine, then sit back down to the precious storyteller that is David Sedaris.

His writing in When You Are Engulfed in Flames is just that: precious. Only, Sedaris’ ideas are something that you call precious when really you want to slap a Post It on his back explaining that he’s a tad off his rocker (don’t speak to him though, because he’ll write about you).

 But, get ready to laugh on the floor, tear up, and yell obscenities in agreement; but not all at once, you’ll look bedeviled. Reading When You Are Engulfed in Flames will have this effect. Sedaris is sweet yet leaves a taste in your mouth you can’t quite put your finger on, but you love the way it tingles so you take another bite. All of the stories that make up the book show that he’s a sincere man who nearly loves life, has a fascination with death, and lives fancy-free by making odd situations odder. Like when he talks of almost nearly sort of befriending a pedophile or of accidentally spitting a throat lozenge onto the lap of a woman next to him and scurrying off before she notices.

The stories read like snippets of Sedaris’ life, which almost always end on a thoughtful note. Be nice to people on the plane, but an asshole on the inside and start swim races with the autistic to feel better about yourself are some of the life lessons you’ll learn from the book. Well, he doesn’t say them so plainly, but that’s the gist. His prose is saccharine, abstruse, and to the point when describing the scenes of his childhood and travels. He doesn’t get analytical about the whole the mess, just drips some simple thoughts on your tongue to keep you interested. Sedaris’ writing is like that of the god Truman Capote. When You Are Engulfed in Flames reads like Capote’s masterfully crafted anthology The Dog’s Bark: Public People and Private Places.

Unlike Capote, though, David really lets it all hang out. One will get a real sense of exactly how odd the man is. He stirs his imagination, pokes it, licks it, and, in an act of extreme curiosity, tears it open with his bare hands. After a few chapters, you’ll begin to question how one single person could have so many unheard of moments to write about. That’s almost child abuse, you’ll think, or No way he’s done that. I thought gay men had it made; but sit down and hush up, because it’s all true. From placing headshots of terrorists in the windows of his French home in an attempt to ward off a group of frisky finches, to giving house spiders nametags and casting them away on European adventures, Sedaris has many things to write about, and an excellent prose to cast them in.

About David: He grew up in Raleigh, California with a handful of siblings and unconventional parents. He left the house after his mother died of smoking and met – this you will learn in the book – many transient characters on the way to a destination he didn’t know. He’s a gay man; although he often refers to himself and other gays as “homosexual” or “faggy” (he uses ‘faggy’ the way it ought to be). His partner, Hugh, is a recurring character and a jumping off point for many of the stories. Regardless of your orientation, you will be jealous of Hugh, this is normal. When you turn When You Are Engulfed in Flames over, you will see David’s picture. Again, no matter your orientation, you will want to fold his face up and keep it in your back pocket with the hopes that he’ll whisper little wisdoms throughout the day. This is not normal.

Sedaris is an excellent storyteller. If this book is not in your hands they will fall off. 

Salt: A World History

Salt: A World History

The most important rock you probably never think about.

Author of books like Cod and The Basque History of the World, Mark Kurlansky does not hide the subject of his books behind ambiguous titles or obscure descriptions on the back cover. Salt: A World History, in lieu with the rest of Kurlansky’s books, describes the nature of the novel perfectly. What the title hides, however, and what arguably makes the book such a terrific read, is the deceptively complex history that has plagued the relationship between mankind and salt since the inaugural days of human history.

This book is not just for gourmets and wannabe gourmets; if that were the case, my opinion would not be as favorable. True, there are quite a few recipes scattered throughout, but they only detail how complicated and time-consuming salting has been for the past 10,000 years. For an admirer of world history like myself, it was the historical aspect of Salt that made it an amazing read. So many events in history, like the founding of the Roman Empire and the American Civil War, were influenced by salt and the lack of it. Countries crumbled, world powers came into being, and countless people lived and died in the name of salt. Before picking up this novel, the average, every day reader would probably never know about the economic and social importance that salt has carried for ten millennia. After all, the average household can make a single can of Morton Salt last years.

Each chapter describes a different country or region of the globe at a different point in time and analyzes how salt has contributed to that society. Including so many diverse nations and cultures risks alienating the audience, but Kurlansky goes to excruciating lengths to enlighten the reader. Locations, civilizations, and people are all painted with an audience in mind who might not be familiar with China in 8000_BCE. Detailed descriptions and thorough background information about each region is included in every chapter that proves the author has done his research. Dozens of countries, some no longer in existence, are laid out with the comprehensive understanding that only a true historian is capable of.

Writing a full length novel about salt or cod requires more than just knowledge of a subject to captivate an audience. Salt reads like a textbook, but a textbook that was written with style and literary prowess firmly in mind. Where Kurlansky excels is in his clear and concise writing that makes 450 pages on the world’s only edible rock a fascinating read. Dates and names, some too foreign to pronounce, abound in this book, but Kurlansky uses the bridge between his readers and time and space to show off his skill as a writer and a historian.

Granted, Salt: A World History is not a book for everyone. Readers who lack an interest in history might find hundreds of pages about the significance of salt a hard book to sit through. While an interest in food is not necessary to enjoy Salt, Kurlansky definitely directs the novel toward a food-conscious audience. But readers with a love for history or a curiosity for the deceptively mundane will find Kurlansky’s book among the best food writing has to offer.

On the Road By Jack Kerouac

Jack Kerouac

Jack Kerouac was named one of the most important figures of the 20th century by LIFE Magazine.  He is known as one of the most famous natives of Lowell, Massachusetts—he was awarded a scholarship to Columbia University after graduation from Lowell High School in 1939. Neal Cassady first came into his life while he was attending University, they later traveled together across country—and his novel On the Road memorialized their travels together. His second novel On the Road was published in 1957 and it epitomized the “Beat generation”. The culture of the “Beat generation” consisted of drug experimentation, a rejection of materialism, and an uncensored means of expression and being.

In the 1960s On the road was regarded as a spontaneous and passionate celebration of the the country(U.S)—this novel became somewhat religious for the “beat generation”. The novel appealed to the “flower child-ness” of the time period and many young people absorbed the mindset of the "beat generation".

“I realized these were all the snapshots which our children would look at someday with wonder, thinking their parents had lived smooth, well-ordered lives and got up in the morning to walk proudly on the sidewalks of life, never dreaming the raggedy madness and riot of our actual lives, our actual night, the hell of it, the senseless emptiness.”

“I woke up as the sun was reddening; and that was the one distinct time in my life, the strangest moment of all, when I didn't know who I was - I was far away from home, haunted and tired with travel, in a cheap hotel room I'd never seen, hearing the hiss of steam outside, and the creak of the old wood of the hotel, and footsteps upstairs, and all the sad sounds, and I looked at the cracked high ceiling and really didn't know who I was for about fifteen strange seconds. I wasn't scared; I was just somebody else, some stranger, and my whole life was a haunted life, the life of a ghost.”

 This novel is a stream of Kerouac’s consciousness, it’s dizzying and exciting. The main character Sal Paradise is being led around the country by the complex Dean Moriarty, and they go from one coast to another throughout the four parts of the novel. The two live until they nearly fall apart, in the manor of true children of the “beat generation”.

“the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars.”

Kerouac remains popular as has the novel On the Road, so much so that it has been adapted into a film starring Garrett Hedlund and Kristen Stewart that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival 2012. Though the novel is not a memoir of Jack Kerouac’s life, he did travel with Cassedy after he dropped out of college and joined the merchant marines. Kerouac’s depiction of the wild and crazy times he and Neal Cassedy had in On the Road—have inspired songs, movies, and people since its publication in 1957.   

La Place de la Concorde Suisse

John McPhee, a student of Princeton and Cambridge University has worked for The New Yorker as well Time magazine, written nearly thirty books, eight of which received nominations for National Book Awards. In 1977 he received the Award in Literature, and also received the Pulitzer Prize in 1999. Somehow, I’m sure it wasn’t difficult with these credentials, McPhee was given access to the mystery known as the Swiss Army. McPhee is able to successfully unveil the methods, and mentality of the army, but more importantly the people who are involved. La Place de la Concorde Suisse is an excellent read that’ll leave you wanting more.

   Switzerland is a remarkably beautiful country that is as intricate and effective as their knives. It’s been      a global symbol of neutrality for five centuries. Strategically located bordering Germany, France, and Italy, it is unbelievable that the Swiss have been able to hold on to this title. McPhee serves    

alongside the “knuckleheads” of the Swiss army and is able to find out how they’ve managed to steer clear of trouble for so many years.  

         “The Swiss have not fought a war for nearly five hundred years, and are determined to know how so as not to.”

The Swiss have built a cult-like obsession in military involvement. Men, as soon as they are of age, enter the military. To be turned down by the army is the ultimate shame to the family. Want to do well in your civilian job? Let’s see what your rank in the military is, and then we can talk. Although it is not the main factor in whether or not you get a job, you’d be hard pressed to find a low-ranking officer with an upper-level civilian job. Teachers who have reached the pinnacle of their careers can still rely on promotions within the army. This type of bias serves as motivation for people to join the army and want to excel.

Saying that the Swiss have built an amazing military would be a lie. The Swiss, are, an amazing military. With the exception of a few rebellious teens, the entire country does their part somehow. Businesses fund the necessary trips for a soldier to serve his time. Civilians patiently wait as soldiers run across the bridge during mock demolition exercises. Barns are offered as shelters. Vehicles and land are given up without hesitation if needed. It is an environment dramatically different from that within the United States and McPhee does an excellent job of capturing it.

McPhee brings his typical journalistic style and blends it with the language and lingo of the Swiss. Juxtaposing the battalion he is serving with to the rest of the military. The beauty of the terrain with the squares cut out of mountainsides used to rain fire down on anyone who dares to rebuild the self-destructed bridge. Describing all of the offensive advantages the Swiss possess but reiterating the “porcupine” retreat-then-protect motto. It’s this blend of humor, irony, and imagery that keeps the pages turning, quickly, and before you know it it’s over. Unfortunately.

In Cold Blood By: Truman Capote

On November 15, 1959, in a small town of Holcomb, Kansas, four members of the Clutter family were savagely murdered by blasts from a shotgun held a few inches from their faces.

           Truman Capote reinvents the murder of the Clutter family in the book In Cold Blood.  Capote introduces us to the Clutter family and while doing so introduces us to the killers as well. The way in which he crafts the experience for the reader is indeed genius. Even though we know that the Clutter family is going to die, Capote creates an emotional tie to them and gives entry into their last few days alive. He carefully shows how perfect and innocent the family is and, while doing so, he is following the killers just as closely. 

By creating short paragraphs and quick glances between the two, Capote develops an intensity that is hard to grasp. This intensity is important, especially since most people already know the story that Capote is telling. In order to remind us that the story is in fact true Truman uses the Testimonies of some of the characters throughout the book instead of recreating the situation they were in.
          When the actual murder occurs, the way in which Capote reveals it is crucial for the book. He does not show the crime happen, instead he simply uses the scene when they are discovered. The imagery is gruesome and fantastic, in a short five pages Capote captures all four family members dead. Truman is clever  in not recreating the murderers massacring the family. He allows the reader to try and predict what has happened, where the motive lies, and why they put the family members in separate rooms. This creates a new interest and curiosity within our minds and it remains there until the killers confess.

     The killers, Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, take up the majority of the book, however, it is the most open ended portion of the book for quite some time. When we are finally allowed to see into Smith and Hickocks lives, Capote tricks us into sympathizing with them. In fact, the reader almost forgets that they committed the murder and one hopes that they didn't. Capote is the narrator, and because of that, the reader learns a lot more about Smith. Capote seemed to be closer to Smith and we dive deep into his life and we care for him more, as does Capote. When Smith confesses the climax of the story is finally reached. We come to an understanding that both Perry and dick were under the impression that there was a large amount of money in  a safe at the Clutters. All the questions are answered and the killers finally have been found guilty. The end of the mystery. The execution date is set for the both of them and as the story comes to a close the reader finally has peace.


Truman Capote gave a blood thrilling recreation of a story untold. The lengths at which he went to collect and publish this book were great. The closest resemblance we have to Capote in the book is Dewey the police man that is in charge of the case. Dewey, like Capote cannot rest until the case is solved and claimed in his testimonial that his life will never be the same since he was put on the case. Capote had a similar experience and, in fact, his life was not the same after extensive research and interviews with the killers. In Cold Blood was the peak of his literary career. Truman died not long after in August 1984.