Pulphead by John Jeremiah Sullivan
Long form journalism is often ignored in the US. Magazines are read, tossed aside, and recycled. The good articles may get ripped out and shared, but most of the time they are on a barge back to China to be recycled into a cereal box. It is a deep wish that Sullivan has a broader appeal. Pulphead is excellent. Sullivan is a master writer, he can suck a reader in for hours. I found myself reading this book in places where I shouldn't. I shot annoyed looks and people when I was interrupted. I stayed up late not wanting it to end.
Sullivan's first essay sets the tone for the rest of this book. Upon This Rock details his adventures with a 29 foot RV at a Christian rock festival called Creation. Godless heathens like myself usually look at large gatherings of religious folks with trepidation. Sullivan makes friends, and writes about Creation with such pathos that I found myself wanting go this year. I found his treatment of the subject to be fascinating.
Shifting gears, the book then delves into Axle Rose and Michael Jackson. Sullivan interjects himself into each essay with ease. He's not completely a journalist, he interjects too much of himself in each story, he is more of a observer. His critiques of pop culture are spot on, and they are really fun to read.
Moving on, I am going to read The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury. It's novella length, so I should be doing the write up of it some time tomorrow.
Long form journalism is often ignored in the US. Magazines are read, tossed aside, and recycled. The good articles may get ripped out and shared, but most of the time they are on a barge back to China to be recycled into a cereal box. It is a deep wish that Sullivan has a broader appeal. Pulphead is excellent. Sullivan is a master writer, he can suck a reader in for hours. I found myself reading this book in places where I shouldn't. I shot annoyed looks and people when I was interrupted. I stayed up late not wanting it to end.
Sullivan's first essay sets the tone for the rest of this book. Upon This Rock details his adventures with a 29 foot RV at a Christian rock festival called Creation. Godless heathens like myself usually look at large gatherings of religious folks with trepidation. Sullivan makes friends, and writes about Creation with such pathos that I found myself wanting go this year. I found his treatment of the subject to be fascinating.
Shifting gears, the book then delves into Axle Rose and Michael Jackson. Sullivan interjects himself into each essay with ease. He's not completely a journalist, he interjects too much of himself in each story, he is more of a observer. His critiques of pop culture are spot on, and they are really fun to read.
Moving on, I am going to read The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury. It's novella length, so I should be doing the write up of it some time tomorrow.
My 10-year-old son is finally reading Martian Chronicles. I first read it when I was around that age. It's really a collection of short stories all centering around the central theme of life on Mars. And it's masterful, but very quiet, in a way
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