Showing posts with label Memoirs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Memoirs. Show all posts
Nick Flynn Reading in San Francisco
One of my closest friends is a monster fan of Nick Flynn's writing, especially his first memoir Another Bullshit Night in Suck City. I read it last year and enjoyed it quite a bit, but having read almost nothing but memoirs for the past year, it was kind of lost in the mix of a number of good ones. Tonight we headed off to hear Flynn read from his new memoir The Ticking is the Bomb, which somehow juxtaposes Flynn's interest (obsession?) with U.S. torture at Abu Ghraib and the impending birth of his daughter. I told myself prior to the reading that I would NOT buy the hardcover, due to a commitment to curtail even my meager spending of late. I brought along my copy of Suck City which I'd have him sign.
Following a wonderful reading, Flynn sat down with Stephen Elliott. Flynn was charming, engaging, thoughtful and witty. As the night came to a close, I went up to have my books signed (yes, plural) and had a few-minute chat with Flynn that was one of the more touching conversations I've had in some time, and I've had many of late. What a sweet and honest guy.
Thanks Missy, MM and Nick Flynn for a wonderful night.
Two Books
I enjoyed the first third of this book, but as the pages turned, I reached a point where honestly, I just wanted Ms. Karr to stop talking. I know that part of addiction and recovery can be quite self-centered, but Karr takes it to a new height. There are certainly pieces of this critically-lauded memoir that strike a chord, but as a whole, I found Karr's unending narcissism to overshadow even the good parts. I don't know what the comparison to "wait until video" is for books, but whatever it is, do that. Maybe it's "wait for the paperback," but honestly, there are so many better memoirs focused on addiction and family.Lit by Mary Karr, Memoir, 2009: 7.1
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)