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The final two books written by what may be the most underrated writer of the last 20 years. A rock journalist who found great acclaim with his biographies of Jerry Lee Lewis and Dean Martin among others, Tosches' fiction is as great as any American novelist of the recent past. This pair of books is a one/two punch that plunges the depths of the human soul with a profound understanding and accuracy regarding the dark edges of human nature. The first is set in ancient Judea and tells the story of Emperor Tiberius' ex-speech writer who, through his exceptional P.R. skills, turns a charismatic lay-about into the Messiah. The latter book is a modern vampire tale and Tosches uses himself as the central character; an aging novelist who roams the late night streets of Downtown Manhattan indulging in urges most carnal and sanguinary.
Feb 17, 2023
Related Recs
if you’ve ever found your interest even marginally piqued by the mystifying world of fine dining, or maddened by their insistence upon “simplifying” and “deconstruction;” appalled by the authoritative techniques of one Gordon Ramsay; or affected by the devil-may-care sincerity of Anthony Bourdain; the work of Marco Pierre — for better or worse, depending on who you ask — is often credited as their genesis.
as someone who works in hospitality (an important distinction from merely being in “food service,” as i’ve been frequently reminded), i have an admitted bias towards food-centric novels and the oft-eccentrics that bind them. growing up in a hispanic household that often preferred to cook all the things they couldn’t say (you might not get an apology, but best believe there’d be enough arroz con gandules for seconds and thirds that night), i believe in its capacity to mend hearts and operate as an extension of the love we have for those close to us.
for all his “bollockings“ — as Pierre White himself puts it — he clearly believes in this capacity for magic as well, and his passion, though definitively excessive in its shouty, cheese-hurling manifestations, can at least be empathized with. his ascension, storied intensity, and startlingly frank instances of vulnerability make for a really unique read, and a must for anyone in The Industry(™).
i’m also re-reading Dune :P
Sep 26, 2024
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It's important to do your homework when entering a new line of work so I've been reading books like Monster by John Gregory Dunne, about the years-long process of writing Up Close & Personal with Joan Didion and a slew of producers, and You'll Never Make Love In This Town Again—the title a send-up of the bestselling You'll Never Eat Lunch In This Town Again (next on my list)—which I purchased on audiocassette and chronicles three high-class hookers blabbing on their celebrity clientele. The Kid Stays In The Picture is read by a very gravelly Bob Evans on audiobook: a must. Michael Ovitz's memoir was involuntarily funny because he's such a liar. I even read Disney War, a book about Michael Eisner's reign of terror at the Walt Disney Company. Now I'm on Tinderbox, which is a newly released oral history of HBO. I think it's good to be familiar with everything that can and has gone wrong in the movie and TV business so you can adjust your expectations and remain cautiously optimistic.
Mar 3, 2022
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"Fame requires every kind of excess. I mean true fame, a devouring neon, not the somber renown of waning statesmen or chinless kings. I mean long journeys across gray space. I mean danger, the edge of every void, the circumstance of one man imparting an erotic terror to the dreams of the republic. Understand the man who must inhabit these extreme regions, monstrous and vulval, damp with memories of violation. Even if half-mad he is absorbed into the public's total madness; even if fully rational, a beaurocrat in hell, a secret genius of survival, he is sure to be destroyed by the public's contempt for survivors. Fame, this special kind, feeds itself on outrage, on what the counselors of lesser men would consider bad publicity - hysteria in limousines, knife fights in the audience, bizarre litigation, treachery, pandemonium and drugs. Perhaps the only natural law attaching to true fame is that the famous man is compelled, eventually, to commit suicide.
(Is it clear I was a hero of rock 'n' roll?)"
the rest of the book sucks
Nov 6, 2023
Top Recs from @michael-imperioli
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I have found some of these creatures to be as noble and true as many human beings.
Feb 17, 2023
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My favorite novel of the last year. Once begun, this one is impossible to put down yet you will want it to go on and on. It's about love, sex, family, fame, identity and yes, pain. With an ending so transcendent and full of hope it made me cry.
Feb 17, 2023
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This rather obscure 1969 b-side would later become a huge hit in 1971 when it was recorded by The Carpenters with some of its risque lyrics (as well as its title) changed. Written by the great Leon Russel and Bonnie Bramlett and featuring Clapton himself on guitar, this song moves and haunts me everytime I hear it. One of the great melodies in rock history.
Feb 17, 2023