I was psyched when Zach told us that we would be discussing the book Jesus's Son by Denis Johnson at the next book club meeting. For any new readers to these web pages, I attend a monthly book club at a local book store. It's called the Hard Boiled Book Club and is run by friend Zach Sampinos. The focus is alternative fiction and I find that it pushes me to read books that I wouldn't otherwise pick up. It was an epic evening which included discussion of the following:
*Horrible experiences having your blood drawn
*The large number of drug addicts that work in hospitals
*Talking to drunks in dive bars
*Getting high at the library (Don't do it!)
*Jesus's Son the Movie adaptation-It's actually pretty good.
*Denis Johnson's Poetry and other books such as Tree of Smoke and Don't Move.
*Unreliable Narrators
It was a fun time. I invite anyone interested to come on down. Info can be found here.
However I had always meant to read Jesus's Son but had never actually done it. Sometimes books fall thru the cracks and well meant intentions are not met. Actually now that I think about it that is an apt description for the theme of Johnson's narrative. In 11 short stories we follow the fractured life of a drug addict whose been nicknamed Fuck Head (or FH for short). FH lives a life of misadventure. It is clear that he is not a bad person by nature, but he cannot live without drugs and alcohol.
Now I am not a big fan of drug narratives that are about pushing an agenda. I think some authors, like Selby or Goines, are intent on portraying how addiction will ruin your soul. On the other hand there are others that are pushing the idea that drugs are a way to higher perception, so it's necessary for creative people to use. Personally I think that the truth of human experience lies in between. Drug use has it's benefits and consequences, but addiction can lead to an unbalanced life. Johnson portrays a world full of dreamers, addicts, and lost souls. FH is a good-natured narrator who has lost his way. While he's not always perfect, especially in the story "Dirty Wedding", he's not a bad person either. Ultimately FH struggles with wanting to become "messed up" rather than face real life. His innate selfishness and natural compassion are uneven throughout several of these stories. His internal journey is to find that balance using positive means.
Johnson's prose is compelling in the way he juxtaposes spiraling grief with moments of transcendent beauty. I was struck by this in the story "Work" where FH is literally a sad mess. Johnson writes "I had to vomit in the corner-just a thumble-ful of grey bile." But then each man is struck by the amazing vision of a woman flying naked across the water. This dream image reminds each man that life can have simple beauty in it. In "Beverly Home" something perverse becomes a moment of beautific service and worship. Each moment of beauty is a reminder to FH that he is not completely lost. As long as he maintains an intense sensitivity to sentimentality than he'll be able to find redemption.
On the other side I don't want it forgotten how hilarious these stories are. There is a comedic wit that undercuts any saccharine or painful moments. I often found myself laughing out loud during the stories "Steady Hands at Seattle General" "Emergency" and "Two Men." Johnson puts FH in the craziest situations which would only happen if you lived on the fringe. Johnson also confirmed why I would never want to work at a hospital. In fact I think I'll just avoid hospitals altogether.
I cannot reccomend this collection enough. At a little more than 130+ pages it is all too short. Johnson is magically spare but you can open up it up and at any point find a graceful phrase.
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