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23rd Avenue reading
Last night I went to the reading at 23rd avenue books. They held it in the courtyard behind the store so it wouldn't get quite so crowded.
Chuck read three of the postcards from his book, first he read the postcard from 1985, next he read and finally the postcard from 1996. After that he answered questions. The whole thing lasted about an hour. One of the questions was if there was anything he left out of the book.
Chuck told us about a friend he had while in Eugene. They had heard about a tradition that some arab men would take part in. They had a thin dagger that they would insert in there urethra and would masturbate. Supposedly this would increase the stimulation. One night, while stoned, Chuck's friend decided to try it. He didn't know what to use but ended up breaking off a dripping from a candle and rolled it until it was thin enough to insert in his dick. While he was beating off the wax worked it's way completely inside and his friend had to go to the hospital and ended up getting an emergency $16,000 bladder operation. Shortly thereafter his friend moved to Alaska and has never been heard of since.
how does someone lead such a life as chuck does? did an evil fairy say a spell over him when he was born, or something?
[SIZE=1][QUOTE=ehquestionmark]Wow. This little thread got CRAZY. People telling me to abuse my girlfriend, people showing an alarming lack of respect for women as a whole, people questioning my masculinity in some kind of bizarre machoistic pissing-contest. Hell, I even got called stuffy. [/QUOTE]
[URL=http://confessionalpoe.blogspot.com]Grand Mental Station[/URL]
[URL=http://www.chuckpalahniuk.net/community/showthread.php?t=15714&highlight=interview+insomnomaniac]Insomnomaniac: the found interview[/URL][/SIZE]
i can't wait for the boston date.
[SIZE=1][QUOTE=ehquestionmark]Wow. This little thread got CRAZY. People telling me to abuse my girlfriend, people showing an alarming lack of respect for women as a whole, people questioning my masculinity in some kind of bizarre machoistic pissing-contest. Hell, I even got called stuffy. [/QUOTE]
[URL=http://confessionalpoe.blogspot.com]Grand Mental Station[/URL]
[URL=http://www.chuckpalahniuk.net/community/showthread.php?t=15714&highlight=interview+insomnomaniac]Insomnomaniac: the found interview[/URL][/SIZE]
That was the most interesting thing from last night, I will however be going to the ones on the 17th 18th and 24th, If anyone has any questions for Chuck I would be more than happy to ask him and post the answers here.
Another thing was that if anyone wanted to ask a question Chuck would give them a mask, they were masks of wwf wrestlers, they would have to wear the mask while asking the question. He said the reason for this was that he used to dread going to readings and he needed to find a way to make it fun so now he goes to the dollar store and buys a bunch of crap to give away.
wow that's...terrifying. i'd never ask him a question then.
[SIZE=1][QUOTE=ehquestionmark]Wow. This little thread got CRAZY. People telling me to abuse my girlfriend, people showing an alarming lack of respect for women as a whole, people questioning my masculinity in some kind of bizarre machoistic pissing-contest. Hell, I even got called stuffy. [/QUOTE]
[URL=http://confessionalpoe.blogspot.com]Grand Mental Station[/URL]
[URL=http://www.chuckpalahniuk.net/community/showthread.php?t=15714&highlight=interview+insomnomaniac]Insomnomaniac: the found interview[/URL][/SIZE]
That's the most fucking hilarious thing I've ever heard. That is totally demented. I was hoping someone would post about these readings! Thanx for sharing it.
"I've never caught a jewel thief before. It's very stimulating."
Frances Stevens, To Catch a Thief
"Jeff, you know if someone came in here, they wouldn't believe what they'd see? You and me with long faces plunged into despair because we find out a man didn't kill his wife. We're two of the most frightening ghouls I've ever known."
Lisa Fremont, "Rear Window"
i was there as well, it was great to finally see him in person. Floaterbungle, do you know where Annie Bloom's is? if so...is there a MAX line that runs close to it? I'm anxious to go to the reading today, but i'm fucking stressing out. PLEASE HELP ME OUT!
I'll ask a question for any of you as well. feel free! =)
I went to the 23rd ave. book reading as well. That masturbation storey was gruesome, and the cool thing is he said that he has a whole bunch of horrible masturbation stories that build up to the ultimate gruesome masturbation storey. Those will be in that horror book he's working on.
I took one horrible picture you can see it here: [url]http://www.twitchingfetus.com/images/chuck.jpg[/url]
Jackie
[url]http://www.twitchingfetus.com[/url]
[url]http://www.livejournal.com/~jackiekennedy[/url]
I like your picture. :)
So he is putting that story he told in a horror novel? Or isn't he working on a story collection now, is that what you're referring to?
"I've never caught a jewel thief before. It's very stimulating."
Frances Stevens, To Catch a Thief
"Jeff, you know if someone came in here, they wouldn't believe what they'd see? You and me with long faces plunged into despair because we find out a man didn't kill his wife. We're two of the most frightening ghouls I've ever known."
Lisa Fremont, "Rear Window"
I'm pretty sure he's putting those stories in his collection or horror stories, which is different from the collection of non fiction.
I think.
Jackie
[url]http://www.twitchingfetus.com[/url]
[url]http://www.livejournal.com/~jackiekennedy[/url]
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by brainsander [/i]
[B]Actually, I have a lot to add to this thread, including a couple pictures. It'll take me a bit to write up, though. Should I include the pictures in the post, or link to them? [/B][/QUOTE]
I think linking them is better for the site. But do whatever is easiest. Thanks and get to work! I can't wait to hear more. :)
wait, the story about the guy with the wax is going in a horror book? i mean, it is horrific, but...
[SIZE=1][QUOTE=ehquestionmark]Wow. This little thread got CRAZY. People telling me to abuse my girlfriend, people showing an alarming lack of respect for women as a whole, people questioning my masculinity in some kind of bizarre machoistic pissing-contest. Hell, I even got called stuffy. [/QUOTE]
[URL=http://confessionalpoe.blogspot.com]Grand Mental Station[/URL]
[URL=http://www.chuckpalahniuk.net/community/showthread.php?t=15714&highlight=interview+insomnomaniac]Insomnomaniac: the found interview[/URL][/SIZE]
well, stephen king has worked with less...
[SIZE=1][QUOTE=ehquestionmark]Wow. This little thread got CRAZY. People telling me to abuse my girlfriend, people showing an alarming lack of respect for women as a whole, people questioning my masculinity in some kind of bizarre machoistic pissing-contest. Hell, I even got called stuffy. [/QUOTE]
[URL=http://confessionalpoe.blogspot.com]Grand Mental Station[/URL]
[URL=http://www.chuckpalahniuk.net/community/showthread.php?t=15714&highlight=interview+insomnomaniac]Insomnomaniac: the found interview[/URL][/SIZE]
He said the jack off story is going into a collection of short stories that have a bunch of anecdotes from people on similar themes. He said everytime he tells some disturbing story to a group of people, there's always someone who responds with "You think THAT'S bad? I had this friend once...". So, the masturbation story he told is grouped with like 5 other ones (which he says are worse than that one). So, calling it "horror" might be a stretch. It will be a non-fiction book, apparently.
I don't know if the people going to ask questions are still around but I for one am really curious to know more about Lois Rosenthal and STORY magazine, and how she encouraged and/or supported him over the years. Like how did that start? How did he get to know her? Because STORY was a really big magazine at the time, and tough to break into. How did she help him? Did she encourage him to turn the story Project Mayhem into a novel? Or was that just his own idea? Is he still in touch with her, what is she doing now? Etc.
"I've never caught a jewel thief before. It's very stimulating."
Frances Stevens, To Catch a Thief
"Jeff, you know if someone came in here, they wouldn't believe what they'd see? You and me with long faces plunged into despair because we find out a man didn't kill his wife. We're two of the most frightening ghouls I've ever known."
Lisa Fremont, "Rear Window"
Here's the account of my experience at the NW 23rd Ave reading. I'll try to include everything I remember, so it might get mind-numbingly long and boring, which I apologize for. Still, nobody can accuse me of not being thorough.
I live about a block away from the bookstore, so I had heard about this reading nearly two months ago. I was encouraged by the fact the bookstore seemed to be pretty secretive about Chuck's appearance, and the clerks there seemed to speak in whispers when asked about it. I remember the last tour, when more people were turned away at Powells than were let in.
Still, just to be safe, my friend and I went by about an hour and a half before the reading to see if there was a crowd. Since there were only two people there, and we had learned that they would be letting as many as 300 people into the small courtyard behind the bookstore, we felt comfortable heading back down to the Sante Fe to acquire a pre-reading alcoholic haze (which, incidentally, is why it's taken me 2 days to post this). After a few shots of bourbon, and several pints of cheap beer, we went back to the bookstore and were lucky enough to get the last couple of chairs that were left.
As my friend and I sat there having our intoxiated discussion about whatever, more people filed in and either lined up against the back wall of the courtyard or sat on the various bits of cardboard that was scattered around for... comfort, I guess. As the time for the reading approached, people started lining up in front of the stage, holding their newly purchased copy of Fugitives and Refuges. Now, this is the first reading I'd ever attended, so I didn't know if this was a normal thing to do, or if fans were just starting to be a bit pushy. Fifteen minutes passed before I realized that the line was, in fact, moving, and that Chuck was up there signing autographs and stamping random pages of the books with various stamps (can anyone tell me what those stamps say?).
By the time I got in line, the crowd was being dispersed in preparation for the reading. I took one picture as I got back in my seat:
[url]http://www.brainsander.com/chuck/cp01.jpg[/url]
...though, to be honest, I think I've seen clearer pictures of the Loch Ness Monster. I would have taken more pictures, but I really wanted to relax and listen, rather than spaz out like the fanboy I really am.
Another 5 minutes had passed when the bookstore owner (the guy in the right of the above picture) came to the podium and introduced Chuck. First, you could tell that this wasn't a typical crowd for a reading there... maybe too many tattoos and facial piercings, or maybe too many smokers. He said something like "Um... I guess it's okay to smoke, but please be careful of our plants... and clean up any messes.." Not that he had much to worry about, the crowd was small (probably no more than 100) and very quiet. When he did the introduction, he said that some people had told him that Chuck might be the most famous Portland author, but he didn't believe it. He did say that Chuck has to be the nicest one.
Chuck came out and said hello, and immediately launched into a story about how he was at a conference the day before (at Reed College, I think), and he got up to use the bathroom and peed blood, which he later found out is because he has a kidney stone. He later elaborated, by saying that he hadn't pissed since and was carrying around more water than a camel (I may be paraphrasing). That kinda set the tone for the evening.
He talked a bit about the book, and how it came about. When he was initially approached about doing a book for the Crown Journeys series, he declined. But he reconsidered when they told him how much he would get paid ("as much as Michael Cunningham", or one of the other authors). He asked them what format they wanted it in, and they told him that he could do it any way he wanted. His first draft that was submitted was essentially a bunch of interviews with people from Portland, and various facts about Portland underground culture...
...which was basically rejected. Apparently, they wanted something more personal, which is why Chuck put in all the "postcards" relating to his personal experiences. Before reading, he mentioned some other stuff about the book... that, while working on it, it became known among his family and friends as "the fucking travel book"... that it may be cursed, since many of the businesses he talks about are already gone, and that many of the people he talks about are now dead.
He then went on to read, which I think I pick up on in a new section, since this is already longer than I thought it would be when I wrote the disclaimer at the beginning. If you want me to shut up, you'd better say so now.
"(can anyone tell me what those stamps say?)"
Property Of Shady Mountain Mental Hospital
and
Property Of Oswald Federal Mens Penitentiary (212) 555 3488
and
there was another one about a sexual reassignment place..
Jackie
[url]http://www.twitchingfetus.com[/url]
[url]http://www.livejournal.com/~jackiekennedy[/url]
[rambling post continued from earlier rambling post]
Okay, where was I? Oh, yes... the reading. He prefaced the postcard readings by saying that how, once they were all written, he realized that they were almost all drug stories... and that his mom has read the book. Apparently, she was shocked that all these things were going on and she had no idea. Family gatherings since then have been filled with Chuck and his sister sharing drug stories while their mother freaks out.
Now, I should mention at this point that I am a Chuck Palahniuk fanatic. Every sentence he writes is just perfect, in my opinion. I'm tickled pink that we share the same hometown and that I've been to many of the places he writes about. I feel weirdly special for living a block away from where he used to live. So, the point is, it's tough to criticize the guy who I practically consider to be a [gulp] hero. Still, it must be said...
Chuck's not a great reader. He read most of his stuff like he was reading it for the first time, and was just trying to get through it quickly, like when you're called on to read in grade school. That's not to say it wasn't enjoyable. He read (I think) four of the postcards: 1985 (the video shoot), 1989 (the S.S. Monterey), 1995 (Apocolypse Cafe), and 1996 (Santa Rampage). Before and after each one, he filled in lots of details and talked about other memories from those experiences. I wish I could remember more of the details of this part of the evening. But 1) The three pints of PBR had be seriously looking for a restroom and 2) The extra details blended pretty seamlessly with the written material (except for the more natural delivery). To be honest, I think I'd have to carefully read those passages again to pick out what I read in the book and what I remember from the reading. Though I just remembered... when he was on the Santa Rampage, he was going through his cell phone speed dial and putting strippers on the phone with random celebrities, like Trent Reznor.
So, after that came the Q&A parts, which was the most entertaining part of the evening. As someone posted earlier, Chuck made people wear masks. Basically, he talked about how he doesn't want his job to become a pain in the ass, so he has to make it interesting for himself. He used the example of fan mail, saying that while he doesn't really enjoy writing letters back to people, he loves to buy crazy shit and send it to them. So, he brought a box of WWF masks (the Undertaker? Gravedigger? Something like that) that people who wanted to ask questions had to wear. Naturally, the first question was the smart-assed "What's in the box?", which, while retarded, actually made me laugh.
Oddly enough, many of the questions were more about Portland than the book or Chuck, which was a little odd, since... well... we were pretty much all from here. I'm going to try to remember as many questions/answers as I can.
Q-What was the best thing left out of the book?
A-The secret of Kell's Irish Pub and the Irish magic of making dollar bills stick to the ceiling, which is about 40 feet up. He had to pay a waiter $20 to get him to spill the beans. Ulitimately, he decided to keep the secret and leave it out of the book (though he told us).
Q-Where do you take friends in Portland when they visit
A-When it's raining, the Portland Memorial mausoleum, which he described as something M.C. Escher would have designed, and when it's not raining, an island on the Willamette river, which I forget the name of (anyone?)
Q-How do you keep so buffed out?
A-He seemed pretty embarassed by the question, and said that he was currently retaining so much piss (because of the kidney stone) that he felt far from fit. I think he also said he hadn't been to the gym in a year.
Q-How has your life changed since you've become rich and famous?
A-He actually seemed marginally offended by this question, and spent some time defending rich and famous people. Basically, he said that the people he knew that were rich and famous were that way because they were hard workers who were doing what they loved. He then went on to say that everything that happens in his life relates to his work now. For example, he was asking the doctor all sorts of questions about his kidney stone, and the doctor asked him if he was always so excited about weird things, and he basically said yes, and that it was something that would be used in a book one day.
Q-Is Choke/Lullaby/etc going to be a movie?
A-He talked about, basically, all of his books being made into movies, except for Survivor, which is in development hell. He also mentioned an on-hold screenplay project for Fincher, and Diary which Julianne Moore is interested in starring in, but will likely be signed with Sharon Stone playing the lead.
Q-Do you like Portland or New York better?
A-He said he was starting to like New York more and more, but doesn't think he'll ever want to move his dogs there.
Q-Was FnR written for people in Portland, or people outside of Portland?
A-Mainly for people outside Portland. He said that the book is being released worldwide, and it's unlikely most of the people who read it will ever come here. He also went on to talk about how he really wanted to capture some of the more undocumented things about the city that will never make it into history books. He was fascinated by the little tidbits he could learn about the sex industry from the 19th century, but was disappointed about how little information there was about prostitution, crossdressing, etc in books. He said, with any luck, in a hundred years when someone asks about Portland underground histroy in a library, the librarian will hand them a worn copy of Fugitives and Refugees.
Q-What are you working on? (something like that)
A-This is where he was talking about the short stories, mentioned earlier in the thread. He relayed, in graphic detail, the whole masturbation/candle wax story, and talked about how when you tell a story like that at a party, there are always people with similar (or worse) stories. So, he decided to start documenting those types of things... morbid, disturbing stuff, and put them into a series of non-fiction short stories.
There was more... I can't really remember it. By this point, I had to pee so bad I couldn't see straight. Chuck said "well, that's the dog and pony show. I'll stick around for a bit inside and write whatever you want me to write on whatever you have" and then went inside. I didn't want to miss out on the autograph thing again, so I went in pretty quickly and got to be about the 4th in line. It took a while to get up to the front, though, since he seems to really take the time to talk to everybody. Up ahead, two guys asked if they caould take their picture with him, and he rushed off to grab some "props". He came back with 3 trophies from god knows what, and posed like they'd all just won an Oscar.
My turn came, and I said something drunk and stupid like "I don't have anything clever to say - I just really like your stuff, man" or whatever. I asked him to sign on the map, thinking he could write "you are here" on the apartment I'm moving into next week, which he sort of did:
[url]http://www.brainsander.com/chuck/cp02.jpg[/url]
which was cool. I asked him if he would mind taking a picture, so he handed me a trophy, and the professional photographer who was there snapped a couple of crooked, red-eye tainted, retarded looking pictures. The best of which, believe it or not, is this:
[url]http://www.brainsander.com/chuck/cp03.jpg[/url]
I was giddy, buzzed, and full of piss... and I really didn't say anything I wanted to say (we talked a bit about Portland real estate), but it was still very cool. If you can, go watch him read. He's great to listen to - especially when he's just bullshitting. And he's extremely approachable. And certainly more photogenic than I am. Sigh...
Q-How do you keep so buffed out?
A-He seemed pretty embarassed by the question, and said that he was currently retaining so much piss (because of the kidney stone) that he felt far from fit. I think he also said he hadn't been to the gym in a year.
he said this in boston last year. some kid in the crowd just went "what." in this totally sarcastic tone, and everyone just cracked up. i think he's lying.
he should tell them for fitness tips they can log on to chuckpalahniuk.net. lol.
[SIZE=1][QUOTE=ehquestionmark]Wow. This little thread got CRAZY. People telling me to abuse my girlfriend, people showing an alarming lack of respect for women as a whole, people questioning my masculinity in some kind of bizarre machoistic pissing-contest. Hell, I even got called stuffy. [/QUOTE]
[URL=http://confessionalpoe.blogspot.com]Grand Mental Station[/URL]
[URL=http://www.chuckpalahniuk.net/community/showthread.php?t=15714&highlight=interview+insomnomaniac]Insomnomaniac: the found interview[/URL][/SIZE]
I'm sure he's lying, it goes against what he's said in just about every interview I've ever read. It must be some kind of subtle joke.
"I've never caught a jewel thief before. It's very stimulating."
Frances Stevens, To Catch a Thief
"Jeff, you know if someone came in here, they wouldn't believe what they'd see? You and me with long faces plunged into despair because we find out a man didn't kill his wife. We're two of the most frightening ghouls I've ever known."
Lisa Fremont, "Rear Window"
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