I have just started reading James Franco's first work of fiction "Palo Alto". And may I just say (regardless of its bad reviews from Goodreads) that I am impressed! Though it centers mostly on teenage cynicism and nihilism , of lives wasted on alcohol, sex and drugs and the troublesome life it leads them to, I'd hold out the candle anytime for this actor, filmmaker, artist, writer with an enviable degree on Creative Writing at the UCLA when it comes to writing these stories that are troubling as they are dark, tragic and forces sympathy from its readers. And he does this with perfect ease, sans the trouble of verbal wrangling as I find a fault on most writers (and he is the reason why I'm putting Lorrie Moore's "Anagrams" for now). He is also a sex symbol. If that doesn't impress you, I don't know what will. I have at first been skeptical about this book written by a stud with a dorky smile and a blinding Hollywood fame but I gave it the benefit of the doubt. Turns out, he is as disarming of a writer as he is on the big screen. Here are some of what I think were "crowning points" or lines that had an effect of a nail hammered into my head, the ones that made me go OOOooo and Aaaahhh as I read each entry on the book.
****
"Ten years ago, my sophomore year in high school, I killed a woman on Halloween."
"I was racing on my anger. On the righteousness of catching Nick with her. I had no clear plan for what I would do when I arrived, but I could see my fist going toward Nick's face. I had glimpses of Hart's angry face; I'd probably have to reason with him after I kicked the shit out of Nick. I saw Susan's horrified reaction, and I felt buffeted on a hot wave of righteousness. The streets were fairly empty, and I accepted them as my personal roadway. My ordinary submission to traffic laws evaporated. I raced around corners without looking and shot through the phantom walls of the stoplights. The more recklessly I drove, the easier it was."
from Halloween
****
"Ten years ago, my sophomore year in high school, I killed a woman on Halloween."
"I was racing on my anger. On the righteousness of catching Nick with her. I had no clear plan for what I would do when I arrived, but I could see my fist going toward Nick's face. I had glimpses of Hart's angry face; I'd probably have to reason with him after I kicked the shit out of Nick. I saw Susan's horrified reaction, and I felt buffeted on a hot wave of righteousness. The streets were fairly empty, and I accepted them as my personal roadway. My ordinary submission to traffic laws evaporated. I raced around corners without looking and shot through the phantom walls of the stoplights. The more recklessly I drove, the easier it was."
from Halloween
****
"He was so. So dirty, and just moving in front of me, and cute.I was in love with him, especially because he was talking to me. " I bet you're smart," he said. I was the best moment of my life. Then this guy came up to him. He looked part Latino. "What's up, little bitch?" the Latino guy said to Ronny. Ronny was clam. He looked up at the Latino guy. This guy was older. "Fuck you," said Ronny, but softly. Then it seemed like the party got quieter."
from Lockheed
****
"Birds, and birds, and animals, and things; with slingshots, and BB guns, we killed 'em, and killed 'em. We killed so many. Every once in a while one of my friends would get a BB gun and we would go on a spree. We'd shoot anything that moved."
Saul said, "Ryan is stronger than he looks."
Saul could beat everyone at arm wrestling. But it wasn't fair wrestling with him because he was so much bigger. His dick was seven inches. He showed us.
I had no hair under my penis. At the beach, I held my arms down at my sides before I got in the water.
I thought I had no hair because I masturbated so much. But I couldn't stop doing it.
At midnight the house was quiet. We quietly slid open the paneled glass door at the back and left. There was dew on the grass in the backyard, and the air moved slow and cold like a spirit. No one spoke, and it was very quiet. It felt like birth.
from Killing Animals
****
"Pam came over. I got her into Jason's parents' bed. I got her naked. She wasn't even drinking. The guys lined up outside the bedroom. We went in, two and three at a time. Everyone fucked her. She got really messy. Some of the guys were so smelly. The room smelled like oysters. I kept going back in with everyone, like I was the party host. I didn't put my clothes on when I ushered people in. I was a wild monkey.
Toward the end, I got some vegetables from the refrigerator. I had carrots, and cucumbers, and a squash. "
from Chinatown in Three Parts, Part II Headless
******
See? Don't you just feel like shoving this book right down your pants?
The Renaissance man.
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