Discussion
  • Read More
    snowJ.K. Trotter
    6/19/14 11:59am

    Hohum. Probably going to stay away from this one. This "novel as thinly veiled account of someone's experiences at somewhere" is one of my least favourite subgenres. You get all the publicity and reactions of a kiss-and-tell with none of the expectations of not making shit up. I don't mind "inspired by" but when you can recognise real people it gets a bit too squicky for me to stomach.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      J.K. Trottersnow
      6/19/14 12:00pm

      What do you mean by “squicky”? The ethics of publishing the novel?

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      snowJ.K. Trotter
      6/19/14 12:08pm

      I just personally feel a bit dirty even reading an unauthorised expose dishing the dirt on some poor bastard, let alone something that has the veil of fiction giving the author pretty much a carte blanche to say whatever they want.

      I'm also not that impressed with someone writing a novel and using "somebody elses" characters, be it Sherlock Holmes or some real person, but that's a whole another discussion.

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    J.K. TrotterJ.K. Trotter
    6/19/14 10:30am

    Full email, from former Gawker editor (and current Jezebel editor) Jessica Coen:

    WRETCHED DOT COM—HA. Subtle.

    Anyhow, I liked Mike a lot—we spent a lot of time together, actually. It was 2004-06, we were all living on the LES and out and about all the time (though I remember Mike was already sober at that point; he had problems in hs and college, I think). I can't remember for the life of me how we met. He was really friendly but also intense, and intensely ambitious...but also good-natured, at least from where I was standing. He struck me as a lot more “real” then many of the people I was meeting and socializing with at the time. He didn't care about media hierarchy bullshit, didn’t blow smoke up my ass about Gawker. I remember having a lot of deep and honest conversations over coffee, but also taking him to random media parties (Molly Jong Fast’s book party at her mother’s condo comes to mind).

    Mike was enthusiastic about Gawker and kind of game for anything—I think he was freelancing at Newsweek at that point, but I didn't see a lot of contempt from him towards Gawker. Then again, we were paying him, so he was likely just biting his tongue. But I didn't love working at Gawker, either—it was a brutal job at the time, I was terrified of Nick and worked 13 hours a day. I know I opened up a lot to him about that.

    Eventually Newsweek sent him to Iraq, and after that he was different. He said there was a lot of stuff that I just couldn’t understand. He wasn’t crazy or anything, but he also kept a gun under his bed (futon, actually, in a shitty Allen Street walkup down the street from my shitty Orchard Street walkup). I also remember him saying that he was incapable of relaxing, not even in NYC, after that experience. He was also 100% certain he would go back. It was what he wanted to do. Very Hurt Locker-esque, like one of those people who just couldn’t return to regular life.

    He went back, then his fiancée died over there and I recall going to the memorial/book party (which was weird and felt a little garish but sincere at the same time, if that's possible), and that was when we started to really lose touch.

    AJ was probably the last of us to hang out with him, like 2011-ish I think, and Mike was drinking again. But I hadn’t talked to him for years so who knows when that started back up.

    Also, I am pretty sure he briefly dated Rachel Sklar. Relevant, I know.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      A House In VirginiaJ.K. Trotter
      6/19/14 11:50am

      I haven't read a novel in YEARS; comes from ADHD resulting from juggling school/work for so long.

      Maddow speaks glowingly of this book. The Iraq War was the most hellacious thing I've ever experienced as an American, ergo I kind of feel I should pop an adderall and buy this.

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      GangstaSpectreOfDefeatA House In Virginia
      6/19/14 11:58am

      Anything I read in-depth about the Iraq war, I need to pop a Xanax.

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    grancy3J.K. Trotter
    6/19/14 12:22pm

    Giving the Nick Denton character an "unusually tiny head" is fucking hilarious. Almost makes me want to buy the book.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      J.K. Trottergrancy3
      6/19/14 12:29pm

      Or to even give Nick Denton so much space! He goes on and on about Denton’s accent and physical features!

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    tastefulTandAJ.K. Trotter
    6/19/14 1:05pm

    But does this book include a plucky commentor from wretched.com whose repertoire mostly consists of dick jokes?

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      J.K. TrottertastefulTandA
      6/19/14 1:20pm

      Must have been edited out.

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    BigPlopsJ.K. Trotter
    6/19/14 12:06pm

    well...hope you guys enjoy the book

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      spelchekrrBigPlops
      6/19/14 12:48pm

      I'm sure they will. Circle-jerks are great fun.

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    AnonyTVJ.K. Trotter
    6/19/14 12:07pm

    Excellent. Well researched and nicely prepared.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      wivsJ.K. Trotter
      6/19/14 12:37pm

      OK now do Very Recent History.

      Reply
      <