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Customer Reviews (10)

Pretty Good
The script is a much better read if you've seen the performance, otherwise it's kind of hard to tell what's going on. For fans only.

Excellent with adaptions
This is an excellent play that explores the true grit behind being a youth in America. Touching on some of the things that effect teens today, Bogosian brought to life the true picture of the beatnik degenerate youth of today. A vivid picture of suburbian teenagers struggling with life. It was almost as if you'd taken a piece of my youth and written a screenplay surrounding it. My only negative is the word choice. Bogosian portrays the truth behind teenagers in America today, but overly typifies their language. The slang Bogosian uses wavears from accurate to grossly inaccurate. Overall high remarks for Bogosian.

pretty good
i prefer bogosian's monologues to his plays.suburbia was good, but i preferred talk radio.a quick enjoyable read.if you are only going to read one of his books read "pounding nails into the floor with my forehead"

If you liked the movie...
...you have to read the book!SubUrbia is one of my favorite movies, and I thought I'd read it also.There are several parts in the book that didn't make it to the movie.Also, I finished it in two sittings, so it's not very time consuming.

Gen. X's dramatic voice.
This is one of the most powerful plays I've read (and performed in).Eric Bogosian has captured Gen. X and raised his middle finger to all those who question us.Tragic and beautiful!Skip the movie though.It didn't come close to the play. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Finally!
Humpty Dumpty is like an f'd up fairy tale reminiscent of the film The Trigger Effect. I was fortunate enough to see it at Princeton's McCarter Theater when it premiered 3 years ago.Griller (which I have now read but have yet to see performed) is a fun backyard piece featuring a handful of personae Bogosian developed in his solos. But I think my favorite of the three is Red Angel.I had the great pleasure of seeing Bogosian perform in Angel in Williamstown 3 years ago and it's a very powerful play, sort of a postmodern Pygmalion.This edition also includes a bonus one-act, apparently commissioned by the McCarter.Buy this book, get the rights, and stage one of these shows! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Classic Bogosian. Dark, cutting, insightful and deeply funny.
'Pounding nails' is an excellent showcase of Bogosian's one-man-show style of writing monolouges.

It is a series of scenes in which the characters he portrays speak directly to the audience, or to another unseen character offstage.

It is a very dark, critical, and insightful take on the contemporary American way of life, as seen through the eyes of the various characters that populate the script. Although cynical and often very funny, the characters posses a striking level of humanity that you don't often see from other cynical comedians/writers.

Overall, an excellent script that is a must for anyone interested in theatre, which can be performed by a solo artist, or by a series of actors.

Smart, raw and funny
Bogosian's work just keeps getting sharper and wittier.That may be an overstatement - I think I prefer Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll - but as is his norm, he's got funny characters living great little stories.I love his work, and this is no exception.

Not Bogosian's best.
Eric Bogosian is a very funny and probing writer.This book is not the best example of that talent."Pounding Nails" is a collection of monologues that work together as a one-man show.The monologues are funny, and, at times, pretty good social commentary.Unfortunately, the monologues get tiresome.The characters are all unique, but that is primarily because they are all extreme characterizations.If you create enough outlandish caricatures, you are sure to avoid having them overlap.

If you're interested in Bogosian, I would suggest "Wake Up and Smell the Coffee."This collection would be a good second choice.

A KICK BUTT READ
An Excellent read. I'm using some parts of this book for several two minute monologues (For contemporary parts). My favorites is the Molecules read, I've lived and met that guy.

Funny, disturbing, a must read
These monologues are his best that i have read.He has sharpened his skill beyond what it was in "Sex Drugs, Rock & Roll" while maintaining his energy and cutting insight.

Read this book, buy it for yourself and for friends ... Read more

Product Description
Bogosian's newest solo show, his first since 1993, was a sold out hit in its recent New York City run. Wake Up is Bogosian's meditation on making it to the top of the ladder, on falling off the ladder and on the exhilarating thrill of the ultimate crash and burn. "Bogosian hasn't simply crossed the line of good taste, he has snorted it."-The Daily Texan ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Bogosian takes me places
I've read some of Bogosian's other pieces, including one of his plays, subUrbia, and it seems to me that he's deceptively simple. On the one hand his material seems like one more dirty comedy routine, but then when you put the pieces together the whole world view is pretty complex. It feels like he's dissatisfied with a status quo situation and he's trying to find a way to comment. I have not seen him perform, but I've heard that he's beyond incredible live, so maybe you have to see the monologues live. I've also read his novel, Mall, and it completely spun me out. In some ways, he's probably the most interesting person out there writing today.

Dissenter #2
I'm with the only dissenting reviewer on this site...this guy's sentiments are immature, his writing sophmoric, and his facts just damn hazy! "Displaced Costa Rican farmers"?! Is he kidding?! Just read the essays on coffee and democracy in "Costa Rica: The Last Country the Gods Made" to get the FACTS!

In the great continuum
I've read almost all of Bogosian's work and really, this one smells the most personal of all.I've never seen him do his works(except movies...), but when you read it, you can almost see him ranting on.And this time, he's at is clearest.The magic lives on !!!
Really, Bogosian gives meaning to the saying that tells us artists are the Guardians of Humanity.
You can't escape it, the words he gives us speak of truth as you wouldn't want to know.He puts us in front of all you know but don't want to care about.
If you hesitate, don't !!!Get it !!!

Humor is a weapon, and Bogosian is a talented marksman.
Bogosian proves with �Wake Up and Smell the Coffee� that he is one of the funniest, smartest, and angriest writers around.�Wake Up� is a collection of monologues designed to be performed as a one-man (or one-woman) show, but the monologues could stand on their own as comedic vignettes good enough to work as audition pieces or stand-up routines.Most of the monologues are piercing in their accuracy.Bogosian takes on pop culture, religion, families, and he does so with sarcasm that never lets up and almost never misses the mark.His take on the carnival at airports is just one example: �Standing in ticket lines, sitting in the departure lounge, crowded around the baggage carousel watching the luggage coming out as if awaiting the birth of your first child.�

The book is separated into three parts.The main portion of this book is the collection of monologues that form the one-man show.The second part of the book contains what Bogosian calls �Orphans� � monologues that don�t really fit in with the rest of the work.The final piece of the book is an essay on how Bogosian develops his monologues (or solos, as he refers to them).He explains how he locks himself in a room with a tape recorder and lets his inner characters loose.The essay is interesting, but you get the feeling that it was added to give some more bulk to the book, and not because it was intended to accompany the monologues.

Bogosian admits in the introduction that after 9/11 he told his agent to shelve the book altogether.Some of the material in �Wake Up� takes on terrorism, plane crashes, the Oklahoma City bombing, and Arabic immigrants, and Bogosian was worried that this book would come across as offensive.In truth, some of pieces do ring with a clarity that might not have existed in the pre-war on terror world.That insight makes the jokes funnier and the truth more bitter.The fact that some of his monologues dealt with subjects that would be forced into the public consciousness after 9/11 just shows how insightful Bogosian has become.It�s not just jokes anymore.

I would not reccomend this book.
I read this at an airport: the only reason I finished it is I had nothing else to read. The author tries to come off as angry and satirical, but just comes off as immature. Maybe if you're 16 and taking drama in school this would be an insightful read. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Real life pulled from minimal elements
I bought this book at the theatre after recently seeing a production of Talk Radio with Liev Schreiber. I really enjoyed the play and also the monologues. With virtually no props and simple dialogue (the way people really talk), Mr. Bogosian creates realistic slices of life. I was reminded of the plays of David Mamet, another favorite, especially Glen Garry GlenRoss, which I also saw two years ago starring Mr. Schreiber. You see the average person trying to cope with world class problems and seemingly getting no help from God, the government, the past, and passers-by. Both playwrights with few words can draw out the audience's deepest feelings. I love this kind of work.

The Essential Bogosian: Talk Radio, Drinking in America, FunHouse and Men Inside
In a very good condition, looks like new.

Great Book
This is a great book for anyone who loves comedic theatr ... Read more

Product Description
With his dark wit and corrosive dialogue, Eric Bogosian tells a powerful and emotionally wrenching tale of two lovers who form a mesmerizing and destructive bond while trying to evade the looming failure of their respective lives.

Reba runs away from her shabby and desolate rural community for the lure of New York City. Her tall and awkward frame lands her work modeling, but she is not prepared for the glamorous, drug-fueled life of a celebrated mannequin. After a series of painful relationships, she sees hope and an exit toward stability and sanity in the man who saves her brother's life.

This man is Rick, a successful SoHo general practitioner with a warm family and an idyllic life that has left him restless and hollow. He doesn't take Reba seriously until he finds himself so enmeshed in her beauty that he risks losing everything--his home, his children and his beloved wife.

Now this master monologist and author of the acclaimed Mall returns with a sprawling novel of urban desperation and desire that brings to mind the winding narratives of Tom Wolfe salted with the dark urges of Philip Roth. The New York Times hailed Eric Bogosian's fiction as "caustic, fast-paced....Adapting himself to fiction with...the same garrulous intensity he brings to plays and monologues, Mr. Bogosian sets in motion a suburban nightmare." And Entertainment Weekly has lauded his "merciless satirical vision (that) takes you deep into the dark heart of the American dream."

Wasted Beauty is Bogosian's enthralling journey through the high life of drugs and fashion celebrity, middle-class guilt and sexual obsession.

Copyright © 2005 by Simon & Schuster ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great; excellent if you like the genre.
This book remains one of my favorites. For me it took subjects that I usually wouldn't want anything to do with and turned them into interesting, gripping tales. If you like this type of book I'm sure you will love it, and if you think a model heroin addict and sex-addicted married doctor isn't your cup of tea, I can personally attest that it might just win you over despite.

Couldn't put down
This was the first novel I have read by Eric Bogosian (I'm currently reading Mall), and I am hooked.His beautiful writing as the three main characters (Billy, Rick and Reba) and the ability to switch between all three to first person will keep you reading.As the reader, you develop sincere feeling for these characters, even though on the outside they look like a raging alcoholic, a drug addicted model and a cheating husband.Bogosian dives deeper into each of their brains, making it a must read!

Read This Book
If one were to equate Bogosian's first novel, Mall: A Novel, to his play subUrbia, then one could also draw a similar parallel between 'Wasted Beauty' and his recent play 'Red Angel.'The Jeff of both Mall and subUrbia were two closely related characters, much like the leading men in Wasted Beauty and Red Angel.In print, however, Bogosian is able to delve deeper into the characters' inner thoughts.When reading his work, one can just tell that Bogosian is an actor -- he often follows dialogue directly with subtext, which I liked.Rick, the main character in 'Beauty', actually has roots that go much further back in Bogosian's work than 'Angel'.He is reminiscent of the peeping-tom in Mall, who was a descendent of Bogosian's Recovering Male character from his solos.If you've been following his work, I would say you will definitely appreciate this book, and if you haven't, now's a good time to start. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Themes of power and violence
The first part of this book entitled, "Notes from the Underground," is a simple and terrifying set of diary entries from a dark, self-destructive man who has been oppressed by society in many ways.The terrifying story that emerges from his thougts and actions bring out the themes of power, innocence and violence in this quick and deceptively simple piece.The second part of this book, a three-act play entitled "Scenes from the New World," looks at power and violence in three different ways:the raw power and violence of the streets, the achieved power and violence within the greed that is supported and sustained in business and commerce, and the subtle power and violence inherent in the dehumanization of individuals for one's own fulfillment of childhood fantasy.Both pieces are striking in their messages and the way that the messages are brought out by the writing.Mr. Bogosian is a skilled and adept author looking at postmodern alienation in systems and society. This is the second book that I have ready by Mr. Bogosian ("MALL" is a wonderful, gripping novel) and I am truly impressed by his talents.

I'm not the only one that thinks this way
Brilliant.Not that I am anything like the main character, but I do thinkthis way.I think about thinking this way.I highly recommend this bookto anyone that's interested in a quick, disturbing read.For anyone thathas thought about what it would be like to stop acting normal. ... Read more

Product Description

From the award-winning avatar of contemporary urban theater and author of such modern classics as Talk Radio and subUrbia comes this outrageous novel about five suburbanites whose lives intersect in one violent and life-altering night -- at the local mall.

Mal, a thirtysomething speed freak, shoots his mother, torches his house, and heads to the local mall with a sack of weapons and a plan for more mayhem. Danny, a voyeuristic businessman with a fetish for young underwear models, is caught by mall security peeking into dressing rooms at JCPenney. Jeff, a teenager with existential troubles, drops acid and departs on a philosophical nightmare. Donna, a hungry, unsettled housewife, is on the lookout for a one-night stand. Michel, a Haitian immigrant and mall security guard, seeks salvation. All long for a kind of satisfaction, and this longing leads them to the modern plaza of possibility, the shopping mall, where their appetites converge in explosive ways.

Satirical and provocative, Mall is an eye-opening look at suburban life and the idea of "normalcy." In this, his first novel, Eric Bogosian delivers a dark, hilarious, and biting commentary on an American culture fraught with sex, drugs, violence, and congested thinking.Amazon.com Review
Penzler Pick, January 2001: Here Eric Bogosian, a playwright and actor, takes his keen eye to that particularly American venue, the mall. On any given day, the mall attracts hundreds of thousands of diverse characters who are not always there to shop. On this particular night, Bogosian concentrates on five of those characters, suburbanites who interact with each other in ways that are, for the most part, destructive.

Michel is an Haitian immigrant who works as a security guard at the mall. He's been there all evening and he spends his time thinking about his wife who died tragically. He misses her, but he will be forced to put all thoughts of her away as he becomes the first to deal with the horrendous events that start to unfold around closing time.

Jeff is a teenager who hooks up with his friends and drops acid. He wonders if Adelle likes him. She seems to, but she also seems to like his friend Beckett. Jeff's trip will get more surreal as the night progresses and will take him places he's never been before.

Donna is married with a son, but it doesn't seem to be enough. She is at the mall looking for romance and a little adventure. She'll find both.

Danny is a young businessman whose fetish for young women modeling underwear takes him to the women's dressing room at J.C. Penney. There he will find his own private nightmare.

And affecting them all is Mal. Mal is a speed freak who, before setting off for the mall with a car full of weapons, murders his mother and sets fire to his house. He is looking forward to an evening of more murder and mayhem.

This story moves along at the speed of an express train, one that isn't going quite where you thought it was. Bogosian has created a night that will not be easy to forget. --Otto Penzler ... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

Liplocked
Eric Bogosian's "Mall" is a book with little heart.It's a spiritually vapid novel with little kindness and less value.It does, however, entertain like a good episode of C.S.I. with bodies piled high.The structural problem with the novel is that there really isn't a good guy, someone to cheer.

Mal, the teenager on a killing spree, is a meth addict that begins the novel by shooting his mother and setting their house on fire.We are then introduced to several other characters who eventually become related to each other as Bogosian weaves the various story lines together.

Danny is a high roller with expensive clothes and an unresponsive wife.After the birth of their child, their sex life takes a nosedive and results in Danny's doctor recommending manual self-relief or acquiring a mistress.He's shopping at the mall when he notices Donna who is changing her clothes in the dressing room.Donna is aware she is being watched and is aroused by the attention.She proceeds to perform a dressing room striptease that results in Danny being arrested as a peeping tom by the security guards and taken out into a squad car.

Meanwhile, Mal shows up at the Mall and shoots his former boss at the tuxedo shop.This attracts the attention of the forlorn security guard Michel who battles with him.Mal shoots a couple police officers and exits through the back.He comes upon the policeman shoving a handcuffed Danny into the police car and shoots the policeman whose body falls on top of Danny.

We are then introduced to the somewhat anti-materialist and thoughtful young man named Jeff who meets up with his friends at the mall.Jeff has a crush on the lovely Adell who thinks Jeff is boring.Jeff heads off to a nearby hotel and meets up with Donna.Donna's suburban libido has been stimulated by Danny's dressing room attention and then rents a room to connect with teenager Jeff.Their bizarre encounter shifts gears abruptly as Jeff loses interest in Donna after climax and becomes interested in watching the TV news about the fire Mal set @ the Mall.

Meanwhile, Jeff's heartthrob Adell has gotten Danny alone in the back seat of car.Handcuffed, Danny must allow Adell to undress him from the waist down and perform manual services.Adell humiliates Danny by forcing him to say he's a pe*vert and then abandons him in the car with disgust.Michel the security guard has meanwhile followed Mal through the woods and out onto the middle of a freeway where Mal has a gun to a wounded officer's head.Michel gets shot and is ignored as Mal dashes away to die in a parking lot near Jeff.Jeff takes off for one more time around the mall and sees his pal Beckett in a liplock with Adell as they couple passionlessly against the Mall wall.Then Jeff happens upon Danny and takes him home to his father's tool shed to cut off Danny's handcuffs.Thus, the story ends.

This book is a quick read, but the characters aren't particularly gripping and there seems to be no lesson learned.Although the book is less than satisfying, neither is it boring.Enjoy!

Really Good Book
Bogosian did a great job in a story that encompasses philosophy, sex, and drugs. The book is about a boy named Mal who is a tweeker going on a rampage in order that he may truly feel alive. The book also brings together another group of people who bring their own flavor to the story. The book is worth the short amount of time it takes to read and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for some entertainment.

Fantabulous!
This is one of my favorite books of all time that I think tests the limits of what we call literature, it is probably one of the best contemporary novels that I would put into the catagory of postmodernism.We literally mind-surf into several characters heads and see whats going on, the characters all interlink through a story of a much larger scope and Bogosian creates a satire of American culture rival to that of American Beauty or anything in recent memory.This would make a great film,do not believe the naysayers, Bogosian is a very talented writer and I cannot wait until his next novel comes out.

Not Bad, Not Great, But Worth Reading If You Like Bogosian
Bogosian is creepy, smart, rebellious and brilliant. I truly enjoyed watching the video of his one-man show Funhouse. Also enjoyed reading Pounding Nails In The Floor With My Forehead, and Notes From Underground. He is a very, very good writer. You can tell that he hones his material. He is the type of writer who works very hard on making each sentence run smoothly & quickly. This book, Mall, is not meant to be anything other than a fast paced action-adventure. It's just a bit of fun and a means for Bogosian to express various aspects of his personality. He realizes that this mortal world---especially the American part of it---is a totally misleading, misinforming, two-faced, selfish-minded sham full of lies, disappointments & quiet desperation. The result of this realization is cynicism & rage and therefore much of Bogosian's work expresses the darker aspects of his personality---and thank goodness! But don't get me wrong, he is not the least bit heavy-handed regarding his anger and sick, twisted fantasies. He knows how to make a point without going over the top. Mall is an easy-read. It's not meant to be the novel of the century. It's not meant to enlighten anyone. It's just a good old fashioned action-adventure about a speedfreak who goes on a killing spree. It reads like it was written with the intention of making it ready-made for conversion to a screenplay. Is that a crime? Is it a crime that Bogosian wants to make money from his writing? No. He works hard for his money and it shows. So what if he poo-poos shallow materialism while also wanting to become materially successful by doing so? Consistency, or lack of hypocrisy, is the stuff of small-minded, idiotic, know-nothing mortals who have been brainwashed by college. Bottom line: Mall is a good book. Not great, but definitely worth reading if you are already a fan of Bogosian's other stuff. Right from the start you will recognize and appreciate his unique voice, perspective, and writing style. I certainly did.

Smells Like Teen Spirit
I read this book in two nights and it worked for me very nicely. Sex, drugs and existential thinking and a pretty good plot. Bogosian comes from the theater and his characters reflect that. I especially liked the psychotic speed freak Mal. Bogosian (as I've said in my other review of his solo book) comes off as kind of simple, but at the end of the day, I think his ideas are complex. It's the way the whole thing is hung together. Long and short of it is that the book is a hot read and has a couple of good nasty sex scenes in it. I guess he's a genius, but on the other hand,who cares? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Drinking in America
"Drinking in America" is a sequence of fourteen dramatic segments (thirteen monologues), which together create a pastiche; a meditation on a theme. The title of the piece is a "red herring," for the true theme is not so much inebriation in the normal sense of the word, rather it is the inebriation and excitement of fantasy and power.

The piece is meant to be performed solo and without special effects, costumes or complex mime. I want the audience to indulge their imaginations as one character after the next is presented nakedly to them. The performance should have a visceral quality so that as much as the audience is "carried away" by a segment, it is at the same time very aware of the performers exertion.
--- excerpt from book's Notes For Performing ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Classic Bogosian, excellent script
This classic Eric Bogosian script is a series of monologues that are visceral, funny, shocking, insightful, touching and high-energy.

This could be performed as a one-man-show or with a series of actors.

I highly recommend this very fine piece of American theatre.

Outstanding
Eric Bogosian has a knack for creating great little monologues that completely suck you in.As unpleasant, or even repelling, as so many of his characters are, their tales are nonetheless engrossing, sharp, raw and extremely funny.You'll plow through this in no time, anxious to read each next monologue.And you'll be quick to pick it back up for a re-read too.

Brilliant and Powerful
Bogosian has a knack for creating compelling characters. A common aspect to all of his characters is desperation. Whether it the paranoid desperation of the "Artist" who stopped making art because "they" would know what he was thinking to the quiet despertion of the homeless "Bottleman" who finds comfort in collecting bottles or cans ("Bottles or cans, it makes no difference") so that he can enjoy an egg salad sandwich to the despertion of the man who calls "Candy" for a good time.

Right from the beginning, Bogosian (both in writing and as the lone actor in a one man show) pushes the envelope in establishing characters who live on the edges of society and who feel the pressure of desperation in their lives. For those of you who are interested, the movie "Talk Radio" has Bogosian exploring themes similar to those explored in "Sex, Drugs, ROck & Roll."

Brilliant theater
This work amazed me.Acting is generally seen as a cooperative effort, but this collection of monologues proves that wrong. Usually funny and almost always far more insightful than anything in the movies, thiswork takes an often ignored route to exploring contemporary Americanculture.Some people may be offended by the vulgar nature of some of themonologues (such as Dirt, in which the only word in the first sentence thatis not an obscenity is 'ya'), this very vulgarity is a reality of life thatis necessary to accept in order to understand what Bogosian has to say.

Save Your Sanity, Read This Book
Eric Bogosian is one of those writers, like J.D. Salinger or Raymond Carver, who makes me feel like I am not alone.I'm not the only detached observer wondering why the current state of humanity is so absurd. Bogosian always writes about junkies, losers, and heartless bastards.Butthey always have something that is perceptive and interesting to say.Asthe last charcter in the book, a nameless "Artist" says, "Ifthey know what I was thinking, man...I'd be dead."I feel the sameway with the wealth of "irrational" thoughts that float around inmy head.Bogosian is also an expert satirist.Are you tired of selfpromoting, so called "charitable" rock stars?Read"Benefit," in which a Keith Richards-type figure encouragestelevision viewers to support his "Amazonian Indian" fundraiser. Why?Because they don't even have Pepsi.After reading this book, I findlike at least there was some one else who shares some of my views on life. And that revelation felt like it might have saved my life. ... Read more

Product Description
The first-ever anthology of selections from the work of more than 30 of today's most influential and accomplished live performance artists, edited by the artistic director of P.S. 122, the alternative theater at which many of the artists launched their careers. Talents include Eric Bogosian, Spalding Gray, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Laurie Anderson, and many more. ... Read more

Product Description
Mal es un treintañero marginal que ha decidido acabar con la pasividad de su vida y vengar su soledad en el centro comercial de la ciudad. Danny es un joven y exitoso hombre de negocios, padre de familia, perdido por los catalogos de ropa interior femenina, cuya mas atrevida fantasia sexual es espiar a las mujeres en los probadores de las tiendas del centro comercial cercano a su casa. Jeff es un adolescente con problemas existenciales que, desorientado por el acido y su amor frustrado por Adelle, deambula sin rumbo por los frios pasillos del centro comercial en el que se suele reunir con sus amigos en las aburridas tardes de ocio. Donna solo quiere olvidar su monotona vida de ama de casa y jugar a ser otra entre las tiendas del centro comercial y los jovenes adolescentes que todavia se detienen a mirarla. Michel quiere cumplir con la unica mision que le ha dejado su vida de inmigrante haitiano, la de proteger a los vendedores y visitantes en su papel de guardia de seguridad del centro comercial que le ha contratado. Sus vidas van a cruzarse. Y todos ellos van a estar en el punto de mira de Mal. / A faithful exegete of suburban nihilism, playwright and solo performer Bogosian delivers for his first novel a surreal ""day in the life"" tale that explores two of his trademark themes: suburban life and the illusory nature of ""normalcy."" Mal is a 30-something speed freak living with his mother in a drugged out fog, unwashed and virtually unconscious. After 90 days on crystal meth, Mal kills his mom, then goes on a rampage at the nearby mall. Bogosian uses this event to introduce a cross-section of mall life. Jeffrey, a dreadlocked teen, fantasizes about being a writer. He's got a crush on Adelle, whose narcissistic ennui he attributes to ""a kind of efficiency. She's full of life but she's saving herself for the right moment...."" His friend Berkeley has scored some retro windowpane acid, and so Jeff experiences Mal's fiery incursion in a hallucinatory state. Businessman Danny is a hapless, though hardly innocent, shopper at the mall, who spots Donna, an exhibitionist, sex-starved housewife performing a kinky striptease in a half-open dressing room. The police catch Danny peeping and arrest him, but then Mal, now shooting indiscriminately in the mall, pegs the cops, and Danny is left to wander around in handcuffs, which is how he runs into Adelle, who takes Danny on a sexy ride he may never recover from. While Bogosian's teen characters seem a little bit like rejects from a To Die For casting call, his droll remarks and dramatic pacing make this debut novel a typically Bogosian experienceDlively and unique. If this absurdist La Ronde sometimes goes over the edge, Bogosian's stature in contemporary pop culture, and his proven ability to work (and self-publicize) in numerous media, should give his novel legs. Reed Business Information ... Read more

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Bogosian en español
por fin la obra de Bogosian llega a latinoamerica, y que mejor que con su primera novela, desgarradora, corrosiva, violenta, cinica y feroz, como Bogosian... En la Mira es una gran obra, digna de leerse y de volverse a disfrutar... ... Read more

Product Description
The study of how facial features reveal inner character, is devoted exclusively to Seligers images. It is a dynamic fusion of his infamous cover shots and unpublished work, past. Within these pages is a wild ride through the famous faces of our decade, from a frisky Barrymore to a world-weary Jagger, portraits that run the gamut from sexy to humorous, poignant to compelling.Amazon.com Review
Mark Seliger's book is filled with a riveting cast of characters culled from the celebrity subjects he shoots as the chief photographer for both Rolling Stone and US magazines. A particularly stirring image is a 1987 Rolling Stone shot of Perry Farrell watering a sunflower garden. It is a powerful photograph, made all the more so by the fact that it is the image that essentially launched Seliger's career as one of today's leading music photographers. In the book's introduction, Eric Bogosian discusses the public's infatuation with celebrity, and how it is the photographer's job to capture that fleeting moment, that millisecond that encompasses the subject's spirit. And the artists that Seliger has caught in these moments are wildly diverse. His portraits of musicians range from seldom-photographed country stars like Loretta Lynn and Kitty Wells to Marilyn Manson, Tom Petty, Curtis Mayfield, and Courtney Love. His portraits of Drew Barrymore are among the best of her to date: the playfulness of Barrymore's personality shines through his depictions of her as Alice in Wonderland, a sumo wrestler, a boxer, and the only female boy scout at the mercy of her troop. Seliger displays a keen sense of color, and these photos jump off the page shouting for attention. His black-and-white portraits seem to try for a greater intimacy, and even though they still convey Seliger's sense of play, they are less theatrical than his flamboyant color work. There are, though, beautiful black-and-white portraits here of Sean Penn, Kurt Cobain, Joni Mitchell, and John Lee Hooker, to name a few. Seliger writes: "One of the challenges and benefits of working for Rolling Stone and US is having the opportunity to capture artists just as they're breaking through." This collection includes some very early photos of celebrities readers have come to know well over the years--and it is a fascinating to see how much of their personality he's captured on film. --Amra Brooks ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

This is the book you buy!
You may be like me and wondering which of the Seliger books to buy? He has this one, a couple of US MAGAZINE books with Drew Barrymore on the covers, but let me tell you now - THIS IS THE BOOK YOU BUY! It has the US MAGAZINE pictures and more.

It''s huge in dimensions and page count! The quality is great, but if you know who Mark Seliger is then you know that already. The paper is mid-weight and the colour reproduction is excellent.

My only gripe is that after a year I've torn the dust cover because the book is so huge it's easy for the cover to slip off a bit and get caught on something. So if you want the cover in good condition forever maybe you should take it off when looking at the book.

Want a look at some of the photos in the book? Go to www.markseliger.com

Gorgeous photographs.
This book is goregeous to look at:the photographs are amazing (and printed HUGE so you can get a good look at the detail), and Seliger's ideas are phenomenal -- who would've thought to dress the cast of Seinfeld up as the characters from Wizard of Oz?Genius!

Whenever I have friends over to my home, people inevitably end up flipping through this book and being fascinated by the photography inside.Every time I look at it, I notice something new, or another photograph catches my eye, no matter how many times I've seen it before.This is a book you will look through many times, and whether you're a fan of the musicians and actors (and other famous folks) that Seliger photographed or you're a shutterbug yourself, you'll find something to take away from these amazing pieces of art.

My only complaint is that the book is a little odd-sized and probably won't fit on a standard size bookshelf (luckily, Amazon gives you the dimensions here, so that's a help).

Absolutely Wonderful!
This is the only book I know of that will give me goose bumps every single time I look thru it.Mark Seliger captures something brillant in every photograph in this book.What an amazing gift he has.If you or anyone you knows is a fan of photography or of music this book is a M-U-S-T!!!!You just CAN NOT go wrong with this book.

Playful Essences and Facing Page Brilliance
Physiognomy is "discovering temperment and character from outward appearance."Mark Seliger in the epilogue talks about how he sees his role as a photographer as to "deliver the essence."These portraits of celebrities magnificently fulfill that mission.

Before going further, let me note that this book contains much discrete male and female nudity, some violent images, and one impolite gesture.If this book were a movie, it would probably receive an "R" rating.

Mark Seliger is one of the very best of the current celebrity phtographers, a talent that has won him the role of chief photographer for both Rolling Stone and Us.You will enjoy both Mr. Seliger's epilogue, where he describes the development of his career, and Eric Bogosian's introductory commentary on the book's contents.Both explore the notion of finding the reality of the person's character.

Mr. Seliger has a particularly playful side that is wonderfully displayed in the book.For example, his portrait of Keith Richard makes him look like a jealous wife flirting with the image of a brooding Mick Jagger.In another case, the energy of Ringo Starr's drumming is captured by displaying him with four arms, hands, and drum sticks!One of the most humorous is an opening sequence of a bare Ben Stiller, first as an ape-man, then as a human.

The facing pages are brilliant. In most situations, they mirror each other by either portraying the same image, but with a different style, or having the two images interact as though they were one image.

One of Mr. Seliger's strengths is that he has a wide range of talent.His color photographs are powerfully effective in ways that most photographers can only accomplish in black-and-white.He can also do simple face shots, or complex compositions.I can think of no other currently popular photographer with nearly this range of effective style.One of my favorite examples of this range is that he has a beautiful shot of Jennifer Aniston in the buff, discretely displayed.At first you are inclined to think of it as a "beauty" shot, and then suddenly you realize that it's really a play on all of those photographs that parents take of their young children lying bare on a rug.

Mr. Seliger is equally adept at the dark side.Sean Penn's volatile personality is nicely captured in a brooding photograph of him pulling on a cigarette.Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dogg show up looking like they are relaxing during a rumble looking for trouble."Don't mess with me" is written all over their faces and bodies.

Here are some of my other favorites:

Fiona Apple, Los Angeles, 1997

Bob Dylan, Los Angeles, 1998

Michael J. Fox, Burlington, Vermont, 1993

Merle Haggard, Lake Shasta, California, 1994

Billy Bob Thornton, Toronto, 1997

Bob Dylan, New York City, 1995

Pat Conroy, Charleston, South Carolina, 1995

Charlize Theron, New York City, 1997

Jerry Seinfeld, Los Angeles, 1998

Will Smith, Los Angeles, 1997

Winona Ryder, New York City, 1997

Jerry Seinfeld, Los Angeles, 1994

Drew Barrymore, Bell, California, 1994

There is another way to think about Physiognomy.People who have studied Neuro-Linguistic Programming argue the opposite way, that physiology becomes psychology.Repeated psychology becomes a habit, and the build-up of habits becomes a character.Spend some time thinking about how you hold your body.Test out how those positions and facial expressions affect you mentally, and how that influences your behavior.

Pose for best advantage . . . to others and to the development of your own character!

what an incredible book of photographs
this book is incredible. if you are a subscriber to rolling stone magazine, and have ever noticed a photograph that is simply amazing, it is probably the work of mark seliger. if you buy this book, you will be ableto see hundreds of pages of these intriguing photographs, some involvingvivid use of color, and others utilizing the intimacy of black and whitephotography.

when you first get this book, you will set it down, read itfrom cover to cover, be solidly amazed, and then promptly read it againfrom cover to cover.

i know nothing about photography, but you don't needto in order to appreciate seliger's appealing, beautiful pictures. i wouldsuggest that anyone buy this book. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (9)

Looking to read something uplifting? This is not it.
The one good thing I can say about this play was that it was a quick and easy read.Although the fast-paced and energetic dialogue kept my attention, I found the play rather depressing.The character Barry Champlain is made out to be such a lost soul!His break-down at the end left me feeling empty and I am kind of glad that the play didn't go on after that because I wouldn't have wanted to hear anymore.

An interesting, quick read
Talk Radio is an enlightening little piece that I was not expecting to enjoy as much as I did.At just a little over 60 pages, it took barely any time to read.Bogosian's wit and dry sense of humor shine throughout the piece and make the characters so much more realistic.It is fast-paced, but not too much so.Each one of the callers, though only given brief sections of dialogue, is perfectly developed and infuriating (or endearing).Definitely worth buying and reading. Now I'm ready to see the play on stage!

T. Houpes
I wasn't too excited about having to read a book over my Spring break this year. But once I started reading this book I was hooked. Eric Bogosian's superb writing style truly made this a quick and enjoyable read. The story's main focus, Barry Champlain, is a captivating talk radio host unafraid to tell people exactly what's on his mind. No matter who the caller or what he or she has to say Barry always has an opinion or crass comment to throw his or her way. People often times forget there is a person behind the voice when listening to radio and "Talk Radio" really helps provide the reader (or viewer) a glimpse into the life and mind of these people. Without a doubt a perfect read for anyone interested in radio or anyone who enjoys a read that takes our world to the "next level." That is to say, anyone who likes reading about the story behind the man, this is definitely a must-read for you.

Talk Radio
In all honesty, I did not expect to gain much from reading this book. I thought so little of it that I decided to start it at 11:30 at night to help me fall asleep and leave the rest of it for whenever I had the time. However, once I started, I couldn't put it down. This book offered a new view on an old concept; the talk-radio host/caller relationship. I loved the character Barry Champlain; he tells it like he sees it and doesn't care what other people say about him as much as he cares what other people talk about. He just wants people to be original in their own way and not depend on whatever he has said to keep the conversation moving. Also, the view on Champlain as a person, as given by the monologues of the other characters, helps to remind the reader of the fact that the voice coming out of the radio belongs to a person, and that person in question has a life and a back-story that have helped to shape them into the radio host that people are listening to. Without a doubt, hands-down, this book is a must-read.

Really Great!
I was not sure what to think when I picked up talk radio especially after reading the single quote reviews on the back cover . But once I completed it I was captivated by the main character Barry Champlain. His wild antics and out of control personality really drags you into the heart of the radio world, and with a plot as unpredictable as talk radio itself, this book can be finished in a day. That is how good it is, not to mention its only about 60 pages so it goes by quick. If you are looking for quick entertainment that is enjoyable and sometimes funny, then Bogosian's "Talk Radio" is definitely for you. ... Read more