I first came across John Jeremiah Sullivan in his role as the editor of David Foster Wallace’s collection about tennis, String Theory. I noticed that he had his own collection titled Pulphead Essays, and given his admiration for Wallace’s non-fiction (which I love), I thought it would be worth the try. I started the first essay and, frankly, was a bit turned off. I found it a bit too contrived, like he was looking too hard for an interesting angle to write from, and I put it down.
But then, scrolling through the New York Times best 100 books, it had Sullivan’s book on their list. Now, even if I don’t have much in common with the tastes of the NYT nowadays, I had read and liked enough of what was on the list to take the suggestion seriously. So, I dove back in, and didn’t regret it for a second.
The book is described on the back cover as, “a mind-bending tour of our culture: popular, unpopular, and at times completely forgotten,” and there’s a good deal of this description that is true (minus the ‘mind-bending’ part). Just about every essay is a foray into a part of American culture, but rarely what’s in the mainstream. He explores a Christrian rock festival; has several pieces of American music from Michael Jackson to the early blues; the post-TV life of a reality TV star; a famous Southern writer from the first half of the 20th century; the impact of an early American naturalist, and more. The topics span a wide variety of interests and perspectives, and come together only in the sense that they make clear how diverse and interesting America is.
But what makes the book even more compelling, I think, is how talented a writer Sullivan is. Some essays are written in the first person and explore experiences he’s had up close; others read like investigative journalism; and still others, mostly the music ones, like a fan and devotee. These changes made it feel almost like a surprise as I moved from essay to essay. Even when I knew the topic, I had no idea how it would be approached. This created an enjoyable element of surprise and pleasure.
I really enjoyed this collection, and hope others do as well.
Just Because I Liked It:
- Following up on last week’s Kichel recommendation, if you don’t yet buy The Circle magazine for your kids, you’re depriving yourself of two hours of peace and quiet every Shabbos as they fall into its pages.