Another Bullshit Night in Suck City by Nick Flynn

So it's a memoir of a memoir of a memoir.

This is Nick Flynn's memoir of co-producing a movie based on his previous memoir, Another Bullshit Night in Suck City. But it's almost like it isn't trying to be intense it's written in these short little snips-a quote here, a paragraph there, a page and a half next-flowing from subject to subject, at a constant remove, an increasing-then-releasing philosophical distance, twisting in and around on itself (what a perfect cover design, BTW), yanking you into and out of its intensity so many times that it leaves you breathless. This is one of the most intense books I have ever read. This was much more interesting than I’d thought it would be although I think it would lose something for those who haven’t read Another Bullshit Night in Suck City. Finally, in this memoir, Flynn’s relationship with his father which was so central to Suck City continues to evolve. If you could have actors depict significant scenes out of your life, how would you feel about being called on as source material, and what scenes would you choose as decisive? Which one, memory flickering inside your skull or reenactment has more power to tug at your emotion? Can you be drawn into a scene even if it differs from reality? This analysis has a meditative quality which really works. More interestingly, memory competes with reenactment here. The Reenactments is only superficially about watching some film version of Flynn’s (or anyone’s) life. But Flynn masterfully turns this game on its head. The Reenactments is the story of adapting Flynn's memoir, Another Bullshit Night in Suck City, into a film called Being Flynn.” That description didn’t really pique my interest and, truth be told, I wasn’t a big fan of the movie. The blurb for The Reenactments claims, “For Nick Flynn, that game we all play-the who-would-play-you-in-the-movie-of-your-life game-has been answered. Actually, I thought it was fantastic! However, I was a bit reluctant to pick up The Reenactments. Really enjoyed Nick Flynn’s Another Bullshit Night in Suck City.

Another Bullshit Night in Suck City by Nick Flynn