May 05, 2014 bruce benderson lives in new york city. An intellectual triumph amos lassen and literary pride if you are in the mood for a serous book that will indeed make you think, pick up a copy of bruce bendersons the romanian. Bruce benderson born august 6, 1946 is an american author, born to parents of russian jewish descent, who lives in new york. This is a story of a times square that doesnt exist anymore, and has been driven more underground.
Bruce bendersons first book of fiction, pretending to say no plume put thenfirst lady nancy reagan in a crackhouse and fantasized what would happen if times square street hustlers were turned into werewolves. We personally assess every book s quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. A book length essay by benderson, sexe et solitude, about the extinction of urban space and the rise of the internet, was published in french in 1999. User by bruce benderson book cover, description, publication history. Bruce benderson, apollos curse, from user cecilia dougherty, sue dodie bellamy, dear gail eileen myles, chelsea girls gabrielle daniels, a city girl discovers the forest sarah schulman, from rat bohemia kevin killian, open letter to the editors of apex of the m. During the interview, bruce promised not to hit on me because i. He is also the author of the novel user dutton, 1994 and the story collection pretending to say no plume, 1990. Probably american readers were shocked by bendersons complete immersion into the shadowy sodom of the old times square sex world, rubbing shoulders with hustlers, prostitutes, druggies, trannies and a sinister criminal element. His next book, user, a novel, became a cult favorite about the old culture of times square its junkies, hustlers, drag queen prostitutes and shady cops. User advance uncorrected proofs bruce benderson on. Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form.
I picked this up after reading his nonfiction book the romanian which i like better than this novel so far. He wrote the screenplay for the film by monica treut called my father is coming. Benderson displays great skill at writing both the old erudite crank and the glossy cheerleader, and the end result is a novel that is more about interior terrain than the land outside our window. In this collection of essays, benderson directs his exceptional powers of observation toward some of the most. The prolific author whose most recent work, the romanian, details his adventures with a younger sex worker in romania and whose classic novel, user. A startling and eerie second novel by benderson pretending to say no, 1991, etc.
Bruce benderson definitelt shows us the frontiers in a wolrd where people only pretend to be hard. View bruce bendersons profile on linkedin, the worlds largest professional community. He is today a novelist, essayist, journalist and translator. Thats what makes him smarter and more attractive as an author than many others. Bruce benderson is a novelist, essayist and translator whose book the romanian. Bruce benderson is most known for his seventh book, a memoir called the romanian. My interest in that world began in 1985, after a friend loaned me the novel sauls book. A novel by bruce benderson a hardedged look at the seamy underside of new york city follows the travels of apollo, a heroin addict hiding out from casio, a porn theater bouncer, bringing to unforgettable life the world of prostitutes, transvestites, and other denizens of the night. Other publications include the essay collection sex and isolation 2007, the novels pacific agony 2009 and user 1994, and the story collection pretending to say no 1990. Mcsweeneys kevin dolgin interviews bruce benderson. Fiction, drug abuse, male prostitutes, male prostitution. The book reads more like joseph conrads heart of passiveaggressiveness, with commentary by some anonymous, braindead copywriter for seattle. Bruce benderson, out magazine greenwells masterful first novel suggests that in addition to all the pain we inherit, something else might belong to us too.
Benderson s fiction combines the brutal, savvy poetry of outsider writers like lars eigner. He is the author of two works of fiction, user and pretending to say no, and several works of nonfiction, including toward the new degeneracy. Bruce benderson is an american author, born to jewish parents of russian descent, who lives in new york. He attended william nottingham high school 1964 in syracuse, new york and then binghamton university 1968. James bidgood photo book series by benderson, bruce.
When apollo, a male stripper and hustler who has been doing large quantities of drugs, attacks casio, the excon junkie turned bouncer at the porn theater in which apollo works, it sends out ripples. Writing in the lambda book report, jim gladstone commented. During the interview, bruce promised not to hit on me because i was circumcised. He tells the story of apollo, heroin user and hustler, and his long descent into his private hell. His work has been praised by dennis cooper and camille paglia. The bruce benderson interview books portland mercury. He is cowriter of the feature film my father is coming. He is also the author of the novel user dutton, 1994 and the story collection pretending to say no. Bruce benderson is the author of two books of fiction about times square street hustlers, user dutton, 1994 and pretending to say no plume, 1990. He attended william nottingham high school 1964 in syracuse, new york and then binghamton university 1969. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Bendersons fiction combines the brutal, savvy poetry of outsider writers like lars eigner.
His voice is aggressive and gooey, the stuff of gay sex clubs and hypodermic crime in the 90s in new york. User sheds light on an ugly scene orlando sentinel. Bendersons second novel after pretending to say no plunges the reader into a wretched, liminal community of transexual hustlers, street people, debased cops. Bruce benderson writer, publisher, translator red dust. Bruce benderson born august 6, 1946 is an american author who lives in new york. Story of an obsession and i can promise you that you will not be disappointed. Buy this book in this slim volume of 10 essays, author, journalist and translator benderson the romanian. Bruce benderson has spent the last twenty years or so building a reputation as an underground writer. Greenwells graceful, pulsating sentences are lined with such spare and sensual imagery, yet manage to include cultural observations, the drift of memories, and honest emotion, too. Bruce benderson is the author of user dutton, 1994 and pretending to say no plume, 1990, two books of fiction about times square, drug addicts, and prostitutes. A publishers weekly contributor noted that the supple and polyglot prose gives voice to a discordant chorus of characters.
Bruce benderson books list of books by author bruce benderson. What was the use of visiting identical reproductions of the same walmart or adding new encounters of. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. He is today a novelist, essayist, journalist and translator, widely published in france, less so in the united states. He is today a novelist, essayist, journalist and translator, widely published in france, less so in the. A french writer travels to the states, confers with writer friends in new york and visits sites there associated with the novel the catcher in the rye, before tackling the task of driving up to new england to try to meet the reclusive author of that book. The fetid perfume of 42nd street wafts from the prose of bruce bendersons user. Bruce benderson born august 6, 1946 is an american author, to jewish parents of russian descent, who lives in new york. His books include the collection of short stories, pretending to say no, and the new novel, user. Afterwards, benderson went on to write about boxing for the village voice, squatters for the new york times, and unusual shelters for nest. Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. He has written for the new york times magazine, the wall. Its story is that of one of the most unstable institutions ever touted as the cement of civilization.
Bruce benderson the art and popular culture encyclopedia. He is today a novelist, essayist, journalist and translator, widely published in france, less so in the united states in 2004, bendersons lengthy erotic memoir. Am magazine, american letters and commentary, men on men and flesh and the word. He is also the author of james bidgood taschen, 1999, about the maker of the cult film pink narcissus. Baisemoi is one of the most controversial french novels of recent years, a punk fantasy that takes female rage to its outer limits. My other novel, user, is all about times square and for at least ten years, thats. The romanian, bruce benderson shop online for books in. Bruce benderson s first book of fiction, pretending to say no plume put thenfirst lady nancy reagan in a crackhouse and fantasized what would happen if times square street hustlers were turned into werewolves.
Oct 04, 2006 bruce benderson has spent the last twenty years or so building a reputation as an underground writer. His most recent englishlanguage novel is pacific agony, published by semiotexte. His novel user 1994 is a lyrical descent into the world of junkies and male hustlers. A novel plume books by bruce benderson 55 copies prey dancing by jonathan gash 53 copies gold by the inch. Bruce benderson born august 6, 1946 is an american author, born to parents of russian. In the center of the transvestite bars, times square, the male huslters, the heroin addicted, the crack smokers, user rises out of the ashes and mainlines a beautiful fix. Abuela, casios superstitious latino greatgrandmother. Shop the latest titles by bruce benderson at alibris including hardcovers, paperbacks, 1st editions, and audiobooks from thousands of sellers worldwide. Baby pop, the gifted son of two junkies who sleeps in an abandoned train in the tunnels underneath grand central station clutching an algebra book and a steven king novel. Bruce benderson is the author of seven books, including the romanian. Novelist bruce benderson talks to the director of michael, this years most provocative movie.
Now the basis for a hit underground film which was banned in france, baisemoi is a searing story of two women on a rampage that is part thelma and louise, part viking conquest. Bendersons booklength essay, toward the new degeneracy 1997, looks at new yorks times square, where rich and poor once mixed in a. Bruce benderson is a novelist, essayist, journalist, and translator. Bendersons new york is a multicultural city of the damned populated by extraordinary characters. User plume books by benderson, bruce and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Join facebook to connect with bruce benderson and others you may know. Novelist, translator, and essayist bruce benderson is the author of a memoir, the romanian. A novel by lawrence chua 48 copies our napoleon in rags by kirby gann 9 copies. Id describe it as an exhaustive study of romantic love and sexual. User, the sophomore effort from bruce benderson, masquerades as an evocative, eyeopening journey into a shadow world of drugs, crossdressing and sex as it unfolds in several new york gay. Story of an obsession, user, and pretending to say no. He was a contemporary of camille paglia at william nottingham high school 1964 in syracuse, new york and then binghamton university 1968. See the complete profile on linkedin and discover bruces.
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