Pulphead

Pulphead is a fun, honest, strange collection of essays by John Jeremiah Sullivan. Would I recommend reading the whole thing cover to cover? No. Do I suggest dipping in and out of stories that you, the reader, find most interesting? Absolutely.

I enjoyed the short biographies of Michael Jackson ("Michael") and Axl Rose ("The Final Comeback of Axl Rose"), both in content and style. The essays had unique perspectives on each musician and delved into a specific aspect of their lives, Michael's mystery and vulnerability and Axl's hometown and youth.

"Upon This Rock" and "At a Shelter (After Katrina)" describe two life experiences the author only had because he's a writer--he neither attends Christian rock fests regularly nor lived in New Orleans--and are fresh and honest because of it. He is able to lay out the scene before him with largely unbiased prose, pulling the reader into these slices of American culture few know about.

This essay collection intrigued me in its reality, and the format made it a quick read. I give it a solid 6.