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Underground > Books, Criticism & Writing >

J.T. Leroy -Sarah

Ethan Hawke

12:25 / 14.06.02

Admittedly, I was suckered into buying this book by the hype. For those unaware of the media sensation that is J.T. Leroy, he's supposedly a 22 year old who worked as a transvestite street hustler until being shepherded into writing by his therapist. He was mentored by Dennis Cooper and Mary Gaitskill at a young age. According to some articles I've read, publishing insiders say "he" was likely born a "she." See this Michael Musto column for an idea of the hype.

Sarah is the story of a 12 year old son of a "lot lizard" (truck-stop whore) who goes into prostitution himself, driven to surpass his mother. I won't spoil any of the plot points of the book, but it's very well written and somehow manages to be much sweeter and less icky than it sounds. Leroy has built an entire, self-contained world of truck-stop prostitutes and their quasi-religious beliefs.

So, um, anyone read it? Thoughts?

Jackie Susann

01:17 / 24.06.02

It's awesome, the hype is more or less entirely justified.

Ethan Hawke

12:03 / 24.06.02

I thought so too, though it pains to admit it. It really is the kind of book that inspires insane jealousy for the ability of the person who wrote it (especially of someone so accomplished at such a young age). Hopefully, Leroy doesn't burn hirself out and continues to produce great work.

Disco is My Class War

11:42 / 25.06.02

What really got me about Sarah was how it was really like reading a kid's book, a fairy-tale (okay, a twisted and slightly pervy fairy-tale) to begin with, and right at the end the whole thing suddenly becomes terrifyingly real.

Read his book of stories, eh. They're just as good. And definitely worth the hype.

Kit-Cat Club

11:22 / 02.07.02

I have just read this - the debt to Dennis Cooper is pretty obvious, but on the other hand there's nothing to complain about in that; and I found that this book felt more innocent than Cooper does - perhaps that's why it reads a bit like a children's book (like Louis Sachar) at first.

I'd be interested to find out what sort of lizard the narrator has become at the end of the book, actually, so am almost hoping there'll be a sequel of some sort (but know this would probably be a Bad Thing).

grant

11:56 / 12.01.06

There is no JT Leroy.

More here.

Alex's Grandma

04:19 / 15.01.06

Interesting, though having not read any of his/her stuff, possibly less shocking than it otherwise might be. I'm still a bit skeptical though - granted, we're talking about the likes of Bono, Dave Eggers and Courtney Love, so perhaps not the kind of people likely to pay too much attention to whoever else was in the room. but still, I wonder how 'he' would have managed to fool quite so many for so long. In terms of his public profile, he' hasn't exactly been Thomas Pynchon, after all.

(No surprise though, to see that elsewhere in the second of the above links, James Frey has been outed as an arrant bullshitter - 'A Million Little Pieces' read pretty much like a Boys Own adventure in rehab, IMVHO, and I very nearly asked for my money back.

pony

22:14 / 15.01.06

I've been quite fond of JT's writing for a while, and thought I was totally "OK" with the possibility of it being a hoax until I read about the AIDS bit... That just sort of takes it from the realm of clever-art-fun to sociopathic-bastardry.

foolish fat finger

20:42 / 17.04.06

I don't really know about the AIDS thing. can u say a bit about it? I came to jt leroy with his/her identity already in doubt, so it doesn't bother me. in a way, it is more interesting, than say Jeffrey Archer, who is definitely Jeffrey Archer, with no mystique whatsoever. (and by the way, is anyone else flabberghasted by the fact he has written 2 volumes of prison memoirs? he was in an Open prison! for about 3 months! it's hardly Nelson Mandela is it?! get over yrself!)

I thought Sarah was a good read. it had a dark hallucinatory quality that I thought was very interesting. kind of bittersweet as well. yeah, I think the novel stands, and it's interesting. so who is the kid photographed on the cover then?

quixota

21:12 / 18.04.06

i've not yet read either of 'his' books, but the pseudo-identity of the author is certainly fascinating... or do i stand alone there? in fact, has anyone read 'tainted love' by stewart home? i'm sure it is completely different, but there are linked themes there, for sure.
i was kinda curious about the movie of 'the heart is deceitful above all things' but a reliable friend informs that it ain't worth the cheese.

quixota

21:14 / 18.04.06

sorry folks, obviously haven't quite got the hang of this posting lark. i will practise and improve (we hope).

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

05:26 / 19.04.06

Go read The Heart is Deceitful above all things in the interlinked short stories form. I quite enjoyed it, although it should probably only be experienced once. It's very much delving into the underbelly, and can be shaky ground. My best friend also maintains that "Sarah" (ha-ha), the first novel, is also really good.

Actually, the last story in Heart is oddly erotic and this makes me think about gay porn writers like Kyle Stone - Stone is a pseudonym used by a middle-aged woman to write gay sci-fi bondage stories. I can't remember when she was "outed" (or if she outed herself), but I find the whole concept of alter-selves intriguing in writing (cf. Paul Auster's New York Trilogy) and even keep one around for myself (her name is Azalea Blank, and I occasionally use her to attribute fake epigraphs and quotations to in poems and stories. She's a rather dry academic but tends to delve into odd territories as far as metaphor goes)...

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