Department of Book Reports 69: No, I did not plan this.

Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk (Doubleday $24.95)
It's always a treat to read Chuck Palahniuk, and this time we get the history of the porn industry, boiled down to 208 pages. This one is shorter than his earlier works, but just as delightful.

We see this story from the view points of three of the prospective porn stars milling about the terribly crowded green room, waiting their chance for a money shot with Cassie Wright, now trying for a world record of a "serial sex excounter" caught on film. As Branch Bacardi (Mr. 600), Cassie's former lover and costar explains; "Six Hundred dudes. One Porn Queen. A world record for the ages. A must-have for every discerning collector of things erotic.

Didn't one of us on purpose set out to make a snuff movie."

Mr. 72 is perhaps the son Cassie gave up at birth.

Mr. 137 has arrived with his autograph dog, which will not fare well here on the set, what with the bronzing gels and bodily fluids.

And Sheila. The talent wrangler who can spout third wave feminism as she pitches her Nazis-must-fuck-last-Aryan-maiden project. Her inner monologue will be of benefit to GC3R members as you compile an even longer list of alliterations. Monkey-milkers. Weasel-wrestlers. Florida Floggers. Chicken chokers. Ham whammers. Sheila delivers the odd historical tidbits, so far fetched, but mostly true, always followed with "True fact." that by the time she confides her fear that Ms Wright will die from the exertion of this erotic feat, from a Vaginal Embolism, " "Every year," she says, "an average of more than nine hundred women die this way."
Each woman dies within seconds." you can almost believe her. At least she doesn't say "True fact." this time.

If you've never read Palahniuk, I urge you pick pick up any of his novels. His twisted take on our society is always refreshing. The NW Booksellers gave Chuck the annual award for Lullaby in 2003. At that show, I had gone back to our hotel room to change for dinner and on the way down on the elevator, a man got on with us, dressed in a nice suit coat, that was totally covered in rhinestone brooches. He was gleaming and sparkling and the elevator had mirrors! It was almost blinding. We did have to ask, and he introduced himself as Chuck Palahniuk and since we had given him the award, he wanted to give us something. The pins had been collected during his research for the novel, and he wanted to give them to booksellers now. We got first pick of the rhinestones, and I chose a lovely pink and red bird of paradise. We walked over to cocktail hour with him and were able to watch his entrance and announcement and then the inevitable polite near-riot as 200 women descended to pluck a brooch off of Chuck! The next two days were the sparkliest trade show I've ever attended.

A couple of my favorite authors really like it too! Tod Goldberg has a great review in the L.A. Times and Mark Lindquist chimes in at the other Seattle paper.

démocommié™™™™™©®ç åü swiped all the videos that I had rented for research purposes and has not been heard from since.

Snuff is available at Jackson Street Books and fine Independent Bookstores everywhere!

Reminder: Rick Perlstein will discuss NixonLand at Jimbo's on Second Life. Take the orange pill and join us. IM BookemJackson Streeter if you need help.