Synopses & Reviews
Part political disquisition, part travel journal, part self-exploration,
Seek is a collection of essays and articles in which Denis Johnson essentially takes on the world.And not an obliging, easygoing world either; but rather one in which horror and beauty exist in such proximity that they might well be interchangeable. Where violence and poverty and moral transgression go unchecked, even unnoticed. A world of such wild, rocketing energy that, grasping it, anything at all is possible.
Whether traveling through war-ravaged Liberia, mingling with the crowds at a Christian Biker rally, exploring his own authority issues through the lens of this nation's militia groups, or attempting to unearth his inner resources while mining for gold in the wilds of Alaska, Johnson writes with a mixture of humility and humorous candor that is everywhere present.
With the breathtaking and often haunting lyricism for which his work is renowned, Johnson considers in these pieces our need for transcendence. And, as readers of his previous work know, Johnson's path to consecration frequently requires a limning of the darkest abyss. If the path to knowledge lies in experience, Seek is a fascinating record of Johnson's profoundly moving pilgrimage.
Review
"As a journalist, Johnson searches for something beyond headlines and, at least in this collection, that makes for an intriguing and insightful investigation." Publishers Weekly
Review
"There is a special pleasure in seeing a writer of Denis Johnson's caliber try something that is not his specialty....[E]ven his failures intrigue; and when he succeeds, the results can be spectacular." Ted Conover, The New York Times Book Review
Review
"What legitimizes this collection is Johnson's refusal to patronize his subjects. Rather than writing from a throne of moral or intellectual superiority, the author muddles through the murk, searching for a ray of redemption." Don McLeese, Book Magazine
Review
"There isn't an American voice I love listening to more than Denis Johnson's." Michael Herr
Synopsis
"Johnson writes with a fervor that can only be described as religious. Seek is scary and beautiful and ecstatic and uncontrolled...he elevates the mundane to the sublime; he boils things down to their essence. He's simply one of the few writers around whose sentences make you shudder." --Adrienne Miller, Esquire
Part political disquisition, part travel journal, part self-exploration, Seek is a collection of essays and articles in which Denis Johnson essentially takes on the world. And not an obliging, easygoing world either; but rather one in which horror and beauty exist in such proximity that they might well be interchangeable. Where violence and poverty and moral transgression go unchecked, even unnoticed. A world of such wild, rocketing energy that, grasping it, anything at all is possible.
Whether traveling through war-ravaged Liberia, mingling with the crowds at a Christian Biker rally, exploring his own authority issues through the lens of this nation's militia groups, or attempting to unearth his inner resources while mining for gold in the wilds of Alaska, Johnson writes with a mixture of humility and humorous candor that is everywhere present.
With the breathtaking and often haunting lyricism for which his work is renowned, Johnson considers in these pieces our need for transcendence. And, as readers of his previous work know, Johnson's path to consecration frequently requires a limning of the darkest abyss. If the path to knowledge lies in experience, Seek is a fascinating record of Johnson's profoundly moving pilgrimage.
Synopsis
In this provocative collection of essays, Denis Johnson opens the doors to a world most Americans have never seen and few journalists dare to tread. This compilation spans 20 years of observing, reporting, and living on the edge: from the Liberian Civil War to a Christian biker rally; from a militia meeting near Ruby Ridge to a revival meeting of Christian Evangelicals; from the North Carolina Mountains in search of an anti-abortionist bomber to mining for gold in Alaska. Seek offers a hauntingly lyrical portrait of life in the outer fringes of the American dream that is as idiosyncratic and remarkable as Denis Johnson's finest works of fiction.
About the Author
Denis Johnson is the author of The Name of the World, Already Dead, Jesus' Son, Resuscitation of a Hanged Man, Fiskadoro, The Stars at Noon, and Angels. His poetry has been collected in the volume The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations Millennium General Assembly. He is the recipient of a Lannan Fellowship and a Whiting Writer's Award, among many other honors for his work. He lives in northern Idaho.