Nick Flynn’s memoir of his alcoholic father and his mentally disturbed mother makes horrific reading on many levels. Flynn is honest enough to show his own drift into drug smuggling and drug abuse. I haven’t read a more dispassionate description of the slide into homelessness. Flynn opens his electrifying story with his homeless father trying to spend the night in a Boston ATM enclosure. Later, Flynn’s father shows up at the homeless shelter where Flynn works. The story bounces around from Flynn’s Mom’s demons to Flynn’s problems staying in college (and staying drug-free) to Flynn’s father’s stint in a federal prison. You won’t soon forget reading Another Bullshit Night in Suck City. Compelling!
Great pick!
If Oprah wanted to hype a deserving memoir, ANOTHER BULLSHIT NIGHT IN SUCK CITY would be a deserving choice, Bill. It’s the Real Deal.
Never heard of it before but what a great title! You know it isn’t a cozy mystery.
Great title and a compelling story, Jeff. I’m not a big fan of alcoholic/drug abuse memoirs with mental instability mixed in, but this book gripped me.
Just looked it up – apparently a film is in the works with Casey Affleck as Nick and Robert DeNiro as his father.
Sounds like a film I’d want to see, Jeff.
Great title and cover. I will look for it.
The events in ANOTHER BULLSHIT NIGHT IN SUCK CITY swirl around like an evil tornado, Patti. I found the story riveting.
Thoughtful choice, George. I’ve often been tempted to talk to the many homeless people I encounter in the Arlington/DC area who pop up at the local library or malls where they “live” part-time – some talking to themselves or imaginary friends, some pushing shopping carts filled with everything they own. Some got there through drugs, others mental illness. I imagine many of them have compelling stories, too. At least it looks like Nick Flynn’s story has a happy ending for him (http://www.nickflynn.org/bio.htm).
Nick Flynn’s story continues tomorrow on this blog, BV. NY State emptied out the Psych Centers and just abandoned mentally ill patients to the streets because the State didn’t want to pay for mental health programs any more. The homeless are the “invisible people” of our culture. I’m glad Flynn’s ANOTHER BULLSHIT NIGHT IN SUCK CITY brings their plight to our attention.
Damn. There’s a title you can’t ignore.
The book is as good as the title, Evan.
It is Very easy to become homeless.
You’re right, Todd. It’s easy to become homeless if you have untreated mental and/drug problems. Too often, no one will care about your plight.
Under those circumstances, particularly during the Reagan and Clinton administrations, it was almost inevitable that those without strong family ties would become homeless, a trend not exactly improved by those others since Reagan.
Nick Flynn shows that homeless people are pretty much abandoned by the system, Todd.