Customer Reviews

Beneath the Skin: The Collected Essays

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This is a terrific collection of essays that offer tremendous insights into a wide range of topics, all of which are analyzed and evaluated in masterful prose, full of wit and sagacity. Subjects include Tom Cruise, Marilyn Monroe, Liberace, homophobia, 9/11, Gore Vidal, Joyce Carol Oates, racism, literary critics, William Friedkin, and Paul Schrader. One can't help walk away from this book feeling great admiration for Rechy's studied convictions, his honesty, and his immense talents as a writer, social historian, and activist.

Regardless of your familiarity with John Rechy, you need to read this book. It provides a level of insight into Rechy's work that fans and critics alike deserve to consider. The collection includes a broad range of materials and each piece features a candid postscript from Rechy himself.

For any of you still naive enough to imagine that Rechy's levels of intellect, style, wit, and charm are somehow so minor they suit only a single genre or historical period, this book provides ample evidence to the contrary. These essays are proof positive that he is now as he has always been -- a passionate and profound writer whose talents are boundless.

If, like me, you find Rechy a constant source of inspiration, then this volume is a delight. Locating copies of Rechy's essays, (especially those from 1958-1980) can be quite a task, even for an experienced researcher. This collection simplifies the efforts needed to generate a fuller picture of his life and career. *Beneath the Skin* will enhance not only your library, but also your appreciation for one of America's greatest writers.