Customer Reviews

Shuck

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Shuck" is the hyperactive, A.D.D.-influenced-by-crystal-meth diary of Javeen Marshall, a gay man in his early 20's who is trading on his youth and sex appeal in the competitive world of New York City hustlers, models and wannabe porn stars. He considers himself a writer, and dreams of having a book published while collecting an increasingly-nasty series of rejection letters. He lives and sleeps in a shoe store stockroom, when he isn't able to work out a better place to live with any of a series of occasional benefactors interested in him for sex or just a welcome distraction. Among the latter is Derek, an artist whose creativity is enhanced by Javeen's presence, and he shares his loft with him. Javeen continues to seek out fame and recognition, as a model for gay magazines or "artistic" photo shoots, and becomes adept at getting what he wants by manipulating the individuals involved in the process. Any money in his pocket is quickly spent on crystal meth, which he justifies as necessary to offset his natural A.D.D. and keep him on path to his dreams as a writer. Time is not his ally here, and his popularity in "the scene" may be a vanishing commodity.

This is a short (151 page) book written primarily in stream-of-consciousness staccato fashion, occasionally providing intelligent insights into the dark side of the world of the alternative artist. While generally following his life in chronological order, it varies into frequent tangents and musings about other subjects in the narrator's past. Not an easy book to read, and not really that much to say, though it may be amusing on some level. I give it three stars out of five.

Daniel Allen Cox's debut novel, "Shuck," is a breath of fresh air. Jaeven Marshall stars in porn films, poses for nudie mags, and peddles his services to the desperate gays of New York as a hustler to pay for his two favorite vices: meth and fiction writing.

The closest we get to a traditional narrative are entries in Jaeven's journals. These document his rise from low budget prostitute to high end rentboy, a self-proclaimed "Boy New York." We also get a glimpse of an ongoing relationship with a man named Derek whom Jaeven sleeps in the same bed with nightly but does not consummate the relationship. We wonder throughout the book whether the relationship will ever come to fruition, and don't mind being distracted by Jaeven's melancholic digressions about what he finds in garbage cans, what the items say about New York in the 90's. We are also happily distracted by myriad lists and collections of objects Jaeven gives us in order for us to see the stunning, the sad, the gray puddle that is his life from which he is looking up from under.

These lists and collections of items supplement a fragmented narrative in a very clever way. This is one of the main reasons I believe "Shuck" to be as successful as it is. For the aspiring writers we have the collections of literary magazine rejections Jaeven receives for his short stories, from Tin House to The New York Times Magazine--many of them personalized rejections, which tend to be the most revealing. For the porn junkies we have collections of all the magazines that are out there: magazines for size queens, ethnic fetishes, twink love, any kind of porn novelty you can imagine. And there are those that you can't. For lovers of language we have lists that border on the poetic, even if they're about the gradations of different kinds of urine: "amber molasses, lemongrass, oxidized copper, diluted tea, bruised spleen, chicken soup, nicotine ceiling...etc."

So, there is something for everyone in "Shuck." Most importantly a new voice, illuminating and fresh--bound to shake things up in a literary world where the books everybody reads are dictated by a talk show host with a first name that rhymes with coprah. This book most certainly wouldn't be recommended by her. Which is more than enough reason to go out and buy it as fast as you can.

Startling is the first word that comes to mind when describing Shuck. But startling in a brilliant and beautiful way. The subject matter almost frightened me away, which is probably what made it so compelling in the end. What a terrific read. Daniel Allen Cox can string words together with a joyful bounce. This book's reputation will certainly grow over time.

Though SHUCK is not what anyone would expect as a 'novel', it is in fact a very well written collection of thoughts and experiences composed by Daniel Allen Cox in a quilt of easily readable portions that at the end of the book the reader realizes that the technique of writing does indeed make for a fine story. There are portions where Cox seems to intend to shock his readers with the true grit of the sleazier aspects of Manhattan's nightlife, these portions being delivered in the form of 'a hustler's week in New York City'. And in the category of shock value he at times outGide's Gide! But there are also the other aspects of being a loner on the streets of Manhattan, going from living in a laundry room to dwelling in upscale apartments. He manages to show the full spectrum of the life of a successful hustler, poser, movie 'star', wannabe writer, and at the same time draws vivid characterization of those who would take advantage of his talents. Throughout the book his main character interacts with the one person who offers him solid turf and understanding, and oddly enough that successful relationship is almost a platonic one!

Daniel Allen Cox understands how to spin humor from the most unlikely situations. He also has the good sense to keep his outlandish main character a lad about whom we care. It works and that is enough to encourage readers to give this little first book a try. Grady Harp, November 09