Customer Reviews

We Did Porn: Memoir and Drawings

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
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Pleasingly chunky shape, high quality paper, beautiful pictures. But the real surprise is how well it's written.

Visual artist Zak Smith doubles as porn actor Zak Sabbath, and he is the perfect informant on his industry. He's smart enough to notice things other people don't, and wise enough to attempt to make sense of the craziness without pathologizing. It helps that he is a man who loves women, especially the adorable alt porn actress "Candy Crushed" AKA Mandy Morbid -- the latter half of the book is a little bit of a love story to her.

Smith's self-deprecating humor sometimes reminded me a little of David Foster Wallace. There were beautiful sentences that made me think "This is how a visual artist sees the world" (like when he describes a porn star as having skin the color of the skin on very good cheesecakes or when he describes a girl as being like those heavy-headed flowers that Japanese gardeners tie to stakes). Probably the strongest parts of the book are where he really lets his anger loose, such as the chapter about Sasha Grey's appearance on the Tyra Banks show. This is an earnest and pure transmission.

After getting this book in the mail a couple days ago I began reading it at about 1am (quiet time). As fatigue inevitably set in after a couple hours of reading, I found myself fighting to stay awake because I didn't want to put it down.

Zak Smith has a fascinating and engaging way of describing his experiences and surroundings, which keeps you eager to see what the next paragraph/page/chapter is going to tell you.

I hope that people don't shut this book out of their reading lists because of their preconceptions of or apprehension to the adult film industry. This is not a senseless book of porn and debauchery. It's a brilliantly crafted memoir full of honesty, social commentary, wit and elaborate detail.

The artwork pairs well with the writing, though there is no direct correlation between the pictures and words. Zak Smith's style of writing and style of visual art are stylistically similar in feel, which makes for a great overall experience.

The book couldve used an editor with a clear head, sharp pencil, and a keen understanding of drugs to keep the meanderings in check, but the really surprising thing about this book is how incredibly well-written it is. Every chapter there is a section that makes me want to steal it and make it my own, or expand it with an article, whether it be about LA, politics, NY, women etc etc.

SO glad I came across this book on the library shelves.