I Am Secretly An Important Man (Paperback)

~ Steven Jesse Bernstein (Author) "FORECAST IN CHROME AND PLASTIC..." (more)
Key Phrases: Main Street, Dead Dick, South America (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

collected stories by Seattle underground cult hero

About the Author

Steven Jesse Bernstein, sometimes called the "Godfather of Grunge," was a fixture in the Seattle poetry and theatre scenes of the '80's. His mentor, William Burroughs, said of his writing, "The work is deeply felt...Bernstein has been there and brought it back. Bernstein is a writer." Bernstein struggled with drug addiction most of his life and comitted suicide in 1991, just before the tremendous success of Nirvana (Kurt Cobain was a big fan)and the release of his own spoken word CD, "Prison" on Subpop Records. This book is a collection of Bernstein's short fiction, most of it never before published.

Product Details

• Paperback: 132 pages
• Publisher: Zero Hour (March 21, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0963859412
• ISBN-13: 978-0963859419
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #962,759 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good introduction to Bernstein's shorter work., January 7, 1999

By A Customer

This collection of previously unpublished works by Steven J. Bernstein provides readers with an over-view of his multiple narrative voices, styles, and themes. Fans of Bernstein's spoken-word performances may find this collection more accessible than his longer works (The Wraith and Hermoine). Furthermore, Grant Alden's introduction to this collection positions Bernstein's shorter prose in relation to his other fiction, musical work, and biographical/fictional life. While no one volume could capture the Post-Beat deconstruction of form, the self-depricating satire and fluid hallucinations, the thoughts of a man as they turn upon and brutally lascerate his own bound-and-gagged self, this collection of Bernstein's prose gives readers glimpses of his rage, his humiliation, and his annihilation.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not for those with a weak stomach, January 20, 2006

By	P. A. Enright - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is best book I have read in a long time. Bernstein's writing is gripping and vivid, and one of the most original things I've ever read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars one of the most gut wrentching and soul searching books, September 15, 1999

By A Customer

bernstein makes you see the brutality and evil in the world. each story is a facet in the gem of this book. a real must read.