The Sluts-Hooboy Site inspired book

[Rod Hagen]

Since the other thread on this subject got a little off track, I thought I'd make another one. I finished this Dennis Cooper book last night, it's a quick read, in the same week I read his even more recent book God Jr., Didion's The Year Of Magical Thinking and Matthew Stadler's Landscape Memory, big week of books I guess.

 

Though you never see the words Hooboy or male4malescorts.com, The Sluts uses the exact and original Hooboy review structure, and message board, to tell the story of an escort named Brad. If you think you're going to pick the book up and maybe read about YOU as an escort or YOU as a client, you're not. It's basically only about Brad and this is typical Cooper, twisted.

 

Brad has a lethal disease, several addictions, and a habit of renting himself out to men who want to mutilate him, and ultimately Kill him. OR he doesn't want any of those things, and it's all some jack offs abusing the website. Or some of it is true.

 

Cooper's novels would have been transgressive once, but I still feel that they come off showier now than controversial. He posses immense skill. His sentences shimmer like a dying star, but he dooms his twink-characters for no real reason I can divine. He's got an obsession: drug addicted twinks seeking death (that's probably the subject heading on his internet dating ads).

 

What made me actually sad about this story is that it's the book Devon SF should have written. There was no doubting that Devon wanted to be a writer. He was too "wordy", needed an editor, but he was smart and talented; with some discipline I think he could have done it.

 

It's unlikely Cooper had any notion of this website, this world, before he met Devon. This could have been Devon's book. I suspect Devon would have written the story more politically, made Escorts come off as nearly saintly, BUT he would have had his first novel done and could have moved onto the second. Cooper used an interesting and original structure (though not as original to us since we've been using and reading it for 6 years now) to tell a creepy story about damaged people. Cooper beat Devon to the Press. And that's a shame.

[Okliehomo]

I started the other thread about this book. And like I said last week, I found it a very disturbing picture of both clients and working boys and about how half truths and outright lies can lead to urban myth and obsession. And how easy it is to manipulate the internet audience because the minute that somebody posts it, it becomes truth because more often than not, there is nobody out there to dispute it and more often than not, we want to believe and are intigued by the promise of mystery and the lure of the erotic. Brad was a hoax, built upon just enough truth and scandal to keep us reading...not a great book, by any means, but an interesting point of view on your little corner of the world.

 

And if memory serves, male4malescorts.com is mentioned. Cooper thanks the site on his dedication page.

 

Okie

[Rod Hagen]

I meant I don't think Cooper mentioned Hoo/male4malescorts.com in the narrative, it's simply taking place w/in AN escort review site.

[Okliehomo]

RH,

 

You are completely correct about that. There was no mention of this site in the narrative, though he did mention Rentboy and various bareback sites....

 

Okie

[woodlawn]

>It's unlikely Cooper had any notion of this website, this

>world, before he met Devon. This could have been Devon's

>book.

 

>Cooper beat Devon to the Press. And that's a

>shame.

 

That's a crock, in my opinion. You make it sound as though this Cooper stole something from Devon. Did Toulouse-Lautrec steal something from the dancers and ladies of the evening he used as models in his paintings? It's an artist's job to depict what he sees as he sees it. He shouldn't be condemned for doing that.

 

As for Devon, if he were a novelist he would have written a novel. Artists don't create art because they want to, but because they have to.

[Rod Hagen]

>That's a crock, in my opinion. You make it sound as though

>this Cooper stole something from Devon.

 

Not what I implied at all. You're inferring recklessly. I made no such implication. I said that I wish Devon had written a book and that some story, insipired by the website he spent so much time on and had such an attachment to, like Cooper's The Sluts would have been a good start. I also thought it odd and sad that Devon (probably) gave Cooper the materials to write a book that I feel Devon was capable of writing himself. In other words, since it’s perhaps hard for you Woodlawn to imagine someone feeling sorrow and/or regret for a prostitute, I FEEL BAD for devon THAT DEVON DIDN’T DO MORE BECAUSE I FEEL HE HAD A LOT OF POTENTIAL AND TALENT. Obviously the drugs really got in the way and that is, I think, a sad shame. I’m fairly certain “most” other readers caught my drift.

 

>Did Toulouse-Lautrec

>steal something from the dancers and ladies of the evening he

>used as models in his paintings? It's an artist's job to

 

I don't know because I don't know who the heck you're talking about. But I'll guess, based on your tone, that he or she didn't steal something from the dancers or anyone else.

 

>depict what he sees as he sees it. He shouldn't be condemned

>for doing that.

 

I call that a radical interpretation of the text. I came nowhere close to condemning anyone. Cooper is an amazing writer; it's a well-done book. He saw the opportunity this website presented him to retell his story of doomed twinks in a new format. GOOD FOR HIM. It's an entertaining book. He stole nothing. I did not imply that.

 

>

>As for Devon, if he were a novelist he would have written a

>novel. Artists don't create art because they want to, but

>because they have to.

 

And? Did I say I say he was a novelist? No. I did say I thought he could be one,and I hope someday he is.

[RockHard]

RE:Say what, woodlawn?

 

"I’m fairly certain “most” other readers caught my drift."

 

You got that right!

 

Kudos to you for taking the time to respond to yet another poster who has reading comprehension problems. There seem to be a few on this board; no different than any other forum, I guess.

 

I thought your post was as clear as day and well written, too. Nothing sexier than a hot man who loves to read (and write). Thanks for sharing. :-)

 

Rock

[Bilbo]

RE:Say what, woodlawn?

 

Dear Rod,

I agree with you on the Devon thing, but now I am a bit surprised at you for not knowing whom Toulouse Latrec (spelling?)was. You have probably seen reproductions of his paintings without knowing what you were seeing. I am surprised that someone who is much more knowledgeable about current literature and art would seem to know less than me about historic French lit and art. I think that you would enjoy looking up this painter and checking out his period. (It was filmed about in the movie Moulin Rouge, which I have to admit to not having seen yet.)

Related (though I don't know if they actually were the same years) would be a group of French playwrights called the Boulevardiers. Particularly Feydeau. I think that you would prefer reading their works to watching what many theater companies do with them. Somehow otherwise reasonable companies (like The Alley here in Houston) think that these wordly wise playwrights need to be turned grotesque on stage.

Also - Gigi! I have never read the Collette original myself. Again, it would surprise me if you haven't.

As you can tell, I think highly of you. Still do. Just think you might be missing something here you would enjoy.

Hugs, Bilbo

[woodlawn]

>>That's a crock, in my opinion. You make it sound as though

>>this Cooper stole something from Devon.

 

>Not what I implied at all. You're inferring recklessly.

 

Here are the words you used: "Cooper beat Devon to the press. And that's a shame."

 

If you didn't mean to imply that Cooper and Devon were at odds or in some sort of competition, then why say Cooper "beat" Devon?

 

And why is it a "shame"? Is there something about the fact that one person writes a novel about male prostitutes that prevents Devon or anyone else from writing another one?

 

> In other words, since it’s perhaps hard for

>you Woodlawn to imagine someone feeling sorrow and/or regret

>for a prostitute, I FEEL BAD for devon THAT DEVON DIDN’T DO

>MORE BECAUSE I FEEL HE HAD A LOT OF POTENTIAL AND TALENT.

 

What I find hard to take in is your implication that Devon can't write a book about this subject BECAUSE Cooper or someone else already did. How can that possibly make sense? Does the fact that Hemingway wrote about deep sea fishing mean no one else can do so?

 

 

>Obviously the drugs really got in the way and that is, I

>think, a sad shame. I’m fairly certain “most” other readers

>caught my drift.

 

Let me know when you finish tabulating the results of your poll.

 

 

>>Did Toulouse-Lautrec

>>steal something from the dancers and ladies of the evening

>he

>>used as models in his paintings? It's an artist's job to

 

>I don't know because I don't know who the heck you're talking

>about.

 

Ah, a science major.

[Rod Hagen]

>If you didn't mean to imply that Cooper and Devon were at odds

>or in some sort of competition, then why say Cooper "beat"

>Devon?

 

Around the time Devon met Cooper Devon unfortunately melted down; had he not melted maybe someday he would have written a book in this form. But now Cooper has done so, if Devon does it now, he won't be the first, obviously that doesn't make it impossible, just not the truly original form of The Sluts. That's all. I did say that it's entirely possible for Devon to write his first book someday and I hope he does. "Beat" wasn't meant to imply competition, just to reference the coincidental ticks on the timeline.

 

Really I actually don't care. It's a good, not great (sorry if I ever said great) book. Devon is no friend of mine, simply someone I saw great potential in and hope to see more from. Cooper is creepy, but a talented writer. Now I'm off to take my morning constitutional (Sumatra beans blended with crack).

 

 

>And why is it a "shame"? Is there something about the fact

>that one person writes a novel about male prostitutes that

>prevents Devon or anyone else from writing another one?

>

 

No.

 

>What I find hard to take in is your implication that Devon

>can't write a book about this subject BECAUSE Cooper or

>someone else already did. How can that possibly make sense?

>Does the fact that Hemingway wrote about deep sea fishing mean

>no one else can do so?

 

Also not what I implied. BTW who's Hemingway?

[RockHard]

""Beat" wasn't meant to imply competition, just to reference the coincidental ticks on the timeline."

 

This was also clear to many of us.

[Rod Hagen]

>This was also clear to many of us.

 

Or at least to just you, which sits just fine with me. And I really appreciate the above compliments Rock! Thank you.

 

http://www.RodHagen.com

310.360.9890

Fun affectionate guy in Los Angeles.

-Rod Hagen

[woodlawn]

>>This was also clear to many of us.

 

One of the things I love about this board is the penchant of some posters to pretend they've been appointed to speak for others when in fact nothing of the sort has occurred. They obviously have a rich fantasy life.

[uwsman2]

I agree with Rod. This book is a real engrossing quick read, and if your particular kink is to contemplate violent sex, can be a turn-on... On the other hand, it has a very distinct "don't try this at home" quality, and I think Cooper's "posters" in his simulation of this site are actually much more polite and cooperative than many of the regular posters here.

For example, Rod just made a passing remark about what a shame it was that somebody who knew this scene from the inside and was a prolific poster on this site at one time, Devon of SF, had not written "the book" based on this site. And he gets pounced on with ferocity, and this thread gets hijacked into a string of back-biting posts rather than the interesting discussion of Cooper's book that one hoped for.

The book provides an interesting perspective on this site. Comments about the book would surely be welcome. It's available in paperback and I had it just days after putting in an order on amazon.

[Bilbo]

Dear Rod, Now I am starting to assume that you are joking? Who is Hemmingway? Ernest Hemmingway was a very butch writer of short stories and novels. You probably remember him. If not, you probably remember a late night viewing of For Whom The Bell Tolls? That was one of his books. So was, The Old Man and The Sea, one of the best films Spencer Tracy made without Hepburn. Hemmingway lived for a while in Paris and was a regular visitor to the parties at Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas's home. Then he moved to an estate he dearly loved in Cuba, had to move out of it when Castro started to take over the country, and shot himself to death about two years later.

 

Now, of course, I suppose you're going to ask who Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas were? }( :+