Sadly, the autographed copy of Walter’s book just arrived on my desk today – the same day I learned of his death. I haven’t had a chance to read it yet (I’m still processing the news), but I’m well acquainted with his prose style. I’ve been reading Walt’s words for over 30 years now – first with his now legendary ‘zine The Key, and later in Downtown publications like New York Talk, PAPER, Interview, Details, the East Village Eye, the Village Voice and Ray Gun. His eye for visual detail is unparalleled and his penchant for pitch-black humor always made for compulsively readable articles and essays. He will definitely be missed.
About the book, Amazon writes:
Inspired by life events “Fukt 2 Start With: Short Stories & Broken Werd” is a collection of short stories that follow the lives, times and numerous misadventures of various misfits who live so far on the edge that falling off is somewhat implausible. While facing the major struggles of everyday life, while often out of their own league, they learn to adapt and figure out new ways to make it through and ultimately survive.
The user reviews are all pretty unanimous:
“Walter Cessna’s stories are sexy and dangerous and should be required reading for every young urban misfit. The “broken werds” of the stories collected belie their complex logic and deeply moral underpinning, managing to relay the fact that being “fukt” and being “correct” are not at all mutually exclusive. Cessna’s writing confirms the suspicions that and visual work has always conveyed. Namely, that the world is messy, chaotic, unfair, spectacularly and impossibly gorgeous.”
“Walt Cessna is a writer to contend with. He presents an ugly world with characters hard to empathize with, but they are compelling, as are the ways in which they get through their days and nights. This is a book you stay up late with.”
“Riveting, revolting, and down right scary. There are stories that will stay with you long after the book has been finished. LOVED IT.”
“The most powerful memoir I’ve read since David Wojnarowicz’s ‘Close to the Knives’ – the perceptiveness of Walt’s writing reminds me of the cliche ‘a photo is worth a thousand words’ – this photographer sees the truth behind the image and not just shows it to you, but makes you feel it. An intense, beautiful and truly stunning book.”
“Years of photography have given Walt Cessna great, observant eyes, and he uses them well in his stories. There’s no light at the end of any tunnel, but it’s a colorful trip along the way. Walt Cessna keeps the bleakness of Cormac McCarthy, sets in on concrete, sprinkles it with Angel dust, and gives life to it with blood the color of bar light neon.”
Get your copy here, and celebrate the life of this incomparable artist.
