Scribblings, musings and assorted published wisdom
Tomorrow, the greatest book in the history of the printed word will finally be available for purchase by the general public. If you are only going to buy one book this year about an alcoholic, self-abusive, vegan, pyromaniac ex-circus clown with a talent for vomiting on command and stapling his scrotum to his leg, make sure this is the one:
PRI’s “The World,” May 18, 2011
PRI’s “The World” recently interviewed me about the immediate impact of Osama Bin Laden’s death on the American psyche. Why me? Not sure. Since the only other person interviewed for the piece is Lawrence Wright, the Pulitzer Prize-winning New Yorker writer and author of what is perhaps THE book on Bin Laden and 9/11, The Looming Tower, I can only assume they needed the co-author of Steve-O’s memoir to lend some gravitas to the story. Anyway, I tried my best not to sound like an idiot.
“The Meaning of Bin Laden for America,” PRI’s “The World,” May 2, 2011
For Robin Pecknold, following up Fleet Foxes‘ beloved debut wasn’t just a labor of love–it was an all-consuming head trip. David Peisner goes to Seattle and finds an artist who’s still learning where his off switch is.
Dedicated visitor(s) of this website have no doubt noticed the lack of updates over the last 6+ months. This is largely because I’ve spent most of that time working with Stephen “Steve-O” Glover on his memoir, Professional Idiot (Hyperion), which will be available on June 7th wherever fine literature is sold. The book has its roots in a story I wrote about the Jackass star for Spin back in 2009, which you can read here. The book is kind of like the story, only way, way more graphic, gruesome and disturbing. You can be the first on your block to own a copy by pre-ordering it from one the friendly neighborhood booksellers below.
PRI’s “The World” interviewed me recently about the Gangster’s Paradise story I wrote for Spin. Kudos to their editors and producers for turning the rambling gibberish I was spewing during the interview into something coherent. Below is a link to a stream of the show. If you’d like to skip past all the inconsequential fluff about Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visiting Lebanon and how the dismantling of the military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy will affect active-duty personnel in Afghanistan, the good bits with me start about 9 minutes from the end of the show.
Spin recently released an anthology of highlights from the magazine’s 25 year history. The collection includes stories by, among others, Dave Eggers, Chuck Klosterman, Jonathan Ames, Elizabeth Gilbert, Richard Meltzer and, um, me. My 2006 story War Is Loud is in there and features a new introduction. If you order the book from Amazon, they will include a brown cardboard box with the Amazon logo at no extra charge.
Spin Greatest Hits: 25 Years of Heretics, Heroes and the New Rock’n’Roll
The arrest this summer of elusive alleged drug kingpin–and Jamaican folk hero–Christopher “Dudus” Coke served as a dramatic reminder that when it comes to partying at the crossroads between organized crime and pop music, rap’s got nothing on dancehall.
Spin Magazine, October 2010 [Excerpt]
Spin Magazine, October 2010 [Digital Reader]
One guy’s homeless, one likes sleeping all day, one’s in Pearl Jam and one’s Chris Cornell. Beloved ’90s titans Soundgarden are back, but where are they going?
Spin Magazine, September 2010 [Long Excerpt]
David Peisner 