THE ECSTASY OF INFLUENCE: nonfictions, etc. (2011). Jonathan Letham. ****.
This is a collection of previously (mostly) published pieces by novelist Letham, comprising book reviews, movie reviews and editorial pieces. If you haven’t read Letham, you should. Once, by dumb chance, I was in a book store where this young man was signing what was his first novel. It sounded different and just a little outre and I bought a copy. This was my discovery of Letham and his novel, “Gun, With Occasional Music” (1994). Since that time, I’ve managed to read most of his fiction, but this is the first of his non-fiction works I’ve read. Most of the pieces in here are fantastic – the rest are merely superlative. Look for his appreciations of Philip K. Dick and J. G. Ballard. The title piece, “The Ecstasy of Influence,” will likely give you a different perspective on copyright and its uses. In the section on Film and Comics, you must read, “Godfather IV,” “Kovac’s Gift,” and “Donald Sutherland’s Buttocks.” In the section covering 9/11 and Book Tours, check out “Advertisements for Norman Mailer.” There are dozens more to choose from. Each of them is a small gem, quickly pulling you in and suddenly having you on the writer’s side. Recommended.