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Barstool Prophets
Barstool Prophets is not just the coming-of-age story of a young writer working in a bar in New York's East Village, but also the chronicle of an iconic neighborhood and its wild spectrum of characters. From a love-addled bartender to a suicidal doorman to the junkies in Tompkins Square Park, they are a family, of sorts. In many cases, this is the only family some of them have, complete with all the joys and dysfunctions. The nameless narrator guides himself, the reader, and, in some ways, the entire neighborhood through the highs and lows of the past and into the present.
352 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2011
3 people are currently reading
364 people want to read
About the author
Ethan H. Minsker
2 books44 followersEthan has written for a wide variety of outlets and enjoys writing in many different mediums. Besides novels, Ethan has written multiple screenplays, while he has produced and directed numerous independent films. He is the founder of the Antagonist Movement, Inc., a consortium of artists, writers and musicians based in New York's East Village. Mr. Minsker is also the creator and editor-in-chief of Psycho Moto Zine, which has been in publication from 1988-present. Mr. Minsker received his B.F.A. in Film with honors from the School of Visual Arts and his masters in Media from the New School.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 10, 2013
This is the second book I picked up by Ethan Minsker after meeting him in Texas.
While the first (Rich Boy Cries For Mama) is a great tale of growing up punk, Barstool Prophets examines a young man's upbringing in the bar scene.
But it's more than that. It's not just a bar book, told through zine excerpts and 1st person narrative, Ethan gives us a tale of New York itself, as the protagonist and the city grow up and change together, by the end of the book, like real life, nothing is the same. Bittersweet but needed.
I loved this book. Being a Texas punk rocker and only hearing of New York's lower east side, Ethan painted a picture of something I have always wanted to see for myself.
While the first (Rich Boy Cries For Mama) is a great tale of growing up punk, Barstool Prophets examines a young man's upbringing in the bar scene.
But it's more than that. It's not just a bar book, told through zine excerpts and 1st person narrative, Ethan gives us a tale of New York itself, as the protagonist and the city grow up and change together, by the end of the book, like real life, nothing is the same. Bittersweet but needed.
I loved this book. Being a Texas punk rocker and only hearing of New York's lower east side, Ethan painted a picture of something I have always wanted to see for myself.
September 6, 2016
While Barstool Prophets gives the reader an in-depth look at the "old" New York, more important is author, Ethan Minsker's guide to the building of a movement and a culture from the ground on up. Through the gritty, realism of the book's representation of New York City's East Village, we can ponder things like how we ever made it this far or how we ever survived the beautiful mess that was. But what's more important, and something the book accomplishes so well, is a way to discover and preserve our stake in the community, through direct interaction with flesh and blood people. The book reminds us that to achieve the bond of community we have to get up and get out there for ourselves and experience our neighborhood firsthand. And this is all accomplished without the "tools" of social media. We read first-hand how to organize and build a group of individuals with the same goals for expression and art and discover that, yes, it is possible to create and enjoy these things without the guidance of glowing 4-inch screen.
Original art by Dan Krupin adds just the right amount of visualization to give anyone, new-comers through punk rock diehards, the full effect.
Original art by Dan Krupin adds just the right amount of visualization to give anyone, new-comers through punk rock diehards, the full effect.
April 20, 2012
This is a very honest (and awesome) portrayal of a time and place you'll love reading about. NYC's East Village is iconic for many reasons and this book manages to capture all of those-- but in a clever way that's not an essay, doesn't feel cliche or forced, and keeps you wanting to know what happens next.
The narrator is instantly likable as your trusty tour guide for the stories of a culture gone-by. He makes a great centerpiece (level headed yet hot tempered, opinionated yet compassionate) to the motley crew of characters that surround him and occupy the neighborhood. Having the backdrop of bar culture adds both lightness and depth.
Great read overall, whether you know about New York's East Village, know about bars, know about rock n roll/punk rock or know nothing about any of it.
The narrator is instantly likable as your trusty tour guide for the stories of a culture gone-by. He makes a great centerpiece (level headed yet hot tempered, opinionated yet compassionate) to the motley crew of characters that surround him and occupy the neighborhood. Having the backdrop of bar culture adds both lightness and depth.
Great read overall, whether you know about New York's East Village, know about bars, know about rock n roll/punk rock or know nothing about any of it.
April 22, 2012
Remember the days when you could smoke in the bars in New York City? When sinners were welcome?
Told from the perspective of a bartender on the Lower East Side you will get your fill of sex, drugs and violence. This is not a kids book. There are no wimpy vampires or wizards. It's based on true stories that have been fictionalized to protect the not so innocent.
The art work in the paper back is fantastic. The production value is top notch. You can tell they spent a lot of time working on this. There is no clip art. I hate clip art in books.
This is the perfect gift for the special boy in your life.
Told from the perspective of a bartender on the Lower East Side you will get your fill of sex, drugs and violence. This is not a kids book. There are no wimpy vampires or wizards. It's based on true stories that have been fictionalized to protect the not so innocent.
The art work in the paper back is fantastic. The production value is top notch. You can tell they spent a lot of time working on this. There is no clip art. I hate clip art in books.
This is the perfect gift for the special boy in your life.
July 3, 2012
Barstool prophets takes you back to the gritty days of old New York. When there where no heroes, no good guys, and characters such as boob man stood out shining pinnacles to the state of things.
As I now live in New York and haunt the dive bars, it doesn't take much to look around and see the ghosts of this time, sitting at the bar, waiting to get the bartenders attention, leaving their tip behind, the only thing that helps or hurts at the end of the day.
As I now live in New York and haunt the dive bars, it doesn't take much to look around and see the ghosts of this time, sitting at the bar, waiting to get the bartenders attention, leaving their tip behind, the only thing that helps or hurts at the end of the day.
April 25, 2012
This is a must read punk rock memoir from thuggish mischief to introspection and loyalty. If you are curious about, live or have ever lived in NYC, this is a page turner and an awesome look back on the old NYC.
June 13, 2012
I loved this book. I love "real" people in books. The writing makes it easy to follow and get absorbed into the story.
August 18, 2013
I love reading about New York, I’ve never lived in the city but I’m fascinated about it. I took Barstool Prophets in hand and didn’t stop reading till the end, it made me cry, laugh and feel identified. I loved the honesty and how the city was portrayed, the narrator is like your own personal tour guide, a real, local, with a unique sense of humor one; he shows you the real city, no makeup, and he makes you wanna live in there, in that particular neighborhood at that time, regardless of the uncleanness, rats, drugs, gangs, unsafe environment full of crazy people. This book makes me want to be there, when the Lower East Side was called Alphabet City, makes me want to go to bars (even though I don’t like bars), makes me want to pick up a fist fight when some axxhole is bothering me (even though I’m a pacifist), makes me want to start a fanzine (even though I’m a bad writer) makes me want to be a better friend (even though… well I’m a pretty good one, it makes me want to have a friend like the narrator, always protecting and caring about the people he loves) makes me want to put myself together and be an artist instead of just talking about it; that’s how inspiring this book is! Thank you Mr. Minsker.
September 13, 2013
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. Well here it is...the book was great. I liked the characters, despite their flaws (made them more real to me) and they actually reminded me of friends of mine. I cried when Darby died, and the whole time I was reading, I kept picturing my favorite little bar from when I went to university. It had a funky smell, it was a little hole in the wall and I loved it. This book reminded me of it so much.
I look forward to reading the other 2 books in this triology.
I look forward to reading the other 2 books in this triology.
Read
September 19, 2012I really like Ethan's book. His characters become real on the page and I found myself feeling like I was there hanging out with them at the bar. It made me feel like I was young and cool again, which is perfect for someone hitting forty!
August 14, 2017
*I received this book free in a goodreads giveaway....*
...a long time ago and proceeded to misplace the book. I found it recently and jumped right in. I really enjoyed it!
Strengths:
1) The writer's writing style: This book could have been totally monotonous as there are a LOT of bar stories. This writer knows how to tell a story and make (and keep) it interesting.
2) The writer's candor: There are glimpses into his personal life (thank god - if it had been all bar stories this review would not be as good) and he is very open and honest even when it makes him look like an a**hole.
3) Subject matter: I lived in NYC (including in the East Village for a while) and my life, though mere blocks away from this neighborhood, was drastically different. I am not much of a bar person so it was fascinating reading about this crowd and these types of people as I didn't know anyone like that.
Weaknesses:
1) Editing: Some of the bar stories were interesting and some weren't. I would have edited a few of them out. Some people get character development and some don't. I asked myself a few times "Why did this particular story make the final cut?"
2) "Silicon Valley" syndrome: I love a show on HBO called "Silicon Valley" even though I despise pretty much every character. There is a little bit of that here. This book is definitely true to life so these aren't exactly the brady bunch characters here. Just about every character can and is off-putting.
Even with all that, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is an interesting portrait of bar life on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Recommended!
...a long time ago and proceeded to misplace the book. I found it recently and jumped right in. I really enjoyed it!
Strengths:
1) The writer's writing style: This book could have been totally monotonous as there are a LOT of bar stories. This writer knows how to tell a story and make (and keep) it interesting.
2) The writer's candor: There are glimpses into his personal life (thank god - if it had been all bar stories this review would not be as good) and he is very open and honest even when it makes him look like an a**hole.
3) Subject matter: I lived in NYC (including in the East Village for a while) and my life, though mere blocks away from this neighborhood, was drastically different. I am not much of a bar person so it was fascinating reading about this crowd and these types of people as I didn't know anyone like that.
Weaknesses:
1) Editing: Some of the bar stories were interesting and some weren't. I would have edited a few of them out. Some people get character development and some don't. I asked myself a few times "Why did this particular story make the final cut?"
2) "Silicon Valley" syndrome: I love a show on HBO called "Silicon Valley" even though I despise pretty much every character. There is a little bit of that here. This book is definitely true to life so these aren't exactly the brady bunch characters here. Just about every character can and is off-putting.
Even with all that, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is an interesting portrait of bar life on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Recommended!
November 16, 2019
A friend loaned me this book because, as a bartender myself, he was interested to hear my thoughts on this book. I'm not a NYC bartender, but even in Bay City I recognize a lot of the same customers and experiences Ethan Minsker writes about. The book rings really true. Really enjoyed it. Thanks for the loan, Jay!
August 28, 2023
A really fantastic book. Kept me enthralled from beginning to end, and showed me a side of the world I wouldn’t have otherwise been exposed to.
February 7, 2015
Bar Flys and writing go hand in hand. Writers have a telescopic, abstract and perverse way of looking at the world. These quirky creative types always know how to tell a good tale. Bukowski, Hunter. S. Thompson, Legs Mcneil, Richard Hell, Ethan Minsker..
Barstool Prophets has all the rowdy, deviant and witty recollections of working/living in New York Bars and its characters. Ethan's writing style and recollections are raw and reminiscent of Richard Hell-esque punk honesty. This book actually made me want to dive into the sleaziest bar in town and take a sober look around at the inner workings of its everyday characters. It also made me wish I lived through a time when new york was all sex, drugs and rock n roll, although this book made me feel pretty much like I was there, covered in sweat, smoke and fighting for love and lager in the big apple.
The zine x memoir-esque layout gives the book an extra creative layer that seems to be an evolution in the book world which Ethan has mastered well through his years of making zines.
There are a plethora of New York culture books mainly on early CBGB's days, however this one stands out because it covers a time period following that transition very few writers have bothered to document. Its more personal but what's better then a personal tour from bartender with all the inside goss.
Barstool Prophets has all the rowdy, deviant and witty recollections of working/living in New York Bars and its characters. Ethan's writing style and recollections are raw and reminiscent of Richard Hell-esque punk honesty. This book actually made me want to dive into the sleaziest bar in town and take a sober look around at the inner workings of its everyday characters. It also made me wish I lived through a time when new york was all sex, drugs and rock n roll, although this book made me feel pretty much like I was there, covered in sweat, smoke and fighting for love and lager in the big apple.
The zine x memoir-esque layout gives the book an extra creative layer that seems to be an evolution in the book world which Ethan has mastered well through his years of making zines.
There are a plethora of New York culture books mainly on early CBGB's days, however this one stands out because it covers a time period following that transition very few writers have bothered to document. Its more personal but what's better then a personal tour from bartender with all the inside goss.
April 24, 2014
*Won this book in a goodreads giveaway. I loved the cast of characters in the book. The characters and the plot were so real and authentic, which makes it easy to relate to. There were no heroes or villains in the book, just real people.
February 9, 2017
I really enjoyed reading this. It was a great look at life in the East village over 13 years (1993-2004) by a bartender/zine-maker. It is full of interesting characters, and it proves again that bartenders have the best stories.
February 11, 2013
Its a great book that catches you from the start.
While reading it on the train, i missed my station twice.
And it was worth it!
While reading it on the train, i missed my station twice.
And it was worth it!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews