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Putrefaction Live
"James, a mixed-blood Navajo in his twenties . . . begins his life-transforming getting used to ranch-life, getting into alcohol-drug trouble and serving jail-time, working as a tour-guide at Hubbell Trading Post, getting involved with heavy metal rez band, Putrefaction, in which he plays guitar. A Navajo story, a good one! Yes, read it."--Simon J. Ortiz, Acoma Pueblo native, author of Out There Somewhere and from Sand Creek
". . . a brutal beauty fills the pages of Warren Perkins's novel, Putrefaction Live. With the goregrind of heavy metal as background music, Perkins foregrounds the contemporary world of Diné with the authority of an insider. This is a novel about disintegration and rejuvenation among a new generation of Navajo warriors seasoned by a century of culture wars on their homeland. Bold, honest, and refreshingly original, this is an important book, as enlightening as it is captivating."--Ann Marie Cummins, author of Yellowcake and Red Ant Stories
"Written in precise and elegant language, Perkins' novel is a fascinating coming-of-age story about a young boy caught between the past and the future, between the urban wasteland of Arizona's new cities and the gorgeous untouched natural landscape of the Navaho reservation. This is a terrific book!"--Susan Cheever, author of Where Sex Meets Addiction
". . . a brutal beauty fills the pages of Warren Perkins's novel, Putrefaction Live. With the goregrind of heavy metal as background music, Perkins foregrounds the contemporary world of Diné with the authority of an insider. This is a novel about disintegration and rejuvenation among a new generation of Navajo warriors seasoned by a century of culture wars on their homeland. Bold, honest, and refreshingly original, this is an important book, as enlightening as it is captivating."--Ann Marie Cummins, author of Yellowcake and Red Ant Stories
"Written in precise and elegant language, Perkins' novel is a fascinating coming-of-age story about a young boy caught between the past and the future, between the urban wasteland of Arizona's new cities and the gorgeous untouched natural landscape of the Navaho reservation. This is a terrific book!"--Susan Cheever, author of Where Sex Meets Addiction
253 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 5, 2024
Very unique. Really explores the ironic and macabre Navajo obsession with heavy metal. I think I first encountered it randomly when a chapter was published in the more highfalutin' Threepenny Review, and I personally happened to know the author. I need to read it again. I used to really like this genre, and I thought it was a lot more thoughtful and immersive than the Tony Hillerman novels, which are good in their own right. Maybe I should check out Heavy Metal, Black Sabbath, Metalocalypse, or Iron Maiden first to invoke the muse.
September 1, 2011
My father and I were talking last week and he mention he'd been given a book by the author, Warren Perkins, and he was feeling bad as the school semester was just beginning and he really didn't have time to read it. "It's titled Putrefaction Live," he said. "Might be something you'd be interested in."
"Death Metal and Navajos on the Rez? Yeah, send it to me, I'll read it."
Yet, that isn't really the gist of Putrefaction Live. That maybe the abbreviated two-second elevator pitch a writer is sometimes forced to reduce their work to in order to convey the general idea. But once you dig a little deeper the reader finds Perkins' book deals with very human elements – responsibilities, relationships, fears, and hopes – to name a few. Almost a coming of age story – but that again is too abbreviated/confining a definition.
A well-written debut, with a different take on characters, their interactions, and plot.
"Death Metal and Navajos on the Rez? Yeah, send it to me, I'll read it."
Yet, that isn't really the gist of Putrefaction Live. That maybe the abbreviated two-second elevator pitch a writer is sometimes forced to reduce their work to in order to convey the general idea. But once you dig a little deeper the reader finds Perkins' book deals with very human elements – responsibilities, relationships, fears, and hopes – to name a few. Almost a coming of age story – but that again is too abbreviated/confining a definition.
A well-written debut, with a different take on characters, their interactions, and plot.
January 19, 2010
This is an authentic book, a book less about what it's like to "live like an Indian" and more about Indians living. Even though the main character is half-white and would therefore have a different experience outside the Reservation.
The use of Navajo language is well-executed, and Perkins evokes some truly beautiful moments in his descriptions.
After a second reading, I found a lot of similarities between this book and Sarah Orne Jewett's "Country of the Pointed Firs." They are accurate regional tales, though they don't do much to tell a solid story. And while I liked some of the characters, there were also many who weren't given a lot of room to roam, or were cut short too quickly.
The use of Navajo language is well-executed, and Perkins evokes some truly beautiful moments in his descriptions.
After a second reading, I found a lot of similarities between this book and Sarah Orne Jewett's "Country of the Pointed Firs." They are accurate regional tales, though they don't do much to tell a solid story. And while I liked some of the characters, there were also many who weren't given a lot of room to roam, or were cut short too quickly.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews