Mala Noche: And Other "Illegal" Adventures

by Walt Curtis

Johnny a dix-huit ans. Clandestinement immigr du Mexique, il dbarque Portland (Oregon) avec son ami et protecteur Pepper. Le narrateur, qui tient une picerie dans les quartiers pauvres, s'prend aussitt du jeune garon. Ds lors, cet homme plutt rang va s'aventurer sur leurs pas dans un monde o se mlent sexe, drogue et affrontements avec la police. Histoire de marginaux exclus du rve amricain, histoires de ces autres rprouvs que sont encore les homosexuels dans l'Amrique des annes 1970, ce roman, qui inspira le premier long mtrage du cinaste Gus Van Sant, est, plus encore, une histoire d'amour, tendre et nave. Ce livre, devenu lgendaire, voque immanquablement Genet et Pasolini.

Genres: Fiction, LGBT, Queer

224 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1997

About the author

Walt Curtis (July 4, 1941 – August 25, 2023) was an American poet, novelist and painter from Portland, Oregon.

Reviews

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Obra personal y poco común.-

Género. Ensayo (por intentar clasificarlo, pero no es eso).

Lo que nos cuenta. El libro Mala noche (publicación original: Mala noche, 1977), con el subtítulo Y otras aventuras ilegales, presenta las experiencias personales del autor en Portland a finales de los años setenta con jóvenes inmigrantes mexicanos de los que admira su cultura, su actitud y su atractivo sexual. Esta edición se basa en la que el escritor publicó en 2003, basada a su vez en la de 1989, con introducción de Gus van Sant y material extra de diferente naturaleza.

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...

[Federica ~ Excusetheink · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5 ⭐
"Caro lettore, avrai già deciso da te se queste mie memorie sono pornografia a buon mercato, confessioni sensazionalistiche o resoconti tragici di esistenze insoddisfatte."

La terza.

[La Central · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mala noche, primer largometraje de Gus Van Sant y considerado hoy por muchos su obra de culto, trasladaba a la pantalla la autobiografía homónima de Walt Curtis, el conocido como “poeta de la calle” del Portland de los setenta. En sus años como cajero de una tienda de comestibles, concurrida por delincuentes de poca monta, alcohólicos y muchos de los inmigrantes ilegales que malvivían en la degradada zona de Skid Road, conoce a los auténticos protagonistas del relato, Johnny, Pepper y Raúl, los jóvenes mexicanos objeto de su deseo y obsesión, pero también de su amor incondicional.

Si el estilo de Gus Van Sant en su versión de Mala noche “era discreto como un carterista o un invasor de la propiedad privada, Curtis acosa la vida desde su fervor y exaltación de evangelista sensual”; imprescindible por tanto acudir al relato original, ese derroche de sensualidad, humanismo y degradación. Escrito con sangre, semen y alcohol, narra en primera persona el vínculo creado con algunos de aquellos jóvenes mexicanos que llegaban a la ciudad buscando una nueva vida y para los cuales el poeta se convierte en amigo, en brother, amante o padre en la mayoría de las ocasiones, inmersos como estaban en ese juego de roles que implica cruzar la frontera, física y moral, y poder sobrevivir en “the other side”. Ramón Andrés

[Carye Bye · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Dear Reader, you have already made up your mind as to whether these memoirs are cheap porn, sensationalist confession, or tragic tales of unfulfilled life"

I picked up this book, never knowing it existed at the Friends of the Library sale on the NW/Regional books table. Currently I'm really interested in first hand accounts about Portland in the years before I arrived (2001). This book covers the life of 'Street Poet' Walt Curtis. I know very little about Walt, I have a friend who talks highly of him, and I met him at the Harry Smith screening this year. He is enigmatic, and curious and up until picking up this book I knew nothing else except that he's quite the functioning drunk. I maybe had heard the name Mala Noche in reference to Gus Van Sant who I now have learned started his movie career with the film adaptation of the Walt's chapbook which is based on working and living in and around the Skid Road (6th)in Old Town Portland in the 70s. This nice trade book was published in in 1997 as a 20 year project -- so it has some illustrations and part of the original plus comments by Gus and Walt. Most the book does cover Walt's obsession for being with a string of mexican young men and it's not for everybody. He doesn't hold back really and isn't embarrassed to write frankly. If this was a book written by a contemporary in today's scene, I think I'd like it a lot less. But because this is from what is now long-ago and I enjoyed putting together a picture of Portland and place, I read the book in it's entirety and got a lot out of it. I've not seen the movie, and I enjoyed Walt's musings about Van Sants rise to stardom with his material and the mixed feelings he had. I Like Walt, he seems real earnest and his writing style is very approachable and conversational and was sad to learn in a little research I just did that he was the one who lost his home and stuff in a fire two years ago in a bookstore. I didn't put the two things together. I've also been learning a lot about the Greek presence and businesses in Old Town around Burnside and this book talked a lot about those places. Also I really enjoyed all the spanish words speckled throughout. I'm interested in Mexico, spanish and Walt's trip south of the border was especially a neat read. So if you don't get hung up on the sex and obsession if that's not your thing, this book is a piece of Portland's story. I also have a broader understanding via Walt's perspective. And lastly the design of the book, and interspersed illustrations and poems makes it a very nicely made book.

[Karl Anderson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Badly written. Curtis doesn't realize what he has that makes his undocumented Mexican boys want to spend time with him. He writes about wanting them, then writes about wanting the INS to haul them all away two pages later.

I picked this up because I was interested in the curmudgeon-poet of Portland, and because I've spent some time in the same neighborhoods he writes about, but all I learned is that Curtis was a shallow cruiser and, worst of all, a boring writer.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

the man uses exclamation points every other sentence. an exclamation point doesn't make a boring sentence interesting! and it doesn't stop you from being a sad, lonely,old, pedophilic creep!

[Luis Ruiz · Rating 3 out of 5]

El autor nos cuenta en forma de diario su experiencia recibiendo a jóvenes migrantes mexicanos. En un estilo diferente de literatura nos guía por historias del consumo de sustancias ilícitas y relaciones sexuales homosexuales para trazar la trayectoria de su vida, todo en búsqueda de ayudarlos a su manera. Esto teniendo en cuenta que inicia un romance con los migrantes que lo lleva a tomar las decisiones que crean la narrativa del texto. Duro de leer por la realidad de muchas personas que buscan un sueño americano.

[Efraín Cruz Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lo mas divertido es como un gringo aprende del slang mexicano.

[Larry-bob Roberts]

In addition to the story of Walt and two youths from Mexico he befriended, penned 20 years ago and the basis for Gus Van Sant's first feature film, this book has material about another guy Walt met and then visited in Mexico. It's a compendium of his accumulated knowledge about people from Mexico and Mexico itself. And there is aftermath of the film version, all wrapped up in here. Also the book is an embodiment of the involvement in the underclass that Bruce Benderson discusses in Toward the New Degeneracy. But Walt is scarcely more privileged than these kids. It doesn't seem like slumming.

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uncomfortably pervy at times. This book is about a man who likes younger guys. If this makes you uncomfortable, DO NOT read this book. It will just gross you out. That being said, it is also delves into the painfully pathetic process of infatuation with someone who doesn't reciprocate your interest. Very high-school-romance. It is well written. A good snapshot into a person's love life at a particular point in time.

[Lukas Evan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The basis for Gus Van Sant's first film.

[Lance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read, raw and therefore both full of both kinds of promise: realized and unrealized.