I Was a Fat Drunk Catholic School Insomniac

by Jamie Iredell

Overview

Literary Nonfiction. After two full-length collections of fiction that mixed his irreverent treatment of form and gritty real-life candor, Jamie Iredell delivers an assured and honest collection of personal essays. I WAS A FAT DRUNK CATHOLIC SCHOOL INSOMNIAC reveals a writer who takes on his (literal) highs and (existential) lows with the unembellished voice of an anthropologist. Erudite, funny, and fearless, Iredell dives into subjects like drugs, alcoholism, body image, racism, feminism, and religion, and shines a light on some of the darkest moments of life. The essays are personal, confessional, and ultimately full of hope.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781892061461
Publisher:	Future Tense Books
Publication date:	11/12/2013
Pages:	200
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Jamie Iredell lives and teaches in Atlanta. He is the author of two books published by Future Tense Books, I WAS A FAT DRUNK CATHOLIC SCHOOL INSOMNIAC (2013), and THE BOOK OF FREAKS (2011), as well as Prose: Poems, a Novel. His writing has appeared on HTMLGIANT, The Rumpus, The Nervous Breakdown, Thought Catalog, Pank, and elsewhere.

Editorial Reviews

03/03/2014
The first collection of essay from poet and fiction writer Iredell (The Books of Freaks) bounce between three periods from the author's life—often to scrutinizing contemporary culture along with himself. From childhood as one of the "white kids" in the artichoke fields of Salinas, California, to boozy post-college life in Reno and Atlanta or cozy fatherhood, Iredell's unflinching candor cuts a bantering, conversational style throughout. "I've always been one who is great at lying to others, but likes to face the truth about himself," Iredell deadpans in the essay "Fat." He often offers intimate glimpses of parenthood such as in "Dear Kinsey," the rousing letter written for his daughter when she's older in which Iredell evaluate de Beauvoir's The Second Sex. Essays like "The Most Disgusting Things I Did While I Was A Smoker" and "Never Pay for a Cab This Way if You Can Help It" read less like cautionary tales than chronicles of the evolution of "Dear Old Dad" without syrupy morals. Such introspection often connects to larger themes in which Iredell tackles the modern Catholic Church's stance on gay rights and a survivalist need for superheroes in the wake of tragedy. An entertaining and insightful collection often interested in the messy and difficult aspects of life. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly