Dreamseller : An Addiction Memoir by Brandon Novak

[Hoss]

Has anyone else out there picked up this new book? I was in the Biography section of my local Barnes & Noble yesterday afternoon after DUI class in order to burn some time instead of sitting in hurrendous Friday grind time traffic, and while actually looking for a copy of Nikki Sixx's new memoir "The Heroin Dairies", I came across a hard cover copy of "Dreamseller". I've been trying to find Nikki's damn memoir at the local stores around where I live but no dice, so I was stoked to find the memoir by Novak instead.

Though many of you might already know, the author of the book Brandon Novak was a child skateboarding prodigy that was noticed and picked up by Tony Hawk and other sponsorships. He was starting to make it big but his addiction to heroin derailed his career.

I have the night all to myself tonight and so far have only read the forward by Tony Hawk and Bam Margera, so I'm gonna crack open a few brews and the book and have at it. I was just curious if anyone else out there has picked it up, and if so, how did you like it? I have been on a bit of a mini-mission as of late, researching out books about opiates and when possible, acquiring them - thus, I also wanted to spread the word that another H-based memoir is out on the shelves, and this one from what I understand is going to be turned into a movie someday soon.

At any rate, cheers, and let me know what you think if you have read it.

And oh yeah - it occurred to me this morning that the needle on the right hand side of the cover art on the book is HUGE! You can barely make it out on the pic below, but look how long it is - it goes all the way up to the level of the "K" in the author's last name! Never seen anything like that, heh.


http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z238/valo_101/dreamseller.jpg

[ZodiacKiller]

Thanks fer the tip, Hoss. I will look for it. And I've owned the Sixx book for a while---it's pretty good.


ZK

[rolln7s]

Right on, I have been lookin for some good books to read and havent found anything im even close to intersted in. Ill have a look at this one..........and the other one u guys are mentioning too!:D

[Hoss]

Deleted : double post accident.

[SurfRat]

That needle just makes you laugh, where do they get these things. Is it like for a Giraffe maybe?


I have not read Dreamseller, but it sounds interesting, coming from an athlete and a skateboarder.


If you have some time (it's a big fuckin' book,) I recommend Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

http://www.shantaram.com/

[EleusisII]

It's not one of those wah-wah books, is it? Ya know: My life was great and promising, until I met heroin, and it completely turned my life around into something dark and bleak.. Wah! Wah!

As for myself, I'm reading The Great War for Civilisation, by Robert Fisk... 1200 pages that gives you the details of the last 30 years in the middle east.

[Indy]

That needle just makes you laugh, where do they get these things. Is it like for a Giraffe maybe?


I have not read Dreamseller, but it sounds interesting, coming from an athlete and a skateboarder.


If you have some time (it's a big fuckin' book,) I recommend Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

http://www.shantaram.com/

man i've been looking for that book forever, and i don't have a credit card so i can't order it online, and none of the places i've checked have it (to be honest i haven't looked very hard though), it really sounds interesting though.

[nick]

It's not one of those wah-wah books, is it? Ya know: My life was great and promising, until I met heroin, and it completely turned my life around into something dark and bleak.. Wah! Wah!

As for myself, I'm reading The Great War for Civilisation, by Robert Fisk... 1200 pages that gives you the details of the last 30 years in the middle east.

1.Yeah,I notice a sad lack of books about folks who's lives suck.Then they find h and everyone lives happily ever after.I wonder why?

2.Just read junky.....it makes all the other books about addiction redundant.

[oxymoronluvr]

another good one is "i am your disease" . i don't know if I'm going to buy dreamseller cause it may just be a ploy to produce more money to support Novak's drug habit. he can't stay clean according to wiki.org he has under a year if that now, and he is trying to sell a book about his story. that seems kind of sketchy to me. sounds like a broke man's attempt to raise more money. and i will be dammed if i am going to pay for his next pill and a half of heroin which may be the dose that kills him.

[shaunclo]

1.Yeah,I notice a sad lack of books about folks who's lives suck.Then they find h and everyone lives happily ever after.I wonder why?

2.Just read junky.....it makes all the other books about addiction redundant.

Right on Nick! Yeah Junky (by William Burroughs) is one crazy ass book, on of my favorite reads

[Hoss]

Right on Nick! Yeah Junky (by William Burroughs) is one crazy ass book, on of my favorite reads

Indeed - FINALLY picked up Junky today :) Crazy how hard it was for me to track it down around where I live, but alas, I finally acquired it. Got the 50th Anniversary soft cover copy.

[Hoss]

I'm a few chapters into Dreamseller and so far, so good - here's an excerpt from the end of Chapter 2, page 18 :

"Can you imagine being a twenty-five-year-old junkie, and, and in the blink of an eye, letting a fifty-year-old married man suck your dick while you are completely sober, with no drugs or alcohol in your system to numb the feeling? Well, I am about to tell you exactly what it is like."

Yipes!

[jonny-5]

its funny how every time the media portrays illegal IV paraphernalia they always show this huge fucking horse needle. like anyone in their right mind would willfully use a 16g 4" needle in their veins on a regular basis...dumbasses.

think pulp fiction.

[Hoss]

Meaning to have posted this a couple of weeks ago, but finished Dreamseller quite fast - good read. Right when I thought it was getting fluffy the ending threw me a curveball. Check it out.

[Naomi]

i am going to look for this when i pick up my subutex today. i have read Nikki Sixx Heroin Diaries, Christiane F; Junk, Basketball Diaries.... and have quite a few more books about the junkie life. I want to read WB though, since I never have done yet. Oh, also read Survival of the coolest, charles darwins great great great grandson wrote it.

deffo going to try and pick that up, but i wonder if it will be on the shelves already. never heard of him/it before.

[Hoss]

i am going to look for this when i pick up my subutex today. i have read Nikki Sixx Heroin Diaries, Christiane F; Junk, Basketball Diaries.... and have quite a few more books about the junkie life. I want to read WB though, since I never have done yet. Oh, also read Survival of the coolest, charles darwins great great great grandson wrote it.

deffo going to try and pick that up, but i wonder if it will be on the shelves already. never heard of him/it before.

Thanks for the heads up Naomi; I never heard of that one - gonna definitely check it out! Now when you say you want to read WB because you haven't, I'm assuming William Burroughs? If so, I would HIGHLY recommend Junky - good lord, what a book that is. You stated you read "Junk" above - is that another book? I'm kinda on a quest to get all the H/junk based books out there, essentially the memoirs.

[rockbottom]

i did junky years ago now i wanta reread it--his son did a book about speed--it was good too but i cant remember the title---i saw the movie basketball diaries now i have to read the book----i saw motly crue 2x in concert --didnt even know Nikki Sixx had a book---so keep the suggestions coming--i love to read about junkies---a good drug book is fear and loathing in las vegas-its not opiates mostly psychedelics but thats the only book i ever read that made me laugh out loud:rolleyes:

[nick]

i did junky years ago now i wanta reread it--his son did a book about speed--it was good too but i cant remember the title---i saw the movie basketball diaries now i have to read the book----i saw motly crue 2x in concert --didnt even know Nikki Sixx had a book---so keep the suggestions coming--i love to read about junkies---a good drug book is fear and loathing in las vegas-its not opiates mostly psychedelics but thats the only book i ever read that made me laugh out loud:rolleyes:

Billy's(uncle Bill junior) two best books are called speed and kentucky ham.

He writes better straight prose than his pops.

[dharma bum]

a good drug book is fear and loathing in las vegas-its not opiates mostly psychedelics but thats the only book i ever read that made me laugh out loud:rolleyes:

Fear and Loathing was great too. If you want another laugh out loud book try American Psycho.

Nick,I always thought Kentucky Ham was written by the elder Burroughs. And I agree Junkie tops them all.

Their is a documentary on youtube done by Arena, a BBC series on Burroughs life. It is excellent. Tells details of Burroughs's wife Joan's shooting. Has interviews with lesser known beats like Lucien Carr and Huncke..

[nick]

Fear and Loathing was great too. If you want another laugh out loud book try American Psycho.

Nick,I always thought Kentucky Ham was written by the elder Burroughs. And I agree Junkie tops them all.

Their is a documentary on youtube done by Arena, a BBC series on Burroughs life. It is excellent. Tells details of Burroughs's wife Joan's shooting. Has interviews with lesser known beats like Lucien Carr and Huncke..

Naw man,kentucky ham is written by Billy.It's a fine account of a post kick trip to Alaska.

Check it out.

[Hoss]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/2f/KentuckyHam.jpg/200px-KentuckyHam.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky_Ham

Yet another one I have never heard of - was thinking of heading to the book shop (new & used) in a little bit if the rain lets up, will let you guys know if I am lucky enough to find this one.

[Naomi]

Thanks for the heads up Naomi; I never heard of that one - gonna definitely check it out! Now when you say you want to read WB because you haven't, I'm assuming William Burroughs? If so, I would HIGHLY recommend Junky - good lord, what a book that is. You stated you read "Junk" above - is that another book? I'm kinda on a quest to get all the H/junk based books out there, essentially the memoirs.

survival of the coolest is pretty interesting; during the 60s he was getting 'grains' from the doctor and buying peoples prescribed heroin off of them in london. tis an eyeopener to look at the change drugs go through with time. i know drug addiction doesnt choose a class, and it doesnt matter how much money you have if you are an addict its still shit, but his spoiltness gets a bit whiney but hey his life wasnt much easier than mine on other fronts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junk_(novel) Junk is by Melvin Burgess, think the title in America is smack. Set in Bristol and was adapted into a pretty good film in about 96 with Jemima Rooper. There are a few main characters, well more than a few including the junkies, their friends and parents. Each chapter is written from their point of view, and that alternates with each one. The addicts are teenagers. I don't know if he ever used heroin but due to inconsistancies with for example how they take the drug, can make it seem a bit unrealistic at times. Or a lot of times. But its good none the less. I didn't live in Bristol in the 80s maybe things were different. Or Not.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christiane_F. Christiane F tops them all. Found the book on ebay, paid a load of money for it as couldn't get it anywhere. Got the film too, its in German and features David Bowie. its one of the best i have seen, very gritty & realistic. she was 13 when she started working the streets for heroin. unfortunately, i read somewhere she just relapsed and lost her son. the film is great, think its on youtube if not, can add it.

[nick]

survival of the coolest is pretty interesting; during the 60s he was getting 'grains' from the doctor and buying peoples prescribed heroin off of them in london. tis an eyeopener to look at the change drugs go through with time. i know drug addiction doesnt choose a class, and it doesnt matter how much money you have if you are an addict its still shit, but his spoiltness gets a bit whiney but hey his life wasnt much easier than mine on other fronts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junk_(novel) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junk_%28novel%29) Junk is by Melvin Burgess, think the title in America is smack. Set in Bristol and was adapted into a pretty good film in about 96 with Jemima Rooper. There are a few main characters, well more than a few including the junkies, their friends and parents. Each chapter is written from their point of view, and that alternates with each one. The addicts are teenagers. I don't know if he ever used heroin but due to inconsistancies with for example how they take the drug, can make it seem a bit unrealistic at times. Or a lot of times. But its good none the less. I didn't live in Bristol in the 80s maybe things were different. Or Not.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christiane_F. Christiane F tops them all. Found the book on ebay, paid a load of money for it as couldn't get it anywhere. Got the film too, its in German and features David Bowie. its one of the best i have seen, very gritty & realistic. she was 13 when she started working the streets for heroin. unfortunately, i read somewhere she just relapsed and lost her son. the film is great, think its on youtube if not, can add it.

Damn right,I keep mentioning Christiane F.It's a classic.

[candy]

I saw book he is talking about on HBO or Showtime: It was a documentary by the same name!

[earthenone]

My wife recently read 2 books the first called "Tweek" was by a kid i say kid youngster by my standards hooked on meth, the second book is by his dad and how he dealt with it but i dont remember the name of the second one they were fetured in the Times i think, anyways she said they werre good i read mostly sci fi, but i do like burroughs Naked lunch and Soft Machine great reads.

[hydrocronik]

I haven't read the book, but there are alot of videos on youtube promoting it. Just type in dreamseller. I think the part that was the most depressing is when he gets persuaded into having a married 40 year old man suck his dick for money. This guy actually wanted to suck his dick. Then when he got the money he went to his dealers' house bought a pill of dope, then got robbed for it. He had to suffer the indignity of having a man suck his dick, and then has no heroin to ease the pain. Messed up...

[Raz]

Scar Tissue by antony keddis( lead singer wiv chilli peppers) aint too badda read......Its mainly about his up n downs with smack.....And for all his money, this geezer still has the cojones to go cold turkey and kick a habit......

Anyone who i gave the book to said its a worthwhile read......