Bibliography
Aronofsky, Darren, dir. Requiem For A Dream. Artisan, 2000. Darren Aronofsky’s film “Requiem for a Dream,” although made in collaboration with the original novelist, distract from the 1978 book’s more political, social, and spiritual messages in a way which romanticizes and glorifies the deteriorating spiral of the drug culture. Not only does this movie provide an artistic interpretation of the novel, but it contains details of the movies’ making. Throughout the filming, Selby himself was there, working with the actors and reading excerpts from the original and getting them to really understand the characters.
Coutreau, Robert. “Defining the Sacred.” < www.raintaxi.com>: online addition: winter 1999/2000. Coutreau interviews Selby and reveals the author’s late-in-life beliefs about philosophical topics such as God/spirituality, happiness, the creative will, and love. Selby humbily speaks of universal concepts and western consumerism. Hinduism and Taoism are favorably discussed as well. Most impressive, Coutreau analyzes themes of sympathy in Selby’s earliest works which most critics agree leave the writer with depression and little help. He pulls out of Selby the difficulties of writing about love and about pain. The article is terribly lengthy yet delves into a newer and more recent side of the author who made such an extreme turnaround in his final years.
DePalma, Anthony. “Hubert Selby Jr. Dies at 75; Wrote ‘Last Exit to Brooklyn’; (Obituary).” New York Times. 27 Apr. 2004: C19. Proquest Database. Edmonds Community College Lib., Lynnwood. 12 Apr. 2007.
Giles, James R. Understanding Hubert Selby Jr. Columbia: University of Southern Carolina, 1998. Giles examines Selby’s life and works addressing opposing viewpoints and extensive analysis. Unique in reviews, is Giles classification of him as “naturalistic” and “surrealistic.” Also he writes: “…(Selby’s) merging of naturalism and existentialism produces a unique narrative perspective on the pain and desperation of the alienated urban American male and a portrayal of the exploited, powerless urban outcast that is unexcelled in American fiction.” This is the best literary criticism that I’ve been able to find aside from the Last Exit trials.
I/ll Be Better Tomorrow. Music Video Distributors, 2007. This documentary was created after the death of Hubert Selby, Jr. and was made in collaboration with his friends and family. Interviewed are many of his well-known collegues such as Richard Price, Jerry Stahl(whose article is also referenced in this essay), Anthony Kiedis, and Henry Rollins. The personal experiences told by his loved ones offer a deeper look into the true self of Selby. The dvd is an excellent source to understand Selby’s personal life, but includes few critics.
Lemons, Stephen. “The Best… The Beautiful…And the Bizarre.” Los Angeles Times. 14 Jun 1998: 14. Proquest Database. Edmonds Community College Lib., Lynnwood. 12 Apr. 2007. This is a rare review of The Willow Tree.
McLellan, Dennis. “Obituaries.” Los Angeles Times. 28 Apr. 2004: B12. Proquest Database. Edmonds Community College Lib., Lynnwood. 12 Apr. 2007 www.proquest.com
Selby, Hubert, Jr. Last Exit to Brooklyn. New York: Grove, 1964. This was Selby’s first and most disturbing novel. It is organized by chapters which portray different characters yet have a common tie to one another. Especially of interest is “Tralala” where an unethical prostitute was gang-raped and murdered. The publication of which was charged with selling adult material to a minor. Although the reader may feel horrified by the hard-core, graphic descriptions of events, Selby had the pure intent to create compassion for these “unlovable” people.
---. Requiem for a Dream. 1988. New York: Thunder’s Mouth, 2000. Inubert Selby, Jr.’s Requiem for a Dream uses drug addiction as a metaphor for the deceit and exploitation of American capitalism while the core of humanity is examined through its vain and deluded characters. As time passes and no character experiences any lifestyle enhancements, they become more and more desperate and willing to go to further lengths, all in the name of achieving their own perceptions of happiness. America’s capitalistic system promises its citizens that it is available for anyone with the desire and drive to obtain it. Those who become lost in the pursuit of wealth-not happiness-are the true victims of capitalism’s advanced ability to dehumanize society by stripping us of our positive morals and beliefs and devalue our prized possessions and resources through the act of commoditization.
---. Song of the Silent Snow. 1986. Great Britain: Bookmarque Ltd., 2003.
---. The Demon. 1976. Great Britain: Marion Boyars, 2003.
---. Waiting Period. 2002. Great Britain: Marion Boyars, 2005.
---. “Why I Started to Write.”
Stahl, Jerry. “Dark Angel: Remembering Hubert Selby Jr.” LA Weekly. 6 May 2004. Stahl writes an obituary for his deceased friend. He best describes how Selby went about writing with compassion. Selby would say that when writing about those you hate, imagine that you loved them, unconditionally. He quotes Selby: “The events that take place are the way people are . . . How can anybody look inside themselves and be surprised at the hatred and violence in the world? It’s inside all of us.” Of course, this is not critical reading either, as Stahl was one of his best friends.
Vorda, Allen. “Examining the Disease.” Literary Review. Winter 1992: 35,2. . Proquest Database. Edmonds Community College Lib., Lynnwood. 12 Apr. 2007. Vorda interviews Selby and addresses his influences, his home-town of Brooklyn, his time when he was bed-ridden and his critics. The dissection oif Last Exit strikes the roots of his writing and what Selby had wished to portray as well as his beliefs on the subject matter. Vorda even delves into Selby’s unique writing style. This interview was more helpful than Coutreau’s due to the focus upon his works.
