Denis Johnson (1983)
Everything Denis Johnson wrote and published was well written. Everything.
None of it was as strong and original and potent as his short and vivid Jesus' Son, but it was still very good, and you weren't going to do wrong, or waste your time. That includes his new book of stories
(and last book) The Largesse of the Sea Maiden. Again, don't go expecting Jesus' Son, it isn't there, try as he might. Every writer wants to top his best book. Denis Johnson is now dead. He left us a small library to read — nine novels, one novella, two books of short stories, five collections of poetry, two collections of plays, and one book of reportage, Seek: Reports from the edges of America & Beyond that should be really hunted down and read. I happen to like, and I read each of his books as they appeared over time, his poetry, Jesus' Son (naturally), his little crime caper Nobody Move and Train Dreams. The other books were fine books but the ones I mention were Denis Johnson as played by John Garfield.
I always think of John Garfield when I read Denis Johnson.
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Random House 2018
