Fired On a Novel by Toby Thompson

Fired On

Toby Thompson

I’ve long been fascinated by artists. This is due, in no small part, to my longing to be a member of that fraternity. Is writing art? I flatter myself that it is, and if writing is indeed art, then it must follow that the writer is an artist. But I’ve been a professional writer for most of my adult life and calling myself an artist has always seemed a bit pretentious. After all, don’t artists paint and sculpt? Don’t artists make music and movies?

Now comes a book that marries the two and blurs the faint line between writers and artists even further: Fired On – Targeting Western American Art (Bangtail Press), by Toby Thompson.

Thompson teaches creative writing at Penn state, is a good friend of mine, and most importantly, is a damn fine writer. I’d been waiting for the publication of his book for months and I haven’t been disappointed. It’s the perfect bedside read, where, incidentally, I do most of my reading. There are chapters on actors, painters, writers, film makers and more. Many of the stories are gleaned from Thompson’s years as a highly-paid freelancer for major national magazines like Esquire and Vanity Fair.  I can crawl into bed, pick a story from among the dozens in the table of contents, and then, a half hour to an hour later, drift off to sleep secure in the knowledge that my intellect has been piqued and my taste in fine literature indulged.

Thompson is a good writer; in fact, he is a very good writer, in the Gonzo journalism vein of Hunter Thompson (no relation). His story on the film maker David Lynch, as one instance among many, is impressive not just for the quality of the writing but for the depth of his research. Indeed, Thompson told me he spent 10 days practically living with Lynch to do the story. It shows. 

Thompson has a string of books he’s written over the years; I’ve read a couple of them and both more than surpassed my expectations. I don’t recommend books I don’t like; and I recommend this book.