An American Demon

February 15, 2011

As front man of the influential punk outfit T.S.O.L., Grisham blazed a trail of violence, sex, and substance abuse across Southern California in the early 1980s. According to this memoir, he was just doing what comes naturally to demons. Neither a band history nor a straight autobiography, his book is concerned primarily with the emotional and physical torment he inflicted on friends, strangers, and himself from birth until his vow of sobriety in 1989. Fictionalized elements like supernatural visions and conversations with the "Not-Quite-God" of demonkind are useful; their presence allows readers to believe that other horrifying episodes here may have been similarly embellished. VERDICT Grisham's demon persona somehow fails to convey the charisma that allowed him to get away with his evil acts. After 300 pages of them, readers will be craving punishment rather than redemption for him. The abrupt conclusion, though, provides little of either. It may appeal to fans of Chuck Palahniuk, West Coast punk, and nihilism.--Neil Derksen, Gwinnett Cty. P.L., Lawrenceville, GA

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2011
In this disturbingly profane yet strangely mesmerizing memoir, punk musician and political activist Grisham describes a troubled childhood and adolescence on the streets of Long Beach, California. Curiously, Grisham refers to himself as a demon, thereby intentionally distancing himself and perhaps readers, too, from the rest of humanity. This separating mechanism accounts for the books strangeness, the fact that he seems proud that no one can touch him emotionally and equally pleased that he is immune to normal human feelings. He discusses his self-mutilation, addiction to alcohol and drugs, and introduction to punk rock as well as his proclivity for violence. He writes about his hardcore punk band, TSOL (True Sounds of Liberty), which became notorious for its controversial lyrics and aggressive, in-your-face performance style. By the end of this rollicking memoir, the birth of his daughter has softened him enough so that he grudgingly admits to having been struck human. Readers interested in punk music will be fascinated by Grishams tale, but be forewarned, it is not for the faint-hearted.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)