Pothead

April 15, 2020
The Austin-based novelist and journalist chronicles his battle with marijuana. In his two previous books of nonfiction, Pollack has explored his attempts to reinvent himself. Alternadad (2007) recounted his efforts to become a cool father while Stretch (2010) focused on the practical and existential benefits of yoga. While the author has always made a few sly comments about his drug consumption, his latest book shows how, for the 15 years after Rolling Stone named him the "Hot Writer of the Millenium" in 2000, he engaged in a "nonstop marijuana binge." Pollack begins in gonzo fashion with a chronicle of his road trip from Austin to Pueblo, Colorado, where he and his pal explored the newly (state) legal forms of cannabis, driving around "high as mockingbirds." For those who follow the author's work, there are a few pleasing flashbacks, including his run on Jeopardy! and his stint as a marijuana journalist. However, what seemed like mischievous misadventures at the time are uncomfortably rendered here. Among Pollack's many transgressions: exploding into a profanity-laced tirade during a pub trivia night, falling into a "low-rent gambling" habit, and "plac[ing] my marriage in mortal danger" with his erratic behavior. The plummet to the bottom occurred after his mother's sudden death, after which the author took himself on a "self-styled improvised baseball holiday," spending money he didn't have on a ticket to the 2017 World Series. And smoking a joint laced with crack in the depths of grief did little to improve his demeanor. The consequences described in the book's final half comprise a fairly conventional addiction-narrative arc, with Pollack coming to terms with his addiction and the need for sobriety. Ultimately, it's the same old song: Artist gets really high, screws up a lot, and finally grows up a little bit. An intermittently funny yet largely unremarkable memoir of recovery.

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