The Rainbow Stories

"American fiction?" Not quite, I was there. In 1984 my girlfriend and I set of from VA to San Francisco CA looking for adventure. What we found was a world of decadence, violence, deviation, drugs and death that I feel lucky to have escaped alive from. William interviewed several of my roommates from my Tenderloin apt on Ellis Ave. Dickie Disgusting (AKA Frank Hutton) was an "Open High" school fiend of mine from "back east" that we hooked up with. He had gone out there to help start the notorious "SF Skins" that terrorized Height street. They were immortalized by "Camper Van Beethoven" when they were spotted bowling in the Height Street Bowling Alley. Boot Woman was also staying there with us. I knew Mark Dagger and a whole bunch of the characters in the book (and YES the sheep killing story is real, I have friends that did time over it). As crazy as the book is, the SF punk life was even more twisted than one can imagine but Vollman did a great job getting into the seedy world that was ours back then and capturing it in ink. I only hope that there are other survivors like myself back from then, until (or if) I see my old friends again, I can always pick up this book and remember them in their 2os with all their craziness and dysfunction. I will only five it 4 stars maily because it brought back some really painful memories too and I got a little bummed out after reading about the fate of one of the characters. These feelings caused me to have to put the book down for a while. Thank you William, it was a both a pleasure and a gift... Ian Mouer Richmond VA.

William T. Vollman is one of the bravest writers in United States still working. He is not afraid of dealing with controversial issues, and he does so not be in the media, but because he has an urge to talk about lives that are forgotten, lives that the average citizen doesn't bother to learn about -- in other words, low lives. His collection of stories "The Rainbow Stories" goes deep into those lives with beauty and delicacy. Set in various landscapes, like San Francisco, India and ancient Babylon, the book depicts the lives of people that are easily called outlaws, like skinheads, prostitutes, HIV-positive people and so on. What Vollman does with beauty for these creatures is to show that above all they are human beings -- no matter how much we don't agree with their choices. He doesn't take sides, but sympathize with them. The writer illuminates some dark corners of their souls, so that we can understand our very owns. In his stories that deal with neo-nazis, for instance, Vollman paints a very conscious painting, exposing them as people that live, love, have a job and so on. The same happens in the most beautiful story of this book, called "Ladies and Red Lights", in which the writer tackles the lives of prostitutes, cops and their costumers. Vollman brings himself as a character and narrator in most tales, what gives him a closer approach to this universe. He did extensively research, living with people who ended up being his characters, a listening to their stories. In the end, this device makes "The Rainbow Stories" some sort of literature verit?. This book certainly isn't for everyone -- some disturbing images and ideas may upset some readers --, but those who are open-minded enough to dive in this colorful world won't regret the trip.

Reading Vollmann is like bumping into your girlfriend's mother as you exit the adult book store with a brown bag full of porn tucked under your arm. It's the shame of having secrets brought out into the light of day for others to gawk at, the shock of recognition, the pain that accomanpies knowledge. It's like being stared at....

The Rainbow Stories is a versatile demonstration of Vollmann's writing gifts. Thirteen stories, each based on a color of the rainbow (plus white and black, and the whole spectrum together), are each carefully tinged with the chosen color without laboring the point. A combination of journalistic observation, well-imaged interpretations, and visionary fiction, these stories range from ancient Babylon to modern San Francisco. The stories successfully demonstrate Vollmann's skill in describing the deepest horrors of mankind, the cold tremors of physical or psychological isolation, and the constant tugs of love and desire. Vollmann's gifts of description and his ability to detail the thoughts of the darkest and farthest reaches of humanity is thrilling and sometimes frightening.