dennis cooper's novel closer is one of the largest artistic inspirations in my life. i read it during one of my darkest periods, months before my hospitalization. i have struggled with dark thoughts for most of my life, i've always been obsessed with the morbid. closer brought me comfort in that moment in my life. it made me realize i didn't have to keep my art to myself, that i could create the things i wanted to create and still find and audience for it. ive been obsessed with dennis cooper's work since then. i own closer, frisk, i wished and his biography wrong. all are hugely inspirational to me. frisk is probably my second favorite book.
I hate how dennis's work is always described as simply something disturbing. i find a lot of his works speak numbers about the human condition. many seem to forget there are people out there who dance with the depraved. if you think cooper's books are disgusting or disturbing, then maybe they arent for you. dennis cooper creates art for disturbed people. you need to remember that if you wish to get into his works. i myself could be described as disturbed, ive struggled a lot in my life. i think thats why dennis cooper's books speak to me so much.
id like now to speak on frisk. as someone who was exposed to snuff style images at an early age and had it impact his life in demonstrous ways, i relate heavily to the book. in the novel, dennis sees images of a seemingly dead boy, leading to an obsession with death. this book makes me think about experiences in my own life. i remember, when i was about eleven or twelve, an older boy showed me a video of two men killing another man with an ice pick. the video didnt horrify me, but i do think it impacted me and my sexuality heavily. this experience fueled violent interests and drew me into more violent videos on the internet. i can only assume the same could be said for hundreds of other people my age. in the book, dennis loses himself in violent fantasies and i can say the same unfortunately happened to me.
