EPIGRAPH FROM METH-DTF:
“Whensoever my affliction assails me, methinks I have the keys of my prison in mine own hand, and no remedy presents itself so soon to my heart, as mine own sword.” – John Donne
THOUGHTS ON METH-DTF.
“One of the most ecstatic, deranged, and propulsive books I’ve read, Meth-DTF careens wildly through the fucked dreamscape of Los Angeles. The love child of Gasper Noé and Édouard Levé, Shane Jesse Christmass is one of our great cult novelists.” – Kate Durbin (author, Hoarders, & E! Entertainment)
“METH-DTF is a hypnotic, lunatic thrill ride. With the antic, paranoiac stutter of William S. Burroughs’s cut-ups and fold-ins and Rudolph Wurlitzer’s altered apocalyptic ‘70s novels, Shane Jesse Christmass creates a hothouse mindspace meltdown where sex, booze, and drugs build and dismantle worlds. Our narrator guides us through a jangling, porous Los Angeles. Where we’re going, we don’t know, but it’s all velocity and addled noticing. The details jump and rattle. We are absolutely flying, and it’s gritty, funny, and scary.” – Nate Lippens (author, My Dead Book)
“METH-DTF is a schizophrenic landfill of corpses, pill bottles, crop circles, Burger King, horny billionaires, flip flops, tobacco, aliens, orgasms, crying infants, designer aphrodisiacs — and it’s all on fire. Shane Jesse Christmass writes with the discordant rhythm of an erratic heartbeat, rendering the reader restless. Enter at your own risk.” – Danielle Chelosky (author, Cheat & founder of The Waiting Room)
“Entering Shane Jesse Christmass’ world is always a thrill, and Meth-DTF confirms this but somehow this time it is with an even wilder abandon that feels new.
“VHS tracking blurs through our imagination as we try and keep up with the latest literary death-trip that SJXSJX has strapped us to. We’re going through American suburbs and cities with a nihilistic pace, trying to get rest in damp and sweaty motels where nothing stands still and the paranoia practically drips from the paragraphs – the radio is constantly changing, so are the clothes, the era and faces of those around you. The narrator and his sidekick Samuel – who maybe died a little while back but who maybe didn’t – not that it even matters because there’s some new fresh hell coming already – try to offer some guidance along their hallucinatory mission as the pages continually cause my pulse to increase and my imagination to rattle.
“Christmass’ has a knack of writing sentences that have a way of connecting with you in a real, physical way. You feel it in your chest. They raise your stomach acid to your throat. If you’re holding this book and your hands aren’t shaking, then you’re doing it wrong.” – Thomas Moore (author, In Your Dreams, & Alone)
EXCERPT FROM METH-DTF:
https://www.hobartpulp.com/web_features/excerpt-from-meth-dtf
MUSIC MENTIONED IN METH-DTF:
Everybody Wants Some – Coachwhips:
Ebb Tide – Bobby Freeman:
My Baby Loves Lovin’ – Elton John:
The Way You Look Tonight – The Jaguars:
Mercy – The Ohio Express:
Paradise Garden – Peter Jay:
Please Stay – The Cryin’ Shames:
What Did I Do – Little Anthony & The Imperials:
Jump – Tender Buttons:
Dance Freak – Chain Reaction:
Easy Street – Cheeseburger:
Hologram – The Urinals:
Rise – Herb Alpert:
Kazeeta – Human Host:
Jesus Christ Inca – Rusted Shut:
Everything Is You – The Lemon Pipers:
You Don’t Own Me – Lesley Gore:
Dirty Soughts – Beehive & The Barracudas:
Romance – Dan Sartain:
Pit Of Sorrow – Charm City Suicides:
Atmosphere Strut – Cloud One:
Happy Heart – Andy Williams:
Time Of The Last Persecution – Bill Fay:
Meet You In The Subway – Chrome:
Don’t Send Me Away – Garfield Fleming:
Freak – Tappa Zukie:
MOVIES MENTIONED IN METH-DTF:
Targets:
Streets Of Fire:
The Hitch-Hiker:
Body And Soul:
A Dandy In Aspic:
OTHER REFERENCES FOR METH-DTF / FURTHER READING / FURTHER VIEWING:
Camp Concentration – Thomas M. Disch.
Sultana’s Dream – Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain.
Anabasis – St- John Perse.
Our Fatal Magic – Tai Shani.
Dope – Sax Rohmer.
Unveiling A Parallel: A Romance – Alice Ilgenfritz Jones and Ella Merchant.
The Irreversible Decline of Eddie Socket – John Weir.
Cocaine – Pifigrilli.
Asylum – William Seabrook.
The Bitch – Jackie Collins.
Bore Hole – Joe Mellen.
Faggots – Larry Kramer.
The Holographic Universe – Michael Talbot.
Studies of Death – Count Stenbock.
Soft City: The Lost Graphic Novel – Hariton Pushwagner.
Naked Pursuit (1968):
Manhatta (1921):
La Région Centrale (1971):
Targets (1968):
Lot in Sodom (1933):
A Man Escaped (1958):
Snows (1967):
Meshes of the Afternoon (1943):
Elephant (1989):
Mothlight (1963):
TO PURCHASE METH-DTF: https://www.filthyloot.com/product/meth/
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p.s. Hey. So, it’s kind of like the Xmas season at DC’s since we get another chance to host an arrival post for yet another ultra-worthy and exciting book, in this case the new novel by the always fascinating scribe Shane Jesse Christmass. Shane and Filthy Loot Press have put together a generous and even fun-filled introductory look-see at the novel, and I hope you’ll pore over it in your consummate styles. Et voila! ** Steve Erickson, Hi. Wow, hope you reawakened with all burning cylinders. Curious to read your piece on him/them. I’ve found what I’ve heard of them to be rather ludicrous. Oh, yeah, I loved the 4th John Wick too. A rare actually addictive franchise. ** Dominik, Hi!!! Yeah, but we’re tough and determined and no shitheads are going to stop us even if we have to do almost everything ourselves. chas kindly weighed in about the appeal of feet. I do totally get it conceptually. It’s just interesting to me that it’s become so kind of mainstream on the sex seeking circuit. A good sign, I can only think. Ha ha, I almost had love give dogs the ability to talk, but I once knew a woman who had a friend who had a dog that he had taught to say ‘I love you’ in the most torturous sounding way, and that freaked me out enough that I’m cool with dogs just barking mysteriously. Love pointing me at a place that sells/serves soft serve vanilla ice cream in a cone and dipped in chocolate because I am kind of almost literally dying to eat that, G. ** _Black_Acrylic, Hi. I, of course, love the intimidation factor of their work. So ‘me’. How’s your day and stuff? ** T. J., Hi. Totally get it, or think I do, on your audio project and your interest in it. It really sounds fascinating, and I really hope you get it to fruition. I think almost every day about just getting an instagram account, but I just know it would cut into the time I need to do things like write and make the blog and so on. Stupid to have chosen Facebook as my social spot, but, at the time, everyone I knew was there. Oh, well. I do like Helm, yes. I saw them live not so long ago, and they were fantastic. You seen their show? Thanks, man, and your comment wasn’t long whatsoever. Oh, contraire. ** Jack Skelley, Song Cave is easily one the very best presses going. Awesome about the FOKA post. *slobbering* I just read your email about After8, and I’ll write back to you. Interesting how the words patience and patients are sonically identical. ** Charalampos, If I’d believed all the rejections I got, I would’ve thought my writing was shit and given up. I actually am out of the anime watching habit for no good reason. My favorite is ‘Tamala 2010: Punk Cat in Space’. I didn’t know Marisol was in movies? Weird, interesting. Clementi Day has been slightly expanded and updated, yes. ** Kettering, Hi. Oh, I knew you were talking about your own work. Just like I was talking about mine in response. Wow, you didn’t come off anything like you’re afraid you came off. I thought what you wrote was nothing but smart and interesting, and I tried to keep up in my response. No worries, man, totally uncalled for. And I certainly hope you’ll keep commenting. It’s a pleasure and gift for me when you do. ** chas, Hi, chas! Awesome, you like Autechre too. What a nice sounding painting. And that your mom painted it. My grandmother and great-grandmother and uncle were all painters, but they never painted me as far as I know. I didn’t look very inspiring back then, I’m sure. Hooray for your productiveness yesterday. Uh, I was a little productive. A big problem got solved, although I had nothing to do with its resolution. But still. I might edit our film today, and, if so, it should be a productive one. Thanks, pal. Keep it going. I swear I’ll do better and then perpetuate the betterness today. Like you? ** A, Hi. If the Columbine guys liked Autechre, that makes sense since they’re artists’ artists, ha ha. You’re straight edge, good on you. I guess I am too by default unless coffee upsets the apple art. I think Nulick really wants his plastic son to be an Influencer. ** Misanthrope, Sounds like it must be the soap to me? I seem to have developed a mild allergy to tomatoes and tomato sauce in the last six months, which is very fucking annoying. ** Cody Goodnight, I’m good enough. I won’t whine about the hot weather. Ours is only kind of humid, at least. I sleep with a fan pointed at me. Also, mosquitos can’t fly in even slight breezes, so it keeps them away too. Nice little trick there, if you don’t know it. I admire and envy your week, or at least what it’s inputting for you. I was the right age, like, 11 to early teens, when the 60s British Invasion happened, and I was extremely way into it and had my life changed by it and all of that stuff. So many favorites, but, yeah, Barrett-era PFloyd, Kinks, The Move, The Who prior to ‘Tommy’, Small Faces, etc. Great shit. If I can find and eat soft serve ice cream today, it will be a good day. I hope yours meets your targeting. ** Bernard Welt, Great, voices carry, or mine did. Crazy. I was sure the humidity would stop it in its tracks. I saw a pic on Facebook of Michael Lally on his 80th b’day with Charles Bernstein. He looks good and even kind of sweet. You’re writing about dreams again, no! No! Not again!!! ** Bill, How early does a guy have to die to get an interview in a book around here? You should instigate a Bechdel-like test but about length. ‘Yes, but does it pass the Hsu Test?’ That has a nice ring to it. ** alex, Hi, alex! Awesome you love Autechre. They’ve been a considerable influence on my writing. I was studying them a lot at a certain point. I’ve never seen them live. No, always wanted to, obviously. They haven’t played Paris in a million years. A bunch of friends of mine trained up to Amsterdam to see them play a few years ago, but not me. How are you? How is everything going? ** Thomas Moronic, Hi, T! Me too, re: Autechre’s influence, as I’m sure you know. Yes, you’re almost here! I can’t to see you! Save big time for me, please. Love, me. ** Right. Please celebrate the birth of Shane Jesse Christmass’s novel today. And score it even. You won’t be sorry, trust me. See you tomorrow.
Now available in North America 
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Hi!!
God, just based on the musical/literary references, this book already looks thrilling! (And a small connection: I’m reading Larry Kramer’s “Faggots” at the moment.) Thank you for the introduction, and – if you happen to read it – massive congratulations, Shane!
That’s the only way to do it, really – just pushing forward with your work even if some shitheel tries their best to hold you back. A terrible cliché, but I really believe that. I can’t wait for your film to be born!
Oh, no… I’m trying to imagine how a dog’s human-like “I love you” might sound… I wouldn’t like my dog to be able to talk. I mean, as a human. I’m often curious about what she thinks in certain situations, but that’s a mystery I’m happy to live with.
Fuck… Now I’d like one of those too, haha. Did you find a place that satisfied your craving? In case you didn’t: love offering you the next best thing by pouring himself into a cone, dipping his head in chocolate and offering himself to you, Od.
@chas: Thank you so much for letting me peek into your experiences! Most exciting! I can absolutely see the sub/dom and humble worship dynamics you mentioned.
No problem Dominik 🙂
Gah I love Mr Christmas and hope he gets lots of love for this one. 🙂
Dennis! Hi. Wow, ‘Meth – DTF’ looks like a wild ride. Added to my list.
Interesting about your family’s painterly lineage. I wonder if the urge to express ourselves creatively is a genetic thing only some inherit, or if it’s there lurking in everyone, a default setting just waiting to be encouraged and nurtured.
Fingers crossed you got to do some editing today. What little I’ve done I enjoyed thoroughly, although it was time consuming. I’m excited to see what you’re working on someday. ‘Permanent Green Light’ was wonderful, imo. Affecting and beautiful.
Last night Dan and I watched some Wimbledon and became quite smitten with Carlos Alcaraz. If you’re as clueless re: sports as I am, apparently he’s the world #1 or something. He is/was also a CK model so, y’know, yum. As we watched on admiringly I scribbled a quick silly poem in my notebook, which I’ll recite now for your amusement. *clears throat*
Alcaraz
You serve your balls
with impressive force,
and we would like
to serve them also.
On centre court
two hearts were stolen,
but in this game
Love means nothing.
It got a laugh from Dan, so I was happy with that! Ha ha. Anyway, have a great day Dennis!
Sainted Den-
Every day you supply fresh reads for the infinitely extensible tower that threatens to topple onto my bed is an Xmas. Or an ‘X’ = mass. (Whatever. Too early to be punny.)
Just finished Olga Tokarczuk’s ‘Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead’ last night, and halfway through Ocean Vuong’s ‘Night Sky With Exit Wounds’ this morning. Plonking ‘Unveiling a Parallel’, ‘Our Fatal Magic’, & ‘The Irreversible Decline of Eddie Socket’ on the to-find list now. If I’m honest those three will leap straight to the top b/c ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ has proven to be a problem. I keep picking it up and putting it aside in favor of some– any! –other writing. No clue why I’m finding Puig a struggle to engage with.
Gladdened to hear your production (and foot) troubles are finding resolution. Whether the extremities are attached to our bodies or our fortunes, when a thing plain don’t feel correct ’tis a struggle to ignore. I’m not enjoying my inking right now; it’s been a year since a bike accident and am STILL trying to adjust to the altered skin tension on my digits. But we’ll devise & conquer yet. <3
Slay some coffee for me!
-D
Congratulations SJC! Great to see some Joe Meek in your playlist here too.
Congrats, Shane!
Dennis, Yeah, I bought bed bug traps and set them last night and they were empty this morning. Probably the soap. Weirdly, I like the soap. Good fragrance, washes off really clean. I’d hate to have to throw it out. Maybe I’ll use it again and just…see what happens, hahaha.
Wtf? Tomatoes? Of all things. Eek. I love tomatoes and eat them every day. My best friend won’t eat them because she read something about the lectins in them. So weird bc she loves Italian food. But man, I hope you don’t actually have that allergy and it passes or something. A life without tomatoes is just not a life worth living for me. Okay, I’m exaggerating, but still…
I think you know that the one food I’m allergic to is bananas. I swell up like crazy, particularly the backs of my arms. I look like Arnold when I eat them. But I don’t eat them anymore because who knows what’ll swell next…my throat? Not taking a chance.
You’ve probably heard of people who develop an allergy to red meat. Can cause anaphylaxis and can be quite dangerous. Seems you get it from a certain tick bite. IOW, imagine really liking steak and you can’t eat it anymore. Same thing with your tomatoes…fucking sucks. Ugh.
Oh Rad! I love SJXmas wordz, titlez, and the other writerz blurbing the below book (Kate, Thomas , Danielle, Nate … hi!) Hefty Congratulations !! (LOve seeing the Urinals in the playlist!!) Dennis we’ll work out After 8 to perhaps After August. Patience-pending. Hi everyone else, including Bernard Welt and the Lally mention…. love, Jack
Thank you so much, Mr. Dennis, for your sweetness. Please stay cool in these coming days, in all ways and iterations- k. (seriously no need to ps me back on this! ha ha!)
AH. Super weird feeling so far today because calling ppl up about things regarding HRT is so awkward and I hate telling random people who have no idea who I am about things regarding transgender things because it makes me feel really vulnerable. Especially since the lady kept calling me the wrong thing. I hate feeling like the kid who gets super pissed when people call me the wrong thing but after a while it just is like….idk. I think I wouldn’t feel so weak and awkward about it if my mom hadn’t crushed my whole perspective of self.
ANYWAYS Oh the car event sounds…wow. I hope u don’t mind, but the image of u internally dying every time the guy crashes into things sounds funny. Or no? I don’t think I’d ever buy a car. Although my mom makes it a big deal. I like the bus.
Colorful stories….? That’s an interesting way to put it hahaha. Im kind of used to it in a way. I joke that I’ve spent more time in hospitals than school so I’ve met a lot of interesting people.
I don’t mind kind of. When friends tell me about other students its horrible. Like kids who’ve threaten to kill themselves over things. I hate people who do that.
Stuff ppl think people do at hospitals but really everyone’s chill there. Well, kind of. Residentials a different stories. So many fights. Staff can suck though. Ive been to almost all the hospitals in this area but there’s a place called Holly Hills and it sucks ASS. The worst. They call it Holly Hells and the doctor there never looks you in the eyes. I knew him when I was 12 and then when I went there at 17. I hope he dies miserably.
But uh yeah. There’s my review haha! 1/10
I hate the heat. Luckily its about 60 degrees because AC is free here! Oh yea idk how you’d see how I look but I can figure that out next time. I have to do something important so gotta run!!! (Hope my name change conjures a funny image! 🐱🐉omg its a dinosaur cat is this a new emoji?!)
ok uhh I could send u my insta but u promise PROMISE PROMISE not to look anything thats cringe besides the first picture which is the only good pic of me that doesn’t make me look like a 12 yr old and it has me holding my cat Isobel and I have FABULOUS red streaks in my hair and a fabulous blue sweater!
https://www.instagram.com/wasphorderdarbz/
eek no turning back!
Btw u might recognize my profile picture
oki bye!
Hi Dennis.
How are you? I’m ok. This book sounds extremely up my alley. I will be on the look for it. Thank you for reminding me I need to read Larry Kramer’s Faggots as well. I sleep with a fan on me as well. I got a new humidifier also. I’m also going to a pool today to cool off. I didn’t get soft serve yesterday, but I got shaved ice which was pretty good. My mom got dole whip. I got birthday cake. Planning on rewatching Les Vampires tonight. I know you’re a fan of Irma Vep, but have you seen Feuillade’s serial? It’s incredibly engaging even after 100 years. Also feeling like listening to a lot of Syd Barrett today. Have a great day or night, Dennis!
Hi Dennis!
I’m swell, how are you? Summer’s in full swing here and my garden’s exploded in response. One of my cannabis plants is almost five feet tall already, it’s my pride and joy (although I’m hoping my landlord doesn’t notice it on my balcony. They made us sign this stupid clause when we moved in that we wouldn’t grow weed, despite it now being legal).
I’ve been making steady headway on this long prose poem I’m working on that repurposes lines from journal entries I made early in the pandemic. It’s a weirdly generative process slotting what were personal reflections into incongruous characters and contexts. Feels a bit like savouring something I previously wolfed down and noticing all the subtle flavours. Other than that I’ve been writing alongside music again, this time Merchandise’s debut album “(Strange Songs) In the Dark” which you should check out if you’re in the mood for pop songs absolutely soaked in hiss and noise. I had thought I’d spend the summer working on the next section of my novel but something compelled me to shift focus and I’m trying to listen to my gut more so instead I’ve just been thinking about it a lot while working on other projects.
I’m definitely gonna pounce on tickets if Autechre ever return to Toronto. They have a real treasure trove of live recordings but it’s totally overwhelming so I’ve only heard one or two. I like that they improvise live shows based on their current set up though, I’m sure it makes the experience that much more unpredictable.
I’ve seen a lot about “Meth – DTF” online lately so I’m gonna check out that excerpt later today too.
Have a good one!
OMG– did you know that you can play any or all of your Autechre ‘samples’- AT THE SAME TIME, in ANY MIX, thereby turning the blog into a sampler/synth/multi-track-I-was-lying-in-bed-supposed-to-be-sleeping-but-instead-my-mind-is-being-blown-with-FUN!!??? It’s not a Moog. It’s not a blog… it a Bloog!!! (OMBloog!)
(just sayin)
night:)