Prisoner of X by Allan MacDonell

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Just came across this listing from Feral House - looks interesting and dig the Daniel Clowes cover art:



Prisoner of X: 20 Years in the Hole at Hustler Magazine
Allan MacDonell

6 x 9 | 312 Pages | ISBN: 1-932595-13-9
$16.95

Prisoner of X is a savagely funny odyssey through the bizarro world of Larry Flynt's cracker-rich, X-rated empire.

During his tenure in the Hustler trenches, punk-rock dropout Allan MacDonell ascends from entry-level comma-catcher to editorial overlord of the unseemly offerings at Larry Flynt Publications. Here's the inside story of running America's most influential porn domain.

A professional career of evaluating countless skin photos, taking XXX field trips, mastering “fully erect” film criticism, and enduring creepy inter-office schemers suddenly launches MacDonell into national politics when Larry Flynt opens his wallet to impact the impeachment proceedings against President William Jefferson Clinton. MacDonell reveals the backside of his prominent role in tricking right-wing Speaker-elect Bob Livingston into resigning from Congress.

Prisoner of X is a wildly entertaining memoir about climbing the bent and fearsome masthead of an infamous magazine, and the bittersweet reward of publicly crossing its hillbilly Caesar. Cover artist Daniel Clowes is the celebrated cartoonist and screenwriter of Ghost World and Art School Confidential.

“Allan MacDonell's account of his twenty years spent working for Larry Flynt is prime Feral House material: blunt, salacious and to-the-point… MacDonell recounts his tenure working for one of America's most notorious citizens with candor and a biting wit… From bit parts in pornos to soliciting evidence of politicians' improprieties, MacDonell tells his story without flinching.”
— Publishers Weekly

“In Prisoner of X (Feral House), former Hustler 'editorial overlord' Allan MacDonell gets vocal about his 20-year tenure as foil to hillbilly horndog Larry Flynt.”
- Vanity Fair

“You expect shocking stories from a guy who spent 20 years working for Larry Flynt. And this memoir doesn't disappoint. MacDonell recounts his career at Hustler - 'not the vilest magazine on the market, but we tried' - from proofreader to editor (until Flynt fired him in 2002)… The real shocker: Prisoner is surprisingly well written. MacDonell's prose is so perky and witty, it's a shame Flynt didn't fire him years ago so he'd have a real career to write about.”
— Entertainment Weekly

“A luridly entertaining memoir… MacDonell strives to balance the sleaze with dry wit and genteel wordplay — and often strikes gold.”
— Rolling Stone

“Yes, it was a dirty job, but he just had to do it… [MacDonell] spearheaded Mr. Flynt's 1998 campaign to expose hypocrisy among Republican congressmen… and eventually brought about the downfall of Robert L. Livingston, speaker-elect of the House of Representatives.”
— New York Times

“Allan MacDonell worked for almost 20 years at Larry Flynt Publication … naturally, [he] has stories to tell, which he does with caustic wit in his memoir, Prisoner of X.”
— Los Angeles Times

“FOUR STARS (Highest Rating).”
— CBS Radio

“Prisoner of X is hours of guilty pleasure that pass like seconds. Here's the unsafe, hook-up sex of memoir. You'll need to indulge before the restraining orders pull this great book off of store shelves.”
— Chuck Palahniuk, author of Fight Club, Choke, and Haunted

“Prisoner of X is destined to become an American classic — R. Crumb crossed with William S. Burroughs and the satiric outrage of Hunter S. Thompson.”
— Evan Wright, author of Generation Kill

“The first must-read book on porn.”
— Luke Ford, author of A History of X: 100 Years of Sex in Film and XXX-Communicated

“The scabrous, cleverly funny new memoir Prisoner of X chronicles author Allan MacDonell's rise to creative director at Larry Flynt Publications. MacDonell lays the whack-off industry bare… All that's missing is a scratch-and-sniff centerfold.”
— Black Book

“Few books open a chapter with 'Visions of anus were plaguing me' and mean it literally. But as former Hustler editor MacDonell's memoir makes clear, the porn mag exists in its own alternate universe.”
— Spin

[Mark C. Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mark C.]

Really an excellent read, author's descriptions of Flynt during interactions at work are scattered thoughout and are quite hilarious. Allan Macdonnel's wrting style keeps things moving along and I wound up reading the book in a few days. I would recommend it to anyone even mildly interested in pornographers. Some good anecdotes as well as some great scathing stories.

[Randy G Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Randy G]

I've had this on my wishlist for a long time but never pulled the trigger because I hadn't heard anything solid on it, thanks for the recommendation Mark.