Going Down

by Chris Campanioni

A journalist turns male model and discovers that he's actually in the same business: Fabrication.

The story opens with the question: "Where do I go now?" and readers travel with Selden through Manhattan's runways and TV studios, a multi-million-dollar clothing heist and a fashion design leak, a mysterious disappearance in Rio and the memories of Cuba, a film debut at Cannes and a life lost in New Jersey, and ultimately, back where he begins--all of it captured on film.

326 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2013

About the author

Chris Campanioni was born in Manhattan in 1985 and grew up in a very nineties New Jersey. The son of exiles from Cuba and Poland, Chris is a writer, multimedia artist, and instructor. He is a recipient of the International Latino Book Award for his debut novel, Going Down (Aignos, 2013), the Pushcart Prize for “Soft Opening,” from his cross-genre collection Death of Art (C&R Press, 2016), and the 2013 Academy of American Poets College Prize.

Reviews

[Justin Turgeson · Rating 5 out of 5]

"What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it." I think quoting Holden Caulfield is a pretty good summary of Chris Campanioni's writing. This book induces thought provoking ideas and begs to be discussed amoung readers. Not to mention, a literally laugh out loud sense of humor that often left me with a shit eating grin and shaking my head thinking, "How is this bastard so clever." (Word to the wise, don't read this book in public if your not too keen on that sort of thing.) Originally I was expecting to read a glorification of a materialistic model's lifestyle and, to be honest, had my doubts. To my surprise, what I got was a completely relatable narrative of a grounded view on societies unquenchable thirst for wanting more, quite the opposite of what I had in mind. If fact, I admire how much balls it has for addressing those issues as well as the disconnect in human relationships caused by expanding technology. But what I enjoyed most was escaping into Chris's "rockstar" lifestyle yet completed feeling at home with his hunger to free himself from a career that suppresses his creative potential. The mindset to never settle for anything less than what you know you're worth. All in all, this book stayed with me long after I set it down. With innumerable quotable lines, I never felt, at any point, that Campanioni didn't pour any less than all of his talent into damn near every word in his work.

[Monique Marco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris Campanioni's love of language is evident from the opening scene and is carried throughout the novel. He easily captures the feel for our modern cadence which is interspersed with our new world of texting and inescapable interjections from marketing messages and the like. I love the smattering of Spanish, which, when coupled with the NY/NJ setting creates both wonderful local color and instant warmth in my soul. His somewhat Falkner-esque style helps to establish the coming-of-age tone and allows us to see and feel Chris Selden's (main character), experience more deeply.

The recurrent theme of displacement resonated well with me and was deftly expressed in various situations. Campanioni also references a couple of my favorite musical artists or songs including Prince, Duran Duran, "In the Air Tonight" and others. He also uses one of my favorite words, "liminal", which I rarely see in print. In addition, I found clever moments of wit and wistfulness, which further display his writing talent.

Towards the end of the novel he writes, "Transported. The function of all literature is some kind of transport. Time. Space. To be outside yourself, ..." (p. 295) I think Campanioni achieved exactly this: he transported us to his inner-world, his experience of "SELF", the quest for his Holy Grail and managed to do it articulately with a clear style all his own.

I heartily recommend this book and am eager to read more of his work.

[William Wascher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris Campanioni, the author of Going Down, is a contemporary renaissance man. He is first of all a writer, but also a teacher, an actor and a fashion model. I listed writer first because Going Down is his journey of discovery that he is above all a writer and we as readers are privileged to accompany him on that journey.

Going Down begins with our protagonist, Chris Selden, having just graduated from college and somewhat adrift, reluctantly accompanying a friend on an interview with a modeling agency in New York City. In short order, Chris is booking modeling jobs. Being urged by his father to get a "real job," Chris also interviews with the Newark Star Ledger and is hired as a sports reporter.

As readers we get to accompany Chris on his adventures as a model/actor and a reporter. Campanioni's expert use of narrative language and vivid descriptions really make you feel that you are not just reading about his exploits, but living them along with him. As you get further into Going Down you begin to feel like you are his friend and not just a reader. By the end of the book you are as heavily invested in his future as he is.

I highly recommend Going Down and am looking forward to future novels from this extremely talented young writer.

[MazzTX · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading Going Down by Chris Campanioni. It was an excellent read and I recommend it to anyone that wants to enjoy a well written story. I was surprised at how introspective Campanioni’s work made me feel. The story is about a recent college graduate, Selden, with a degree in Journalism that suddenly finds himself with a successful career as a male fashion model. While the reader may not be able to personally identify with the fashion world there is much in Selden’s story that are shared experiences: a mother’s advocacy and admonishments, a father’s grousing and support, friends that have a huge impact on your life and then disappear, other friends that stay in your life longer than they should, co-workers that become important touchstones, and lover’s that are toxic. Campanioni manages to - through Selden’s journalistic eye - make us re-live parts of our own lives. The writing itself has a rhythm. Sometimes a single sentence tells an entire story and other cases a paragraph reads like a poem. If you are feeling nostalgic and want to take new point of view on your own story then this is a great novel for you. I highly recommend it.

[Eemaxcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talented author, Chris Campanioni, writes a compelling novel about a young man's search for himself in an world which too often tells the individual who he is or who he should be. Using his personal experience as a sports writer and professional fashion model, the author skillfully combines various styles of expression, including that of film, to enable the reader to learn with his main character, Chris Selden, what writing a novel is all about. Among many interests to the reader, at least this reader, GOING DOWN is a journey (not a lesson) in the art of fiction. Edward Maxcy

[Don P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

For an intelligent literary person (and a newspaper reporter) to penetrate the world of fashion and modeling must be rare. So,reading Campanioni's work is a bit like receiving telemetry from a sophisticated space probe sent to an alien world. The experimental styles of different chapters is like switching between sensory modalities. Campanioni's style shows a love of reading and writing, playfully experimental, with a tip of the hat to other daring writers like William Burroughs. It will be interesting to see more from this author.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is not long before you read the words, poetically penned on the first pages, do you realize you're in for a treat. A coming of age story (don't we love a good one) about a man who morphs from person to product with much dexterity. All would be well if he wasn't so aware of the malignancy of an industry where nothing is what it seems.

"Going Down" is a well crafted tale that poses the infamous question: Who are you?

[Guy Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

so unique getting inside the head of the writer; i will write longer review after second read.....Chris is absolutely amazing