Lost Joy

by Camden Joy, Jonathan Lethem (Introduction)

Lost Joy collects the writing that first brought Camden Joy wide attention in the mid-90s, when he wheatpasted his “manifestoes” around New York, excoriating the music industry and celebrating unsung geniuses of rock and roll. Joy’s voice—heartfelt, mocking, lyrical, razor-sharp—earned comparisons to the likes of Allen Ginsberg, Patti Smith, and Nick Hornby. Rooted in DIY zine culture, his rants prefigure the unfettered public expression of personal views that would explode with the rise of the Internet, and enact in words what Banksy would later achieve in art. Joy’s groundbreaking early fiction, in which his characters often invoke musicians and songs, is also included here. These haunting stories explore the many ways in which we use music to communicate our feelings and make sense of our memories.

Genres: Music

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Tosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joy is a guy who loves rock. He also loves writing. When you combine rock with writing you usually get.... well, I don't know! But I do know Joy is a fanastic writer and this collection of 'rock' writing is superb. Eccentric, wild, and a mind-fuck all on one dish. Check his work out, he's very unique and I think his work is important as well.

[sweetpinkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this in a second hand book store, priced for a dollar, and autographed. It's been a pleasant surprise. However, it was a marathon read for me, meaning I took way too long to read it. It got especially difficult near the end. I love the first and last chapters, which I guess makes sense because they took place in the same universe. It's pretty cool that Dennis Cooper wrote the preface, since they both use themselves as secondary characters in their novels (I think for Dennis Cooper it was Frisk). The way that Camden Joy writes these musicians and bands make them feel fictional, so it's always a surprise when I search up the people he's been talking about and realize that they're real. I suppose for people who know who these music artists are and/or listen to them, it's probably pretty nice to see them from a different lens.

knocked down a star because his writing drags sometimes. also, did not really enjoy the "my life in eighteen songs" chapter.

[Matty Evanosky · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a book about stuff and finding the aforementioned stuff and being pleased

[Ben Bush]

I spoke with Camden Joy for Bookforum on the occasion of Joy's back catalog being reissued.

I also wrote an essay about Camden Joy for Los Angeles Review of Books.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you love music like i love music this book is perfect.