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Demons of Eminence
The debut novel of poet Joshua Escobar (aka DJ Ashtrae + Little Piñata), winner of The Bo Huston Prize 2023.
In Demons of Eminence a young travel nurse and self-described "cumdump" observes and sanctifies the friendship between an aging gay porn star and a goth chola dropout half his age, one that leads to them throwing endless parties in the industrial scrublands of SoCal's Inland Empire at the height of the pandemic.
In Demons of Eminence a young travel nurse and self-described "cumdump" observes and sanctifies the friendship between an aging gay porn star and a goth chola dropout half his age, one that leads to them throwing endless parties in the industrial scrublands of SoCal's Inland Empire at the height of the pandemic.
319 pages, Paperback
Published December 10, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 23, 2026
Who is the top demon in this sordid covid-era, Inland Empire tale of a 'cumdump' ICU nurse and his queer Latinx cohort? Is it the aging porn star trying to stake a claim on Only Fans? The art school woman trying to create arty content for the porn star? Or the sketchy characters who attend covert live band/sex parties at the sprawling, desolate farmhouse of the porn star and his straight, drug dealing brother? There is drama here, though Escobar writes with deeply observed literary flourish. What is missing is much narrative focus. It is difficult to keep track of locations, characters, etc, much less care about what is going to happen next. The writing is laudable, though yearning for an edit.
December 5, 2025
Whenever people claim that no one publishes raw transgressive work anymore I think of brilliant places like Publication Studio and their Fellow Travelers series which has yet to miss.
Set during the early days of the pandemic Demons of Eminence loosely follows three characters: art school drop out Elena, middle-aged porn star Rey, and our narrator, travel nurse and self-described cum dump Gabriel. The story weaves in and out of endless raves as characters who care little for their own personal safety try to make art and find connection in Inland Empire.
This has such a rich sense of place and setting. You feel like you know these people and are there with them.
Set during the early days of the pandemic Demons of Eminence loosely follows three characters: art school drop out Elena, middle-aged porn star Rey, and our narrator, travel nurse and self-described cum dump Gabriel. The story weaves in and out of endless raves as characters who care little for their own personal safety try to make art and find connection in Inland Empire.
This has such a rich sense of place and setting. You feel like you know these people and are there with them.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews