November Rust

by Julian Gallo

Paris at the turn of the twenty first century. A New York City writer follows in the footsteps of his literary heroes only to discover that the reality is far from the fantasy he pursues. Falling in with a group of expatriate American students, he soon learns that things aren’t much different than they are at home. When he meets Nys, a Parisian sculptor, he believes that he finally found the answer to all his problems. A tragedy is slowly unfolding but he is unable — or unwilling — to see it, and things begin to take an ominous turn when the lines between fantasy and reality become increasingly indistinguishable. The past becomes present, the present becomes past, and nothing is what it appears to be.

446 pages, Paperback

First published June 18, 2011

About the author

Julian Gallo is the author of 'Existential Labyrinths', 'Last Tondero in Paris', 'The Penguin and The Bird' and other novels. His short fiction has appeared in The Sultan's Seal (Cairo), Exit Strata, Budget Press Review, Indie Ink, Short Fiction UK, P.S. I Love You, The Dope Fiend Daily, The Rye Whiskey Review, Latinoture, Angles, Verdad, Modern Literature (India), Mediterranean Poetry (St. Pierre and Miquelon), Borderless Journal (Singapore), Woven Tales, Wilderness House, Egophobia (Romania), Plato’s Caves, Avalon Literary Review, VIA: Voices in Italian Americana, The Argyle, Doublespeak Magazine (India), Bardics Anonymous, Tones of Citrus, The Cry Lounge (Germany), Deal Jam, 22/28, Active Muse (India), Zero Readers, Hominum Journal, Write Now Lit (Nigeria), MiniMAG, Paradox Magazine, Penman Review, Lowestoft Chronicles, Pattern Marrow Magazine, Lanae, Flora Fauna (Upcoming), and Pattern Recognition (Upcoming).  
His poetry has appeared in over 40 journals throughout the Unites States, Canada and Europe. He is the author of 9 poetry books, "Standing on Lorimer Street Awaiting Crucifixion" (Alpha Beat Press 1996), "The Terror of Your Cunt is the Beauty of Your Face" (Black Spring Press 1999), "Street Gospel Mystical Intellectual Survival Codes" (Budget Press 2000), "Scrape That Violin More Darkly Then Hover Like Smoke in the Air" (Black Spring Press 2001), "Existential Labyrinths" (Black Spring Press 2003), "My Arrival is Marked by Illuminating Stains" (Beat Corrida, 2007), "Window Shopping For a New Crown of Thorns" (Beat Corrida, 2007), "A Symphony of Olives" (Propaganda Press 2009) and "Divertimiento" (Propaganda Press 2009).

A collection of flash fictions, 'Bedtime Stories: Subconscious Fictions 1987-2017' (Surreal Estate) was published in 2018.

His most recent chapbook, "Letter To My Seven Year Old Self" was published by Budget Press in 2015.

He has also contributed articles to Expats Post, Creative Flux, The Operating System, Angie's Diary, Life Riddles, The Good Men Project, and Ovunque Siamo

He was also a featured guest speaker at the Blogger Interactive conference in Austin, Texas in 2013.

Reviews

[ReemK10 (Paper Pills) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"November Rust, Julian Gallo’s first novel, is one of those rare books that isn’t scared to take risks and doesn’t shy away from demanding the reader’s attention.

This interview was first published in 2009 after the release of Julian Gallo’s first novel November Rust. This interview includes an update in which Julian talks about November Rust almost five years after publication and the challenges faced when writing his subsequent novels."

To read the interview: http://expatspost.com/entertainment/n...

And now for my two cents:

Full disclosure: Julian Gallo is a friend. He is super nice, an absolute gentleman, and a surprising oddity in this day and age as he is extremely genuine as a person.



What you see is how he is! Most of what I know about Gallo, I have read between the lines. When I first told him, that I had ordered November Rust to read, I noticed a little hesitancy on his part, as if he hadn't really wanted me to read this particular novel. He said it was his first novel. It was experimental writing. I reassured him that this wouldn't be a problem as that was precisely why I had decided to read November Rust in the first place. I had wanted to see what experimental writing he had done working on his craft.

But, there was a problem. I was much too old to be reading this particular novel. I read, put it down, picked it up again, read some more, put it down again, took it with me as I travelled, read it while walking on the treadmill at the gym, but I have now made peace with the fact that I am the wrong reader for this novel, and that I will simply have to tuck it next to Rhombus Denied on my bookshelf.

November Rust, with all its descriptions of physical pleasures was too much like the Dirty Havana Trilogy that I had read many, many years before. Perhaps that was what Gallo had been experimenting with - the style of Pedro Juan Gutierrez, Charles Bukowski, Philip Roth?... But no, it was actually the influences of William S. Burroughs, Brion Gysin, Jack Kerouac, Dada, Raymond Chandler, Mickey Spillane, and Noir Fiction that Gallo had been experimenting with.

What November Rust does reveal is the creative work of a poet/artist/musician who goes off to Paris to write his first novel. Gallo is an avid reader who is very well read. Not only does he read the literary darling du jour, but with his bold and adventurous streak, he intentionally seeks out that obscure writer that no one has heard about or would even care to read. Julian makes a point of reading what everybody else is not reading! I truly respect that about him. Gallo gives all writers a fighting chance and makes some fabulous discoveries along the way! Ahem Youssef Rakha!

November Rust also reveals that Gallo has made his peace with all sorts of people and their idiosyncrasies, their motives and self-interest, and being the realist that he is, he just gets on with his life. Unfortunately, people like Julian who give a lot, expect a lot, so they often have the bitter taste of disappointment lingering in their mouths. People, as we know are imperfect, so Gallo keeps searching for his joie de vivre, and focuses his attention on all the things that he cares about. He cares a lot, and he cares about a lot!

As Julian's first born, November Rust is a testimony. Nothing in it is true, yet everything about it is true to Julian: his take on la vie de boheme, the confrontation of truth, the regrettable revealing of himself, the exposition of the human condition and his understanding of his off center position in this world. He is an outlier with deep-seated caring in an uncaring world of unadulterated selfishness. But, Gallo is primarily a poet who is still able to see poetry in people's deceptions.

It is nearing the end of October. Rusty red leaves are falling to the ground. The darker days of November will soon set in.



"Night, when words fade and things come alive, when the destructive analysis of the day is done, and all that is truly important becomes whole and sound again. When man resembles his fragmentary self and grows with the calm of the tree. " Saint- Exupery ( page348)

Rating: Five stars!

Why? Because November Rust is Julian's baby. And what do you say when you see somebody's baby?

You say: What a beautiful baby!!!

Now, please go back and read Garry Crystal's interview posted above.