LongsightM13
Well-Known Member
It's a stunning book gaz. He's a very interesting fella. Here's s couple of fascinating articles about him <a class="postlink" href="http://thequietus.com/articles/08889-john-healy-interview-barbaric-genius-documentary" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://thequietus.com/articles/08889-jo ... ocumentary</a>gazhinio said:LongsightM13 said:One of the very best autobiographies I have read was The Grass Arena by John Healy.
He was a talented young amateur boxer who joined the army, then got kicked out and hit the skids.
He became an alcoholic and a vagrant in 60s and 70s London, boozing, thieving and brawling his life away in the streets and parks of the capital.
The tales of the weird camaraderie and code of honour among the winos and the violence, brutality and contempt he experiences at the hands of his fellow hobos, police, doctors and prison guards are at times genuinely shocking.
Somewhere along the line, a kindly soul teaches him to play chess. And he is a natural. So good that he is soon entering top level competitions, and winning them. But this damaged soul knows he will never be truly accepted in that world either.
The BBC made a film of this brilliant book in the late 80s and Healy was also the subject of a feature length documentary last year.
We'll worth a read.
Just ordered that online mucca....good shout L13
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.sabotagetimes.com/reportage/barbaric-genius-the-strange-story-of-john-healy-and-the-grass-arena/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.sabotagetimes.com/reportage/ ... ass-arena/</a>
<a class="postlink" href="http://m.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/aug/05/biography" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://m.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/aug/05/biography</a>