Disaster Artist writer Tom Bissell on bogus authenticity and violence in art

“If you go through your life expecting moral purity from every artist you love, you’re going to have a very lonely life, aesthetically.” – Tom Bissell

Tom Bissell is an American author, journalist, and critic. He co-authored the book The Disaster Artist, which has been adapted into a movie starring James Franco, Seth Rogen, Dave Franco, and Alison Brie.

In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and Tom discuss Metallica and thrash metal (5:25); violence in music and video games (23:30); how one’s relationship to one’s own writing transforms over time (28:10); the shallowness of cultural criticism in social-media (33:55); the dubious concept of “authenticity” as applied to food, music, and travel (42:00); co-writingThe Disaster Artist with actor Greg Sestero, and making sense of The Room (58:50); and finding joy and contentment within the creative process (1:06:00).

Articles, books and movies:

• The Geto Boys, by Rolf Potts
• Slayer’s Reign in Blood, by D.X. Ferris
• Some Kind of Monster (documentary film about Metallica)
• The Defiant Ones (documentary about Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre)
• Straight Outta Compton (movie about N.W.A)
• “My Holy Land Vacation,” by Tom Bissell
• “Euphorias of Perrier: The Case Against Robert D. Kaplan,” by Tom Bissell
• “One Man’s Odyssey into ‘Eat, Pray, Love’,” by Rolf Potts
• Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture, by David Kushner
• Deep South: Four Seasons on Back Roads, by Paul Theroux
• “The Mystical High Church of Luck,” by Rolf Potts (about Las Vegas)
• “Humor Doesn’t Translate Internationally,” by Rolf Potts (about The Asylum)

Bands, songs, and albums mentioned

• Metallica (thrash-metal band)
• Anthrax (thrash-metal band)
• Slayer (thrash-metal band)
• Testament (thrash-metal band)
• The Exploited (punk band)
• Public Enemy (rap group)
• NWA (rap group)
• “Angel of Death” (song, by Slayer)
• “Wake up Dead” (song, by Megadeth)
• “Indians” (song, by Anthrax)
• “Creeping Death” (song, by Metallica)
• “Disposable Heroes” (song, by Metallica)
• The Black Album (1991 album, by Metallica)

Other Links:

• Dungeons & Dragons books
• Cliff Burton (Metallica bassist)
• Chuck D (rap artist)
• James Smith (Rap-A-Lot Records founder)
• Dr. Dre (music producer)
• Rick Rubin (music producer)
• Paul Theroux (travel writer)
• Pico Iyer (travel writer)
• 33 1/3 (book series)
• Virtue signaling (concept)

Tom Bissell’s favorite Metallica albums:

• Kill ‘Em All (1983)
• Ride the Lightning (1984)
• Master of Puppets (1986)
• …And Justice to All (1988)
• St. Anger (2003)
• Death Magnetic (2008)
• Hardwired..to Self-Destruct (2016)

Other books by Tom Bissell:

• Chasing the Sea: Lost Among the Ghosts of Empire in Central Asia (2003)
• God Lives in St. Petersburg: and Other Stories (2005)
• The Father of All Things: A Marine, His Son, and the Legacy of Vietnam (2007)
• Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter (2010)
• Magic Hours: Essays On Creators and Creation (2012)
• Apostle: Travels Among the Tombs of the Twelve (2016)

This episode was sponsored by the Paris Writing Workshop, an intensive one-month course in the artistic heart of Europe.

The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber.

Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate@rolfpotts.com.