Graffiti in the Rubber Room: Writing for My Sanity by Will Viharo

 

(oversized pb; 2023: memoir)

 

Review

Viharo’s “experimental” memoir is an ambitious take on the genre. Framed in chapter-missives to famous musicians (Elvis, Tom Waits), fictional characters (those he created, or played by actors Viharo personally knows) and family, it’s a rambling, intuitive-flow, 462-page** work that may cause those who like tight, focused writing to want to immediately pull their hair out—Viharo says as much, later in the book, but he doesn’t care: his writing here, like much of his recent writings is self-indulgent, something he’s proud of. That’s not to say Graffiti’s not often interesting, as Viharo’s trademark blend of vivid description, clever charm, pulp appreciation, and deeply-personal-to-him references (including said fictional characters and famous folk) makes for a rollercoaster, era-bounce recounting of his surreal brushes with the iconic success he craves (he says as much, a lot) and deserves, given his charm, talent, and dedication to that those endeavors. His growth as a unique individual and creative being adds heart and memorability to his work as well. That he wormholes into details—he wants to remember everything, it seems—and your reaction to that will determine if this a worthwhile read for you. If you like word-rampant journal-intense missives with lots of famous names and movies heavily and organically sprinkled in, this might be your jam. If not, check out his earlier, more tightly edited works, starting with his first Vic Valentine novel Love Stories Are Too Violent for Me.

[**eighty of the pages are photographs]