Flagrant, Self-Destructive Gestures: A Biography of Denis Johnson by Geltner, Ted

Flagrant, Self-Destructive Gestures: A Biography of Denis Johnson

The year was 1988, and Denis Johnson was at a low point. He caught malaria on a...
$34.11 AUD
$34.11 AUD
Please hurry! Only 237 left in stock
Author: Ted Geltner
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Subtotal: $34.11

Free Shipping (Orders $60 USD or More)

Flagrant, Self-Destructive Gestures: A Biography of Denis Johnson by Geltner, Ted

Flagrant, Self-Destructive Gestures: A Biography of Denis Johnson

$34.11

Flagrant, Self-Destructive Gestures: A Biography of Denis Johnson

$34.11
Author: Ted Geltner
Format: Paperback
Language: English

The year was 1988, and Denis Johnson was at a low point. He caught malaria on a reporting trip into the jungles of the Philippines and was nearly pronounced dead. The disease left him unable to write. His second wife left him. He didn't have enough money to pay his taxes. His publisher was waiting for a book that he hadn't started. But in the life of Denis Johnson, when things were at their bleakest, something good was usually waiting around the next corner. This time, what emerged from the chaos was his masterpiece Jesus' Son, a book that would tap into the zeitgeist of the 1990s and become a bible for Generation X and an American classic.

Flagrant, Self-Destructive Gestures tells the complete story of Johnson's fascinating life, his thrill-seeking trips into war zones as a magazine correspondent, his battles with addiction, his live-it-before-you-write-it style of fiction. It follows the arc of his tremendous body of work as a novelist, journalist, poet, and playwright, and in the process recovers the true stories from the hazy myths that one of our most beloved, yet enigmatic, writers left behind.



Author: Ted Geltner
Publisher: University of Iowa Press
Published: 11/11/2025
Pages: 368
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.36lbs
Size: 8.98h x 5.98w x 1.18d
ISBN: 9781685970376


Review Citation(s):
Booklist 11/01/2025

About the Author

Ted Geltner is professor of journalism at Valdosta State University. He is author of Blood, Bone, and Marrow: A Biography of Harry Crews. His journalism has been featured in The New Yorker, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. He lives in Gainesville, Florida.


Returns Policy

You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. We'll also pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.).

You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).

If you need to return an item, simply login to your account, view the order using the "Complete Orders" link under the My Account menu and click the Return Item(s) button. We'll notify you via e-mail of your refund once we've received and processed the returned item.

Shipping

We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.

When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.

Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.

Related Products

Recently Viewed Products