came on and it reminded me of that fabulous scene in Trainspotting when Ewan McGregor's character overdoses on heroin and sinks six feet into the floor. As he's being rushed to the hospital, his vantage point is filmed as if he's peering out of a grave. I loved that trick. Reed's lyrics paired perfectly with that shocking scene. Anyway, as I was reminiscing about the movie, I was reminded of a great book I read this summer called Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man, written by Bill Clegg. Clegg is a literary agent, but he doesn't offer much gossip about the world of publishing. The memoir's sole focus is Clegg's descent into crack addiction and the horrifying escapades he got up to while under the influence.
What compels me about Clegg is the fact that he doesn't look like someone who would be a crack addict. The photo on the book jacket shows a clean cut, handsome and professional looking young man. Plus, you'd never really suspect a literary agent of a crack addiction. Maybe alcohol or cocaine, but crack?
He's disarmingly honest about the truly repulsive lengths he went to in order to support his addiction. He parties with some highly offensive characters and wakes up in some very shady places. But he does manage to pull himself together in the end. It's a pretty gruesome read, but it offers up some hope. Even those at the basest of rock bottoms can get clean. And live to tell about it. Clegg can write.
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