Postcards from Palm Springs
by Robert Julian
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Book Summary Information
Author: Robert JulianEdition: Paperback
Published: 2007-11-29
ISBN: 1430322845
Number of pages: 237
Publisher: Lulu.com
Book Reviews of Postcards from Palm Springs
Book Review: Ouch!
Summary: 3 Stars
"Postcards" created a minor sensation in Palm Springs, due primarily to media coverage that emphasized the "dirty old men" aspect. In fact, the sexy parts are a small portion of the book, a series of essays about the author's childhood, his brushes with show-biz, and observations on Palm Springs life. Having spent many years in San Francisco, Julian shouldn't have been surprised by gay life in Palm Springs, but he seems to find it unseemly that the participants are mainly men over 50.
There's an old saying to the effect that a dog never pees where he eats, so it's hard to say what he was trying to accomplish with this book, as it's mostly potshots at everything from the local newspaper and former mayor Sonny Bono to the immensely popular international film festival. Palm Springs is a small resort town, so if it clings to its Hollywood legacy, so what if it tries to give the tourists a little glitz?
When it comes to people, Julian is quick with a cutting remark, sparing almost no one, from casual encounters to big-name stars he may or may not have met. He's already burned his bridges with the local gay theater company, and I certainly can't understand why he would mock the people at his gym, some of them readily identifiable, if he plans to keep going there. He doesn't seem to be a very sociable guy, since he says nothing of the many social and special-interest groups that are the hallmark of Palm Springs gay life and a main draw for the retired set. (Yes, I live there much of the year.)
Of course, it's more fun to be naughty than nice, and the book is often amusing. He's a clever and, for the most part, capable writer, and there's a good dose of campy fun in these pages. Locals will no doubt enjoy the inventory of familiar people and places and may, on some level, be amused by his put-downs of the old and overweight; outsiders should be aware that this is a very incomplete portrait of the town. Heck, he hasn't even lived there long enough to know the really outrageous stuff!
Julian claims he fell in love with Palm Springs as a place to reinvent himself. So far, it appears he has succeeded in transforming himself from a sympathetic guy who had a difficult childhood and can speak eloquently of losing friends to AIDS into a sharp-tongued misanthrope. His motives in writing this are clearly his business, but the book reads more like a parting shot at a city one is leaving than a tribute to an adopted home town. Entertaining? Yes. But I'm going to stay far away from him in the locker room. There may be a sequel.
Summary of Postcards from Palm Springs
"Postcards from Palm Springs" is the underground phenomenon that is doing for this California desert community what "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" did for Savannah, Georgia. Author Robert Julian's sharp eye, keen wit, and strong sense of the absurd recalls the work of Augusten Burroughs and David Sedaris. A funny, outrageous, and ultimately moving memoir of both person and place, "Postcards from Palm Springs" soars.General Books
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