Drawing of Nic Sheff by Vanessa Waring
A monthly interview with Bolinas Library readers.
Nic Sheff moved to Bolinas in 2020 after growing up in Inverness. He lives with his wife, Jette, a dog named Jackrabbit, and a new family member on the way. Nic’s book, Tweak, opens a new window, along with his dad, David’s memoir, was made into the feature film, Beautiful Boy, opens a new window, (starring Steve Carell as David and Timothee Chalamet as Nic). Nic has written a memoir, We All Fall Down, opens a new window and a novel, Schizo, opens a new window. He co-authored a book with David Sheff: High: Everything you wanted to know about drugs and addiction, opens a new window. He's been a writer on AMC’s The Killing, Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why. His first original screenplay is currently in pre-production with Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen, Lords of Dogtown, Twilight) directing.
What are you reading now? What’s in your pile of books? Do you read one book at a time or several? What’s the best book you’ve read this year?
Something that’s been really cool to discover is all the classic screenplays available through the library. Right now, I have a book out that’s an omnibus of five Preston Sturges, opens a new window screenplays. I’ve also been reading a lot of classic plays. I read a book this year called, The Method,, opens a new window by Isaac Butler about the birth of method acting, so it was rad to be able to check out the different plays the author references, like Chekov’s The Seagull, opens a new window and The Lower Depths, opens a new window by Maxim Gorky. I’d say my favorite new discovery this year was a British author named Patrick Hamilton. I got a number of his books from the library. The standout was, Twenty-Thousand Streets Under the Sky, opens a new window. With The Slaves of Solitude, opens a new window coming in a close second. Hamilton’s books are these kind of ironic portraits of London street-life during the Second World War. The writing has this incredible rhythm to it. They’re so good.
Do you like to read paper or ebooks? Audio books? Dvds?
Paper books times a billion. I do love audiobooks, too. Hoopla, opens a new window is a great app for listening to audiobooks through the library. All you need is a library card.
Are you a browser in the library or do you know in advance what you are looking for? Do you browse the library catalog or pick specific books? If so, how do you find out about them?
I usually browse on my computer. I love that you can order books from every branch of the Marin library system and have them delivered to Bolinas. And the books arrive so quickly. The two people who I trust the most in terms of their taste in books are my sister, Daisy, and my step-mom, Karen. Karen, my mom, is a huge reader and my sister is, too. And they have the best taste. I’ll read anything they recommend.
Do you have a favorite genre? Any genres that you never read? Have your preferences changed through the years.
For some reason I can’t explain exactly why I tend to prefer books written before 1970. That’s definitely changed since I was younger. As a teenager and in my early 20’s, I was into kind of underground contemporary novels and memoirs. My first book was heavily inspired by the contemporary literature of that time. Particularly, the authors, Jerry Stahl, opens a new window, Dennis Cooper, opens a new window, and, I guess, ironically, J.T. Leroy, opens a new window - who turned out to be a kind of literary hoax (it was a woman in her 40’s writing as a teenage boy, but she fooled me completely). Anyway, now I’m drawn to older books. There was a while where I was going really old, reading, you know, all the Russians, French, and British classics. The sweet spot for me recently though I’d say is the 40’s through 60’s. I’m really into Noir crime novels. And I’ve been digging some Western novels from that time period, too. Warlock, opens a new window (Oakley Hall), Butcher’s Crossing, opens a new window (John Williams), and True Grit, opens a new window (Charles Portis). The audiobook of Donna Tartt, opens a new window reading True Grit, opens a new window is unbelievably amazing.
What was your reading experience as a child? Did you grow up with a lot of books? A favorite book?
I was 11 when we moved from an apartment in the city out to Inverness. So that was the first time I was able to like motor around by myself, unsupervised, and I loved riding my bike down to the library in Inverness to look through the books there. There was something so exciting about browsing the shelves and picking out different titles. Our family friend, Jennifer Livingston, was the librarian there and she would make great recommendations. That was the same year my little brother was born and I loved picking out stacks of picture books for him, too. And gosh, a favorite book from that time is hard to say. I loved Treasure Island, opens a new window (Robert Louis Stevenson) That’s still one of my favorites. You know what else I loved, Eloise at the Plaza, opens a new window (Kay Thompson). Really. That was a favorite for sure. I don’t know why I got such a kick out of that.
Were there any books that made a big impression on you in your life? Perhaps a book that has impacted your consciousness a bit? (Maybe something you read at an impressionable age, 20s?)
Oh, gosh, what a great question. I mean, it’s no secret, I guess, that I’m in recovery. I’ve written a ton about it and there was a movie made about it, so that’s out there. I guess if I’m being honest, the two books that changed my life more than anything else were the “Big Book” of Alcoholics Anonymous, opens a new window (Bill W.), and a companion book called, The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, opens a new window. I know we’re supposed to remain anonymous at the level of “press, radio, and film,” but I think the cat’s out of the bag on that one. Along those same lines, I really got a lot out of a book called, The Sermon on the Mount, opens a new window, by Emmet Fox.
What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves?
Maybe this isn’t a surprise to anyone who’s seen me bopping around town on a daily basis with various dogs, whether that was my old bloodhound, Rhett, who passed away in December, or Jackrabbit, my year-and-a-half-old German Shepherd/Belgian Malinois/mix, or my neighbor’s dog and Jack’s best friend, Reef, but a favorite books of mine I only read it for the first time a couple years ago, is The One Hundred and One Dalmatians, opens a new window, by Dodie Smith. I knew and loved the Disney movie, but the book is its own thing and it’s incredible.
Is there a famous author that you ever wanted to meet? Maybe back in time?
You know who I’d love to meet, who I’m totally obsessed with, and I think he lives in San Francisco, is Eddie Muller. I just read his book, Dark City, opens a new window, about the rise and fall of the Film Noir movement from the mid 40’s to the late 50’s and he’s really just a treasure. I was familiar with him from Turner Classic Movies, opens a new window (which I also LOVE). He curates something called Noir Alley, opens a new window every week and his intros and outros are so detailed and interesting and funny and he has, to me, just the best taste. I’d love to talk to him and hear his opinions about all things movies and to learn more about the film restoration work he does. Like I said, he’s a treasure. And I like that he represents old school San Francisco, the way it was before the awful tech people took over and came close to ruining it forever.
What’s the last great book that you read and recommended to a friend?
Oh, you know an amazing author I’ve forgotten to talk about so far is Jim Thompson. What a genius. My mind was blown when I read Pop 1280, opens a new window and The Killer Inside Me, opens a new window. Some of his other, more famous books, like The Getaway, opens a new window, and The Grifters, opens a new window, were kind of less interesting to me. So I was really happy to discover a book of his called Texas by the Tail that is definitely unsung. I think was a later work. But I dug it. That was one I passed on to my sister, Daisy, and I think she really dug it, too. He’s a great writer.
On the other hand, it was Daisy who got me into a writer named Barbara Comyns, opens a new window who is a total treasure. Her books are super depressing, though, so fair warning on that. Genius, but dark.
What do you plan to read next? Do you plan?
I plan, for sure. Ordering books from the library is great because you get a few days of anticipation waiting for them to come in. I just ordered, In a Lonely Place,, opens a new window by Dorothy B. Hughes. There’s a movie of it I’ve seen. I’m curious to read the book.
Is there a book that you always meant to read but still haven’t. Any highly rated books that you thought were over rated?
I know Middlemarch, opens a new window (George Elliot) is supposed to be like the greatest British novel of all time. At least, I think it’s on a lot of those lists. I’m, I would say, a quarter of the way through it. But I’ve been a quarter of the way through it for like… 10 years. I like it. I want to read the whole thing. But I just can’t get it together to finish it. Someday I will! In terms of overrated books… I don’t know. Most of the great books I’ve read really are great. I mean, Moby Dick, opens a new window (Herman Melville), with all those chapters about the different kinds of whales and “whiteness” and all that stuff, was kind of a slog, but the beginning was unbelievably amazing and it comes together in the end, too.
What books do you return to? Are there any books you like to re-read?
I’ve read the Raymond Chandler books over and over again. I’ve read True Grit , opens a new windowa bunch of times. And listened to it. Oh gosh, Shirley Jackson! I’ve re-read We Have Always Lived in the Castle, opens a new window at least 5 times. That’s a perfect book. And I’ve reread The Haunting of Hill House, opens a new window a number of times, too. She’s amazing. I also am like constantly re-reading the Flannery O’Connor, opens a new window short stories over and over again. Those get better every time.
Do you have a collection of books at home. If so, where do you keep them and do you re-read?
I do have piles of books around, for sure. They’re stacked all over the place. The only problem is, Jackrabbit, my puppy, loves to tear apart especially slightly musty paperbacks. So I’ve lost a few from the collection recently. Hopefully, he’ll grow out of that soon. He almost got one of my library books a couple months ago. I got it away from him just in time.
What kind of characters draw you in as a reader?
Oh gosh, that’s an interesting question. I mean, they have to have some vulnerability, right? I also think the best characters are the ones that are deluding themselves to some degree. Does that make sense?
When and where do you like to read? Describe your ideal reading experience.
Preferably with a dog or two hogging the bed.
Why read?
Oh gosh… that’s kind of a tough question. I mean, it opens up these different worlds, right? That we get to live in. It’s a time machine and an empathy machine. It’s a way of learning, of gaining information about the world and the people who live in it. And it’s so much fun.
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