All Ears

Dennis Cooper is best known as the author of transgressive novels such as Guide and Try, but he's also done his share of journalism. All Ears collects work from a variety of publications, including a profile of Sonny Bono that originally appeared in George and pieces from Spin on former Hüsker Dü frontman Bob Mould and homeless HIV-positive youth in Los Angeles. Along the way, he asks Keanu Reeves if he's gay ("No ... but ya never know"), ponders the fascination with heroin among alternative bands from the early '90s, and meditates upon the deaths of River Phoenix, William S. Burroughs, and Kurt Cobain. All Ears is a slim but compelling volume that speaks to pop culture with probing intensity and authenticity.