Junk Mail
by Will Self
Grove Press

Much to his chagrin, the public perception of Will Self appears to be of a quiz-show panelist first, a journalist second and a novelist third. Indeed, in a 2003 interview with Robert Birnbaum, he acknowledged this somewhat unconventional order: "...a certain section of my public see me as a journalist. I do some television work. Some light TV work, comedy TV work. Probably a larger segment of the population view me as a comedian." However, while the fact that Self's eight appearances on Have I Got News for You seem to eclipse his ten published works of fiction might reflect interestingly on modern media dissemination, Junk Mail focuses on that which floats in between — his journalism. A "Self-selection," as the blurb describes it, of Self's journalistic work, Junk Mail is, inevitably, a mixed bag. Like a 448-page carrier bag full of odd groceries, left abandoned for a decade or so, some items retain their freshness perfectly, while others appear a little past their sell-by dates.

Given Self's experiences as a heroin addict (to the extent of being fired from The Observer in 1997 for using the substance on John Major's jet), it's hardly surprising that a great many of these groceries are of an illegal, class-A nature — indeed, the book is divided into just two main sections: "On Drugs" and "On Other Things." Throughout the substantial first section, the influence of infamous Beat Generation junk-chronicler William S. Burroughs is clear, bordering at times on fetishism. Self includes no less than five separate pieces relating to Burroughs' life and work, and, while all interesting, some could perhaps have been omitted in the interest of variety. Elsewhere in the section, subjects include the "crack epidemic," the apparent ineffectiveness of the Netherlands' drug policy, and the ethics of methadone prescription in Britain. Largely tackled in a time-specific, journalistic style, they engage to a certain extent, but, given the aforementioned time-rot, Self's wit is too often eroded by irrelevance.

If "On Drugs" is slightly monotonous in its subject matter, "On Other Things" is quite the opposite, comprised with admirable diversity of "Humour," "Book Reviews," "Features," "Profiles" and "Conversations." The book reviews, while eloquently written, represent a weak point — their scope seldom appears broad enough to merit inclusion in such a collection, but Self's humour is brilliant in its elegance, his profiles frequently insightful and perceptive. The features sit somewhere in between; while they showcase their author's talent for observation, they are often fragmented in structure.

"Conversations,"which concludes the book, is perhaps the most interesting sub-section. Its title is appropriate — Self's style as an interviewer is engaged rather than detached, the volume of his speech almost equalling that of his two subjects, J.G. Ballard and Martin Amis. Far from detracting from the conversations, this technique allows for a certain spontaneity. While the conversation with Martin Amis sometimes teeters on the brink of mutual congratulation, Self constructs a revealing view of his personal side, and Ballard, aged 74, is as incisive as ever, the lucidity of his points heightened by Self's intellectual probing.

Junk Mail isn't a bad collection, by any standard. While the importance of some of its pieces may have been diminished by time, they largely remain fresh, intelligent and entertaining — testament to the polymathic skill of Will Self: novelist, journalist and, apparently, comedian.

— Louis Goddard (louisgoddard@gmail.com)