The Royal Nonesuch: Or, What Will I Do When I Grow Up?

By W. Glasgow Phillips

Book Overview

Glasgow Phillips published his debut novel Tuscaloosa at the tender age of twenty-four. The results were disastrous: encouraging reviews, translations, a paperback sale, a film option, and a Stegner Fellowship at Stanford. But over the next two years, as Phillips's second novel unraveled and freelance journalism assignments ended in humiliation, a horrible, secret thought took hold in him: perhaps, just possibly, whatever talent he had was of the kind that would never be more than promise. Washed up as a "real" writer before he was thirty, Phillips went to Los Angeles and formed a company with his best childhood friend Jason McHugh, independent producer of Cannibal The Musical and Orgazmo . The Royal Nonesuch is the story of Phillips's rollercoaster ride through the twisted world of underground Hollywood and the funhouse of the Internet during the boom. Phillips builds a hilarious and poignant memoir, in the tradition of Augusten Burroughs and Sean Wilsey, from tales of promise and failure, family and madness, friendship and redemption, fame and infamy, and good old-fashioned hustling. It is a remarkable book; a brilliant portrait of a generation in all its foolish glory.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802170285
• ISBN13: 9780802170286
• Release Date: February 2007
• Publisher: Grove Press, Black Cat
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.7" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

When's the movie coming out

I've never tried to do order a sandwich in Hollywood, much less make a successful TV show. Glasgow Phillips brings us into that world with an eye for detail and love of crazy characters. Like truly insane people trying to make television shows. Revealing, gripping, and deeply entertaining. Finally a book about the industry that doesn't make me want to run away. In the right hands it would make a great movie.

What a trip

This is a well written journey into the freak fest that is Los Angeles where everybody is trying to "make it". I read it because it is one of the few places that one can get a behind the scenes look at what it was like at the visionary internet entertainment company WireBreak. The whole book should have been about WireBreak but I'll take what I can get. Thanks, Glasgow!

couldn't put it down

What a book! He goes on some wild journey's, and although my life isn't quite as fanciful, I related to everything. He words things perfectly, and I was surprised to find myself laughing so much. I love the humility and honesty Glasgow phillip's uses when decribing himself. He doesn't glorify himself. He is very ahead of his time. Every thing he was doing 10 years ago is all the rage right now.