Hubert "Cubby" Selby Jr. (July 23, 1928 – April 26, 2004) was an American writer. Two of his novels, ''

Last Exit to Brooklyn ''Last Exit to Brooklyn'' is a 1964 novel by American author Hubert Selby Jr. The novel takes a harsh, uncompromising look at lower class Brooklyn in the 1950s written in a brusque, everyman style of prose. Critics and fellow writers praised ...

'' (1964) and ''

Requiem for a Dream ''Requiem for a Dream'' is a 2000 American psychological drama film directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher McDonald and Marlon Wayans. It is based on the 1978 novel of the same na ...

'' (1978) explore worlds in the New York area and were adapted as films, both of which he appeared in. His first novel was prosecuted for obscenity in the United Kingdom and banned in Italy, prompting defences from many leading authors such as

Anthony Burgess John Anthony Burgess Wilson, (; 25 February 1917 – 22 November 1993), who published under the name Anthony Burgess, was an English writer and composer. Although Burgess was primarily a comic writer, his dystopian satire ''A Clockwork ...

. He influenced multiple generations of writers. For more than 20 years, he taught creative writing at the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...

in Los Angeles, where he lived full-time after 1983.

Biography

Early life and education

Hubert Selby was born in 1928 in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, New York City, to Adalin and Hubert Selby Sr., a merchant seaman and former coal miner from Kentucky. Selby and his wife Adalin had settled in

Bay Ridge Bay Ridge is a neighborhood in the southwest corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is bounded by Sunset Park to the north, Dyker Heights to the east, the Narrows and the Belt Parkway to the west, and Fort Hamilton Army Base an ...

. Hubert attended public schools, including the competitive Stuyvesant High School. Selby Jr. dropped out of school at the age of 15 to work in the city docks before becoming a merchant seaman in 1947. Having been diagnosed with tuberculosis, he was taken off the ship in Bremen, Germany, and sent back to the United States. For the next three and a half years, Selby was in and out of the U.S. Public Health Hospital (part of a system of hospitals originally established to care for merchant seamen) in New York for treatment. Selby went through an experimental drug treatment,

streptomycin Streptomycin is an antibiotic medication used to treat a number of bacterial infections, including tuberculosis, ''Mycobacterium avium'' complex, endocarditis, brucellosis, ''Burkholderia'' infection, plague, tularemia, and rat bite fever. F ...

, that later caused some severe complications. During an operation, surgeons removed several of Selby's ribs to reach his lungs. One of his lungs collapsed, and doctors removed part of the other.

Becoming a writer

For the next ten years, Selby was mostly bedridden; he was frequently hospitalized with a variety of lung-related ailments. The doctors offered a bleak prognosis, suggesting he was unlikely to survive long because he "just didn't have enough lung capacity".

Gilbert Sorrentino Gilbert Sorrentino (April 27, 1929 – May 18, 2006) was an American novelist, short story writer, poet, literary critic, professor, and editor. In over twenty-five works of fiction and poetry, Sorrentino explored the comic and formal possibili ...

, a childhood friend who had become a writer, encouraged Selby to write fiction. Unable to have regular work because of his health, Selby decided, "I know the alphabet. Maybe I could be a writer." He later wrote:

I was sitting at home and had a profound experience. I experienced, in all of my Being, that someday I was going to die, and it wouldn't be like it had been happening, almost dying but somehow staying alive, but I would just die! And two things would happen right before I died: I would regret my entire life; I would want to live it over again. This terrified me. The thought that I would live my entire life, look at it and realize I blew it forced me to do something with my life.

With no formal training, Selby used a raw language to portray the bleak and violent world that was part of his youth. He said, "I write, in part, by ear. I hear, as well as feel and see, what I am writing. I have always been enamoured with the music of the speech in New York." Little concerned with proper grammar, punctuation, or diction, Selby used unorthodox techniques in most of his works. He indented his paragraphs with alternating lengths, often by simply dropping down one line when finished with a paragraph. Like Jack Kerouac in his "spontaneous prose", Selby often completed his writing in a fast,

stream-of-consciousness In literary criticism, stream of consciousness is a narrative mode or method that attempts "to depict the multitudinous thoughts and feelings which pass through the mind" of a narrator. The term was coined by Daniel Oliver in 1840 in ''First Li ...

style. He replaced apostrophes with forward slashes, which were closer on the typewriter, to avoid interrupting his flow of writing. He did not use quotation marks. He might present a dialogue as a complete paragraph, with no denotation among alternating speakers. Aspects of his experiences with longshoremen, the homeless, thugs, pimps, transwomen, prostitutes, homosexuals, addicts and the overall poverty-stricken community, is expressed in ''

''.

Early works

Selby started working on his first short story, "The Queen Is Dead," in 1958. At the time, he had a succession of day jobs, but he wrote every night. During the day, he worked as a secretary, a gas station attendant, and a freelance copywriter. The short story developed slowly for the next six years before he published it. In 1961, his short story "Tralala" was published in the literary journal ''The Provincetown Review''. It also appeared in ''Black Mountain Review'' and ''New Directions''. It portrays the seedy life (ridden with violence, theft and mediocre con-artistry) and the gang rape of a prostitute. A number of critics attacked the subjects and harshness of the story. The journal editor was arrested for selling

pornographic Pornography (often shortened to porn or porno) is the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the exclusive purpose of sexual arousal. Primarily intended for adults,

literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...

to a minor. The journal was used as evidence in an obscenity trial, but the case was later dismissed on appeal. On 24 October 1964, Selby married Judith Lumino, but the marriage soon fell apart. As he continued to write, his longtime friend LeRoi Jones (later Amiri Baraka), the poet and playwright, encouraged him to contact

Sterling Lord Sterling Lord (September 3, 1920 – September 3, 2022) was an American literary agent, editor, and author. His clients included Jack Kerouac, Ken Kesey, Howard Fast, Jimmy Breslin, and Doris Kearns Goodwin. Early life and education L ...

, then Kerouac's agent. Selby combined "Tralala", "The Queen Is Dead" and four other loosely linked short stories as part of his first novel, ''Last Exit to Brooklyn'' (1964). The novel was accepted and published by Grove Press, which had already published works by

William S. Burroughs William Seward Burroughs II (; February 5, 1914 – August 2, 1997) was an American writer and visual artist, widely considered a primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodern author who influenced popular cultur ...

. In November 1964,

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

literary critic Eliot Fremont-Smith described the novel as "a brutal book," concluding that it "is not a book one 'recommends'--except perhaps to writers. From them, those who wish to read it, it deserves attention." The novel was praised by many, including the poet

Allen Ginsberg Irwin Allen Ginsberg (; June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American poet and writer. As a student at Columbia University in the 1940s, he began friendships with William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, forming the core of the Beat Gener ...

, who predicted that it would "explode like a rusty hellish bombshell over America and still be eagerly read in a hundred years." In 1967, the novel was prosecuted for obscenity in the United Kingdom. The British writer

was among a number of writers who appeared as witnesses in its defense. The jury's conviction was later reversed on appeal. The novel was banned in Italy. Although he wrote all his work while sober, Selby continued to battle drug addiction. In 1967 he was arrested for heroin possession and served two months in the Los Angeles County jail. After his release, he moved from New York to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

to try to escape his addictions and finally kicked the habit. He stayed clean of illicit drugs but continued to battle alcohol abuse for the next two years. Also that year, Selby met his future wife, Suzanne Victoria Shaw, at a bar in

West Hollywood West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. It is considered one of the most prominent gay villages ...

. The couple moved in together two days after they met. They married in 1969, after Selby and his second wife, Judith, had finalized their divorce. For the next decade, Suzanne and Selby traveled back and forth between their home in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban a ...

and the East Coast, settling permanently in the Los Angeles area in 1983. They had two children, daughter Rachel and son William.

Life after ''Last Exit to Brooklyn''

In 1971, Selby published his second novel, ''

The Room ''The Room'' is a 2003 American drama film written, produced, executive produced and directed by Tommy Wiseau, who stars in the film alongside Juliette Danielle and Greg Sestero. The film centers on a melodramatic love triangle between amia ...

,'' which received positive reviews. It featured a

criminally insane The insanity defense, also known as the mental disorder defense, is an affirmative defense by excuse in a criminal case, arguing that the defendant is not responsible for their actions due to an episodic psychiatric disease at the time of the cr ...

man, locked in a room in a prison, who reminisces about his disturbing past. Selby described ''The Room'' as "the most disturbing book ever written." He said he could not read it for decades after writing it. Selby continued to write

short fiction A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...

, as well as screenplays and

teleplay A teleplay is a screenplay or script used in the production of a scripted television program or series. In general usage, the term is most commonly seen in reference to a standalone production, such as a television film, a television play, or a ...

s at his apartment in

. His work was published in many magazines, including ''

Black Mountain Review The Black Mountain poets, sometimes called projectivist poets, were a group of mid-20th-century American ''avant-garde'' or postmodern poets centered on Black Mountain College in North Carolina. Background Although it lasted only twenty-three ...

'', '' Evergreen Review'', ''Provincetown Review'', ''Kulchur'', '' New Directions Annual'', ''Yugen'', ''Swank'' and ''Open City''. In the 1980s, Selby met punk rock singer

Henry Rollins Henry Lawrence Garfield (born February 13, 1961), known professionally as Henry Rollins, is an American singer, writer, spoken word artist, actor, and presenter. After performing in the short-lived hardcore punk band State of Alert in 1980, Roll ...

, who had long admired the writer's works and publicly championed them. Rollins helped broaden Selby's readership, and also arranged recording sessions and reading tours for Selby. Rollins issued original recordings through his own

2.13.61 2.13.61, Inc. is a publisher and record company founded by American musician Henry Rollins and named after his date of birth (February 13, 1961). The company has released albums by the Rollins Band, all of Rollins' spoken word work, and numerou ...

publications, and distributed Selby's other works. For the last 20 years of his life, Selby also taught

creative writing Creative writing is any writing that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, or technical forms of literature, typically identified by an emphasis on narrative craft, character development, and the use of literary ...

as an adjunct professor in the Master of Professional Writing program at the

. A film adaptation of ''Last Exit to Brooklyn'', directed by

Uli Edel Ulrich "Uli" Edel (; born 11 April 1947) is a German film and television director, best known for his work on films such as ''Last Exit to Brooklyn'' and '' Body of Evidence.'' His '' Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny'' won a Golden Globe for ...

, was made in 1989. Selby appeared in ''Brooklyn'' in a brief cameo as a taxi driver. ''

'' (1978) was adapted as a film of the same name released in 2000. He had a small role as a prison guard taunting Marlon Wayans, suffering through forced labor while withdrawing.

Death and legacy

Selby spent the last month of his life in and out of the hospital and died at his home in Highland Park,

, on April 26, 2004 of

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of progressive lung disease characterized by long-term respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. The main symptoms include shortness of breath and a cough, which may or may not produce ...

. Although he was in pain, he refused

morphine Morphine is a strong opiate that is found naturally in opium, a dark brown resin in poppies (''Papaver somniferum''). It is mainly used as a pain medication, and is also commonly used recreationally, or to make other illicit opioids. T ...

on his deathbed. ''The New York Times'' published his obituary the day after his death. Selby was the subject of the 2005 documentary, '' Hubert Selby Jr: It/ll Be Better Tomorrow''

In popular culture

* In 1972,

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

said that two novels influenced him greatly: Jack Kerouac's '' On the Road'' and Selby's ''Last Exit to Brooklyn''. According to an article in the

published in 1973, Bowie had "confessed that he had formed a desperate identification with" the latter novel. * Selby's first work, "The Queen Is Dead" (appearing as a chapter in ''Last Exit to Brooklyn''), inspired the name of an album by

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

alternative rock group

The Smiths The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to eme ...

. * In the book ''Was This Man a Genius?'' by Julie Hecht, the comedian

Andy Kaufman Andrew Geoffrey Kaufman ( ; January 17, 1949 – May 16, 1984) was an American entertainer and performance artist. While often called a "comedian", Kaufman preferred to describe himself instead as a "song and dance man". He has sometimes b ...

is quoted saying that his favourite book is ''The Demon'' by Hubert Selby (p. 159). * ''Last Exit to Brooklyn'' inspired the name of Sting's first band, Last Exit. * The

Manic Street Preachers Manic Street Preachers, also known simply as the Manics, are a Welsh rock band formed in Blackwood in 1986. The band consists of cousins James Dean Bradfield (lead vocals, lead guitar) and Sean Moore (drums, percussion, soundscapes), plus ...

song, "Of Walking Abortion", from the album ''

The Holy Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a v ...

'', begins with a quote from Selby: "I knew that someday I was gonna die. And I knew that before I died, two things would happen to me, that number one: I would regret my entire life; and number two: I would want to live my life over again." *British band Alt-J composed a song entitled "Fitzpleasure", inspired by the short story "Tralala" from ''Last Exit to Brooklyn''. * In the Nicolas Winding Refn film '' Bleeder'', a character enters a book store asking for a Hubert Selby Jr. work. * Nicolas Winding Refn dedicated his film ''

Pusher II ''Pusher II'' (also known as ''Pusher II: With Blood on My Hands'') is a 2004 Danish crime film written and directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. The film is the second film in the ''Pusher'' trilogy, portraying the lives of criminals in Copenhagen ...

'' to Selby, Jr. * The block of East 10th Street between Second and Third Avenues in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

(where Selby lived in 1964 with his second wife, Judith, and her son, James) is mentioned at Chapter 23 of

Tom Robbins Thomas Eugene Robbins (born July 22, 1932) is a best-selling and prolific American novelist. His most notable works are "seriocomedies" (also known as "comedy drama"), such as ''Even Cowgirls Get the Blues''. Tom Robbins has lived in La Conner ...

's 1976 novel, ''Even Cowgirls Get the Blues'', being described specifically as the place where "Hubert Selby, Jr., wrote ''Last Exit to Brooklyn''."

Works

Fiction

* ''

'' (novel, 1964) * ''

'' (novel, 1971) * '' The Demon'' (novel, 1976) * ''

'' (novel, 1978) * '' Song of the Silent Snow'' (short stories, 1986) * '' The Willow Tree'' (novel, 1998) * ''

Waiting Period A waiting period is the period of time between when an action is requested or mandated and when it occurs. In the United States, the term is commonly used in reference to gun control, abortion and marriage licences, as some U.S. states require ...

'' (novel, 2002)

Spoken word

* '' Our Fathers Who Aren't in Heaven'' – Compilation by

. 2xCD set (1990) * ''

Live in Europe 1989 Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film *'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD) Music *Live (band), American alternative rock band * List of albums ...

'' –

Spoken word Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics of ...

with

. CD. (1995) * '' Blue Eyes and Exit Wounds'' – Spoken word with

Nick Tosches Nicholas P. Tosches (; October 23, 1949 – October 20, 2019) was an American journalist, novelist, biographer, and poet. His 1982 biography of Jerry Lee Lewis, '' Hellfire'', was praised by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as "the best rock and roll ...

. CD. (1998)

Filmography

* '' Jour et Nuit'' – Screenwriter. France / Switzerland (1986) * ''

'' – Writer and actor. United States/Germany (1989) * ''Scotch and Milk'' – Actor (Cubby). United States (1998) * ''

'' – Screenwriter and actor. United States (2000) * ''

Fear X ''Fear X'' is a 2003 psychological thriller film directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. The first film to be produced from one of Hubert Selby Jr.'s original screenplays, its eventual box-office failure would force Refn's film company '' Jang Go Star ...

'' – Screenwriter.

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

/ United Kingdom / Canada (2003)

Documentaries

* ''Memories, Dreams & Addictions.'' Interview with

Ellen Burstyn Ellen Burstyn (born Edna Rae Gillooly; December 7, 1932) is an American actress. Known for her portrayals of complicated women in dramas, she is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and two Primetime Em ...

. Special feature on ''Requiem for a Dream'' – Director's Cut DVD release. (2001) * ''Hubert Selby Jr.: 2 Ou 3 Choses...'' (A Couple of Things About Hubert Selby Jr.) by Ludovic Cantais, France (2000) * '' Hubert Selby Jr: It/ll Be Better Tomorrow'' (2005)

Unfinished and unpublished

At least one work-in-progress remained unfinished and unpublished at the time of Selby's death: ''The Seeds of Pain and the Seeds of Love''. Excerpts from this work are heard on the ''Live in Europe 1989'' CD.

References

External links

* *
"Interview with Hubert Selby Jr."

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

, April 28, 2004, originally broadcast on May 4, 1990.
Alan Kaufman, "Review of Hubert Selby Jr.'s last novel"
''San Francisco Chronicle''.
''Hubert Selby Jr: It/ll Be Better Tomorrow''
(2005) Documentary on Hubert Selby Jr.
Interview: Hubert Selby Jr.
''Spike Magazine''

''

L.A. Weekly ''LA Weekly'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin, who served as president and editor until 1991. Voice Media Group sold the paper in late 2017 to Semanal Media LLC, whose paren ...

'', May 6, 2004
www.exitwounds.com Exit Wounds
Official website of Hubert Selby Jr. and Nick Tosches.
Encyclopædia Britannica "Selby, Hubert Jr."

Encyclopædia Britannica The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various t ...

Hubert Selby Jr. Biography
Cinema.com
Hubert Selby Jr., "Why I Continue To Write. Thirty-five years after ''Last Exit to Brooklyn''"
''LA Weekly'', February 26 - March 4, 1999.
Divorce Decree July 18, 1969
Copia Certificada De Sentencia De Divorcio, Acta No. 337156 {{DEFAULTSORT:Selby, Hubert Jr. 1928 births 2004 deaths 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American screenwriters 20th-century American short story writers 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American novelists 21st-century American short story writers American male novelists American male screenwriters American male short story writers American sailors Deaths from pulmonary embolism Military personnel from New York City Military personnel from New York (state) Novelists from New York (state) People from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn Postmodern writers Screenwriters from California Screenwriters from New York (state) Stuyvesant High School alumni United States Merchant Mariners