''Hella Nation: Looking for Happy Meals in Kandahar, Rocking the Side Pipe, Wingnut's War against The Gap, and Other Adventures with the Totally Lost Tribes of America'' is a 2009 book written by journalist Evan Wright who previously wrote ''

Generation Kill ''Generation Kill'' is a 2004 book written by ''Rolling Stone'' journalist Evan Wright chronicling his experience as an embedded reporter with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion of the United States Marine Corps, during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ...

''. ''Hella Nation'' mostly chronicles different subcultures across America he encountered while working for ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' and '' Vanity Fair'' magazines. It also includes a chapter profiling soldiers in the 101st Airborne Division who Wright accompanied in the early days of the war in Afghanistan. All but one of the essays were previously published as magazine pieces, but the versions published in the book have been greatly expanded.

Content and themes

''Hella Nation'' presents Wright's portraits of a variety of American subcultures and oddball personalities, including tree-dwelling ecoterrorists, Aryan Nation skinheads, Internet con artists, porn stars, the rock band Mötley Crüe and a former

William Morris Agency The William Morris Agency (WMA) was a Hollywood-based talent agency. It represented some of the best known 20th-century entertainers in film, television, and music. During its 109-year tenure it came to be regarded as the "first great talent ag ...

talent agent during his darkest hours. One critic compared the collection to the

Joan Didion Joan Didion (; December 5, 1934 – December 23, 2021) was an American writer. Along with Tom Wolfe, Hunter S. Thompson and Gay Talese, she is considered one of the pioneers of New Journalism. Didion's career began in the 1950s after she won ...

book '' Slouching Towards Bethlehem''. The book includes an essay by Wright about his first experiences as a journalist while working as an adult film reviewer at ''

Hustler Hustler or hustlers may also refer to: Professions * Hustler, an American slang word, e.g., for a: ** Con man, a practitioner of confidence tricks ** Drug dealer, seller of illegal drugs ** Male prostitute ** Pimp ** Business man, more gener ...

'' magazine. Though many of the subjects covered in the book are disturbing, such as crime and pornography, Wright presents them as part "a comically macabre portrait of American life."

Background

In the first chapter of Hella Nation Wright discusses his friendship with

David Foster Wallace David Foster Wallace (February 21, 1962 – September 12, 2008) was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and university professor of English and creative writing. Wallace is widely known for his 1996 novel '' Infinite Jest'', whi ...

who wrote about Wright in one of his own essays titled "Big Red Son" included in Wallace's book

Consider the Lobster ''Consider the Lobster and Other Essays'' (2005) is a collection of essays by novelist David Foster Wallace. It is also the title of one of the essays, which was published in ''Gourmet'' magazine in 2004. The title alludes to '' Consider the Oyst ...

. Wright's approach to his subjects has been compared to that of Hunter S. Thompson and is sometimes labelled as

Gonzo Gonzo may refer to: People * Gonzo (nickname), a list of people with the nickname * Radislav Jovanov Gonzo (born 1964), Croatian music video director Radislav Jovanov, also known as Gonzo * Matthias Röhr (born 1962), German musician whose sta ...

though Wright rejects the categorization. Wright claims to have an affinity for writing about outsiders because as he states in an interview with the

Columbia Journalism Review The ''Columbia Journalism Review'' (''CJR'') is a biannual magazine for professional journalists that has been published by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism since 1961. Its contents include news and media industry trends, an ...

he ran away when he was a child and was sent to a home for troubled youth.

Awards

''Hella Nation'' includes an expanded version of an essay, " Pat Dollard's War on Hollywood" for which Wright received the 2008 National Magazine Award for profile writing.

References

External links

Wright's Guest DeeJay Project on KCRW

Interview with Wright on ''Hella Nation'' at the ''L.A. Times'' Festival of Books, April 26, 2009
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hella Nation 2009 non-fiction books Military books Non-fiction books about war