Caesar Pink’s novel “The Murder of the Holy King” evokes an explosion of emotions and feelings. It is the philosophical mutterings of an artistic soul. It describes the journey across America of a man, who sets off with the hopes of finding himself, but in which he ends up losing himself, in his own creative dynamism. This non-linear memoir makes you reminiscent of times not experienced.
“To be an artist is to be cursed,” sums up Pink’s mantra. His life experiences are poetic, insane and utterly New York; however, like many that call themselves artists, he basks in the creative and zealous down times, and focuses very little on his successes. Saying this, those down times where Pink found himself homeless, living in an old car did bring on new bouts of life. They gave him justification, almost, that what he was doing was meant to be. Mixed in with his biographical writing are spouts of ancient mythological musings, spiritual awakenings and facts about Eastern religions brought to the book in a Chuck Palahniuk way (author “Fight Club”) that those with susceptible eyes and minds should weary away from. Even though he states in the novel he does not want to thrust his ideas onto his readers, there’s an underlying insecurity to these words that make you believe he is looking for like-minded individuals to jump on his band wagon. Pink’s novel is also very Jack Kerouac-esque; an “On the Road” for our contemporary and confused times.
American history also takes part in this story (as Pink and The Imperial Orgy have a way of throwing America back in its face), juxtaposed with what it meant to be a New Yorker just after 9/11. As well as being a novel about all this, it is a (non-)love story where throughout we learn of his lusts, his mourning’s of infidelity and most graphically his sexcapades, which leave nothing to the imagination.
Written with raw empathy for himself ‘The Murder of the Holy King’ leaves you with a desire to create, violate and rebel.
Caeser Pink is the founder of The Imperial Orgy, a community of artistic types and front man of the band with the same name. Residing in Williamsburg, Brooklyn he contacted WG News + Arts with this book and a record (Four Legs Good, Two Legs Baaad!) on vinyl that has also just been released.
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