Madness, Cocaine, and Literary Genius: An Oral History of Bennington College

Fall, 1982. A new freshman class arrives at arty, louche, and expensive Bennington College. Among the druggies, rebels, heirs, and posers: future Gen X literary stars Donna Tartt, Bret Easton Ellis, and Jonathan Lethem. What happened over the next four years would spark scandal, myth, and some of the authors' greatest novels. Return to a campus and an era like no other.

Madness, Cocaine, and Literary Genius: An Oral History of the '80s Most Decadent College What Café du Dôme was to the Lost Generation, the dining hall at Bennington College was to Generation X—i.e., the Lost Generation Revisited. The Moveable Feast had moved ahead six decades and across the Atlantic, and while, of course, southwestern Vermont wasn't Paris, somehow, in the early-to-mid eighties, it was, was just as sly, louche, low-down, and darkly perdu. And speaking of sly, louche, low-down, and darkly perdu, check out the habitués. Seated around the table, ready to gorge on the conversation if not the food (cocaine, the Pernod of its era, is a notorious appetite suppressant), berets swapped for sunglasses, were the neo F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Djuna Barnes: Bret Easton Ellis, future writer of American Psycho and charter member of the literary Brat Pack; Jonathan Lethem, future writer of The Fortress of Solitude and MacArthur genius; and Donna Tartt, future writer of The Secret History and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for The Goldfinch. All three were in the class of 1986. All three were a long way from home—Los Angeles, Brooklyn, and Grenada, Mississippi, respectively. All three were, at various times, infatuated and disappointed with one another, their friendships stimulated and fueled by rivalry. And all three would mythologize Bennington—the baroque wickedness, the malignant glamour, the corruption so profound as to be exactly what is meant by the word decadence—in their fiction that, as it turns out, wasn't quite, and thereby become myths themselves. Every prodigy needs his or her very own Gertrude Stein or Sherwood Anderson—i.e., a mentor and model. Bennington had those in profusion, teachers who were also artists: journalist Joe McGinniss; novelists and short-story writers Nicholas Delbanco and Arturo Vivante; and poet, mystic, and self-chronicler Claude Fredericks. And then there were the supporting figures (and fellow students), so fascinating they threatened to eclipse the main: writers Jill Eisenstadt, David Lipsky, Lawrence David, Reginald Shepherd; Brixton Smith Start, lead guitarist of post-punk British band the Fall; and Quintana Roo Dunne, only child of Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne.   So grab a tray, pull up a chair, and try not to look like you're eavesdropping. Read the Full Story Pierce Brosnan Is Effortlessly Charming. So Why Would He Want to Be Anyone Else? Pierce Brosnan, once Bond and always a painter (seriously), can make anything seem charming. One of the most beloved actors of our generation has certainly had his successes. Yet, in a new interview with Gabrielle Bluestone for Esquire, the former Bond star, full of humility, can't help but talk less about himself, and more about those he admires—specifically the late Robin Williams and Daniel Craig, for starters. Read the Full Story These Leopard Sabahs Are the Gloriously Sleazy Shoes I'll Be Wearing All Summer Sleaze is not dead. It came roaring into the cultural consciousness last summer, and it's still going strong. It is evolving, but it remains polarizing. Some might even argue that it is simply bad. I would disagree with them because, again, it is polarizing. Sleaze is a look, but it is also an ethos. It is ridiculousness for ridiculousness's sake, but it is also a knowing wink to other adherents that you get it, and you know exactly what you're doing. I tell you all this because I have found a pair of blue leopard-print slip-on shoes made from hair-on leather. They are by the brand Sabah, and they are out there. They are, for some—okay, for many—entirely too much. And I love them. This is why. Read the Full Story When They See Us Shows The Disturbing Truth About How False Confessions Happen By the end of the Central Park Five saga, four of the five boys falsely confessed. And even though no DNA linked them to the scene of the crime, and their descriptions of the victim's clothing and injuries didn't match the crime scene, they were convicted. In 2002, after prison sentences that ranged from six to 13 years, they were all released when a murderer and serial rapist confessed to the assault—and his DNA matched with that found on the jogger. There are hundreds of cases of proven false confessions, in which DNA evidence later proves a person who confessed to a crime is innocent. But in 1989, little was known about why someone would admit to a crime they didn't commit. Read the Full Story Celebrate Pride Month With These 10 (Genuinely Stylish) Themed Picks Pride month might not officially start until June, but there is no timeline on great Pride style. Rainbow graphic tees and socks? Sign us up. This year, brands are prepping in advance. Todd Snyder and Champion made a whole host of themed (and very comfortable) tees and sweatshirts. Bombas made trippy, stylish socks. Converse and Reebok rethought some of their most iconic sneaker silhouettes, adding in colorful detailing in celebration of the month. And that's not even the half of it. Whether you're looking for something low-key or overtly bold, there's a cool piece out there for you. Here are 10 of our favorites. Read the Full Story Anthony Bourdain Remembered Is a Stunning Tribute to the Late Chef. Here's a First Look. After Anthony Bourdain died last summer, CNN set out to put together a book of intimate photographs of the chef along with quotes from people whose lives he touched. The finished product was to be a keepsake for his daughter, privately published in a limited edition by the network that aired his series Parts Unknown. But now, the estate has decided to release the photos and messages in a book called Anthony Bourdain Remembered, available now. Read the Full Story   Follow Us     Unsubscribe  Privacy Notice   esquire.com ©2019 Hearst Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Email Privacy, 300 W 57th St., Fl. 19 (sta 1-1), New York, NY 10019