read the first half, got a bit bored,
it's not badly written, he just tends to side track onto boring parts of his life (if you're a struggling artist, you may associate more than i did)

Ah. I did do a search before posting - clearly not a very good one.

Doesn't sound all that awesome then. I'll go back to Deux Seconds.

zero you are a hero im looking forward to your book,count one copy sold

Hey Emilia
It was more or less readable and I finished it. He did however come across as a massive dick, pretty self grandiose.
Sunk to the depths of being a courier, he becomes the best one there is ever, finds himself and then beats the system by becoming something better than a courier etc..
Also there was a the truly memorable line were he tells us couriers can see in to the future ''We like totally predict the traffic man'' or some such nonesense.
I think a child can predict the next logical step of any given sequence, oh look there's a car it might hit me.

The author made himself less than popular within the US messenger scene, and particularly in Chicago.

http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/shoot-the-messenger/Content?oid=904974

I never met the guy, but some of my friends were less than impressed by his behaviour, in particular Rebecca Reilly.

http://www.movingtargetzine.com/article/messenger-heroes-number-3-rebecca-lambchop-reilly

I did read the book, and I have to say that some of the writing was very good indeed, but a lot of it was tripe. I also found the fact that he devoted an entire chapter to him winning an alleycat pretty... err ... well, it's not something I would do.

If anyone is interested: http://www.jstor.org/pss/4540926

I think you really need to have read it before you can express a fully formed opinion on it, really, Sleeps!

You are totally right in your assumption that he was asked to turn it from an anthology to a personal memoir by the publisher. It's interesting that you say that a memoir is different from journalism. I have just read 2 excellent memoirs, both by journalists, one called "Liar's Poker" & the other "A View from the Foothills". Neither memoir is about their journalistic careers, and both are subjective, but both are very well-written, and, crucially, have a story to tell that is interesting.

I think the problem with Travis' book is that his journey within the messenger scene simply wasn't long enough to sustain a book. He padded it out with some other stuff about community, but from memory these parts were the least interesting parts of the book. If one was malicious, one would say that the book was as lacking in substance as some of the autobiogs of young sportspeople.

These autobiogs aren't substantial because the people that have written haven't really done very much that is worth writing about. I would suggest that this is what the problem with Travis' book is.

@ Sleepy - yes, apparently he was told to 'sex up' the piece to make it more sellable. But John Greenfield, one of the original contributors to the anthology, also complains that Culley tried to convince him to make his story "more heroic and dramatic", and that he clung to a "notion that all messengers enter the business because they have absolutely no other options". It looks like Culley had an idealized bike messenger hero he wanted to portray, and wasn't prepared to let a little thing like reality get in his way.

In a way it's just another branch of the fakenger phenomenon.

Also, Culley states very clearly in this interview (http://www.randomhouse.com/boldtype/0401/culley/interview.html):

"Still, and I hope that this is conveyed in the book, there are other stories out there, hundreds if not thousands that would really affect a reader and challenge their views on urbanity, equality, industry, class, race, etc. My story is one of many."

I think he completely fails to convey this in the book, so perhaps he's just a bad writer who couldn't get his message across. He wanted to write a sensitive, multi-facetted account of the messenger community - instead he produced one long bombastic fanfare to his own ego.

Before I even heard about the Immortal Class I was telling people that an anthology would be the only account of the courier community that could possibly be fair and accurate. There are too many perspectives for one writer to capture it all. And if it wouldn't sell - well then, maybe we shouldn't be trying to put ourselves up for sale.

@Emily- Have you managed to get a copy of 'Nerves Of Steel'?
If not, could lend you mine.

@Selim - Jontyponty has promised many times he'll lend me his. But if I can manage to get hold of yours before that, then I'd very happily take you up on your offer!

Anybody ever thought about writing a book about, let's think. The people that clean the public toilets we use or the litter we leave behind. Often working night shifts. Who clears that up? Mainly migrant workers with few other options and they get paid a pittance to get your shit out of sight. Immortal class. My ass.

Thanks Bill. Think I'll read that instead.

No worries. Though that was a totally intentional guilt trip. :P

http://www.begaservices.com/stuffforsale/
A snip at 50 bucks plus shipping!

ha ha

have some 'Balls Of Steel' instead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATIwmpAZsj8