“Johnsonwriteswithafervorthatcanonlybedescribedasreligious.Seekisscaryandbeautifulandecstaticanduncontrolled...heelevatesthemundanetothesublime;heboilsthingsdowntotheiressence.He’ssimplyoneofthefewwritersaroundwhosesentencesmakeyoushudder.“--AdrienneMiller,EsquirePartpoliticaldisquisition,parttraveljournal,partself-exploration,SeekisacollectionofessaysandarticlesinwhichDenisJohnsonessentiallytakesontheworld.Andnotanobliging,easygoingworldeither;butratheroneinwhichhorrorandbeautyexistinsuchproximitythattheymightwellbeinterchangeable.Whereviolenceandpovertyandmoraltransgressiongounchecked,evenunnoticed.Aworldofsuchwild,rocketingenergythat,graspingit,anythingatallispossible.Whethertravelingthroughwar-ravagedLiberia,minglingwiththecrowdsataChristianBikerrally,exploringhisownauthorityissuesthroughthelensofthisnation’smilitiagroups,orattemptingtounearthhisinnerresourceswhileminingforgoldinthewildsofAlaska,Johnsonwriteswithamixtureofhumilityandhumorouscandorthatiseverywherepresent.Withthebreathtakingandoftenhauntinglyricismforwhichhisworkisrenowned,Johnsonconsidersinthesepiecesourneedfortranscendence.And,asreadersofhispreviousworkknow,Johnson’spathtoconsecrationfrequentlyrequiresalimningofthedarkestabyss.Ifthepathtoknowledgeliesinexperience,SeekisafascinatingrecordofJohnson’sprofoundlymovingpilgrimage.
