In his follow-up to A California Childhood, James Franco reflects on
his life in Hollywood and beyond through an intimate and powerful series
of poems, artwork, and short stories.
In his follow-up to the critically acclaimed A California Childhood,
James Franco presents a compelling portrait of the life of a young actor
coming into his own in Hollywood. Told in an absorbing array of literary
styles and art forms--from short stories and poems to personal
snapshots, paintings and self-portraits--Hollywood Dreaming brilliantly
pieces together the youth of a seemingly familiar actor, playfully
blurring the line between reality and fiction. The escapades of a jaded
Hollywood insider counter a series of inter-connected stories about a
boy named Shrimp and the hopeful young actor he becomes. Each piece of
the story, whether visual or textual, thoughtfully peels away another
layer of the book's protagonist, whose character unfolds like a Russian
nesting doll. Ultimately, the collage that James Franco creates becomes
a fascinating caricature of himself, a performance on the page that is
equal parts provocative, funny, and emotional.