Book review by Dennis D. McDonald

This book, published in 2018, is a biography of the filmmaker and artist David Lynch. Chapters alternate between his personal recollection of events and McKenna’s well researched and documented history of the same events. It is a fascinating story and traces Lynch‘s life from childhood through 2017‘s TWIN PEAKS: THE RETURN which, in my opinion, is one of the best TV series ever produced.

That series was not my first exposure to Lynch, who first came to my attention with this 1984 release DUNE, a film which he has disavowed and refers to throughout the book as a “failure.“

The first thing to understand is that Lynch views himself as an artist for whom the process of creation is the point, not the adulation and glory that come from commercial success. One could easily respond, “Yeah right, David, but if it had not been for the artistic and commercial success of ELEPHANT MAN you might never have reached a level of success and financial security where you could afford to concentrate on your art.” And he would probably agree.

The book and its alternating chapters demonstrate that, for Lynch at least, art and creativity continue to be his motivators, not necessarily financial reward -- just look at all the commercially underperforming films he has made! 

Also running through the book is how positively people feel about working with him, people whom he trusts to help him express his artistic vision.

Another theme through the book is the role Transcendental Meditation (TM) has played in his life. The book doesn’t go into detail about what that actually means; he has released other books and media that discuss it. But it’s clear that TM plays a role both in his creativity and how he chooses to behave with others.

If there was one complaint I have about the book it’s that it lacks illustrations of his artwork. I knew Lynch mostly as the filmmaker but he’s also a painter and a visual artist. Images from his films and TV series are burned into my mind such as the Navigator’s entry into the throne room in DUNE and the look of the Bad Cooper in TWIN PEAKS: THE RETURN. Not seeing images of his art is a bit of a disappointment.

My overall reaction is that Lynch is one person whom I actually envy, not because of his success or his finances (not really discussed in this book) but because creativity is important to him and he is able to harness and express his creativity no matter what his finances might be. I don’t pretend to like all of his ideas; some are grotesque and others downright scary. But others are exhilaratingly alive, funny, or profoundly moving.

Somehow he knows how to channel this creativity through the actors he works with, one example being the distinctive behaviors of Kyle McLachlan’s various Coopers in TWIN PEAKS: THE RETURN. (Although I must say that Naomi Watts really hits it out of the park as Dougie’s wife in that series!)

Excuse me while I check today’s weather report…

Review copyright © 2022 by Dennis D. McDonald

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