1) Watch it — Jesus’ Son — probably about four years ago.
2) Try to read Denis Johnson’s Tree of Smoke. Fail miserably. Stop after about 110 pages.
3) Feel guilty about stopping. Remember that you’ve never read Johnson’s other acclaimed book, Jesus’ Son.
4) Decide that maybe you should read it. Look at the pile of books on the nightstand. Instead decide to watch the film.
5) Bump the movie to the top of your Netflix queue.
6) Go the mailbox, find the movie waiting for you, let it sit on the coffee table for 7 days while you “get in the mood to watch it,” then stick it in the DVD player during a desperate moment when cable TV is not an option because Comcast is rebooting your cable box thanks to its shitty service.
7) Five minutes in, say to yourself, “Hey, haven’t I seen this before?”
And there you have it.
