The Stories Behind the Photos
Bret Easton Ellis, October 1995
In October 1995, Bret Easton Ellis came to Toronto for the annual International Festival of Authors. I’d read all his books up to that point and I’d enjoyed them very much, starting with Less Than Zero, then The Rules of Attraction and American Psycho. I remember the controversy at the time of its publication in 1991. Most critics panned the novel, usually citing the graphic language and violence depicted in certain scenes. The words “misogynist” and “misogynistic” were frequently used to describe the novel, whose protagonist, Patrick Bateman, is a wealthy Wall Street trader and serial killer whose victims are mostly women.
The Canadian press was especially critical following its initial publication and the controversy saw a resurgence in the summer of 1995 during the highly publicized trial of Canadian serial killer Paul Bernardo. Police had found a copy of the novel at Bernardo’s house when they searched it, and several journalists and posters to internet discussion groups at the time pointed out that Ellis’ protagonist and Canada’s most notorious murderer in recent history shared the same initials: PB. Opinion over the novel seemed quite polarized. People either loved it or hated it, with many commentators going so far as to question its worthiness for publication, or whether it had any literary merit at all.
Ellis was interviewed by a well known journalist and I’m sure he knew what direction the line of questions would take. Before things got started, he settled into his chair in front of an interesting backdrop and waited for the interview to begin. At one point, during a long-winded prologue to an actual question by the interviewer, I kept my camera on Ellis, watching his reactions as he listened intently. I shot a series of portraits like this, and the one I posted here is my favorite. Ellis’ fans seem to like it too, as it’s one of the most frequently viewed photos on my website. It’s also turned up on several Ellis fansites. Frankly, I don’t mind if someone uses one of my images on their Myspace page or for non-commercial purposes. But I do wish they’d ask first.
I got to talk to Ellis for a few minutes after the event and I found him to be quite unpretentious and down to earth. I have to say, among all the celebrities I’ve met over the years, I rate him among the nicest.