Sean Penn in conversation
Actor and novelist visits campus to discuss his first novel “Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff”
Nicole Kuhn | Arts & Culture | USD Vista
“Fiction isn’t supposed to be an opinion piece,” stated award-winning actor Sean Penn, during his visit to the University of San Diego on Sunday.
Penn was responding to the backlash he received from critics regarding his first novel “Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff.” Reviews from the New York Times to The Guardian deem the book “conspicuously un-fun,” “a riddle wrapped in an enigma and cloaked in crazy,” and “repellent and stupid on so many levels.” Critics are calling Penn’s writing style a “mess” and “all over the place in any format, slapdash in style and structure,” according to the Washington Post.
But this isn’t the first time Penn has received negative reviews in thee media, from his controversy over his Rolling Stone interview with drug lord Joaquin, also known as “El Chapo,” to his poem in his recent novel criticizing the #MeToo movement.
The actor responded to the critics during his visit. “There’s going to be 25 percent of people who love it and 75 percent who hate it,”Penn said.
He elaborated on the fact that there are parts to the book he didn’t want people to understand, and instead for it to carry a rhythm, like a humming to a song. To introduce his new novel, “Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff,” USD’s Colleges of Arts & Sciences hosted the actor and writer at the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies Theatre.
Penn is best known for his performances in “Milk” and “Mystic River” and has received Academy Award nominations as Best Actor for “Dead Man Walking,” “Sweet and Lowdown,” and “I Am Sam.” In addition to acting he has produced and directed films as well as appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle and Huffington Post for his journalistic pieces.
Julie Slavinsky, director of events for Warwick’s, the La Jolla bookstore, introduced Penn, who was accompanied and interviewed by his longtime friend and author Bob Kerstetter.
The two took the stage on Sunday evening and already had the crowd laughing with jokes as they got started. The event aimed to discuss the actor’s first novel, “Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff.”
As a work of fiction the novel follows a modern American man, Bob Honey, who is a recent divorcee, entrepreneur, and a part-time assassin. The working-class hero, as Penn described, battles with divorce and depression in a satirical manner, and Penn interpreted the novel as touching base with sanity through humor. “It’s like a drunk uncle at a Christmas bar,” Penn said.
“Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff,” as Penn revealed, relates to modern-day chaos and politics with political statements diffused throughout the novel. Penn tied in the power of storytelling and how it sustains us, especially for him as a writer.
He correlates dreams and storytelling as human needs that are required to survive, especially in the moments of chaos in today’s politics.
Senior Janek Bielski, who is a longtime fan of the actor, attended the event.
“The event was fantastic,” Bielski said. “Penn holds himself in such an eloquent manner and speaks with one of the highest degrees of intelligence I have ever seen in an individual. At times, however, it appeared his tumultuous reputation preceded his objectives in speaking to the audience. I find Penn to be one of the most enigmatic figures in both the spheres of acting and screenwriting, so seeing him on campus was an indubitable treat.”
Bielski had not yet read the actor’s novel and instead went to the event to learn more about Penn.
“I did not read Penn’s book,” Bielski said. “I wanted to give myself the chance to analyze the discussion objectively and by refraining from reading the book, this was made possible. Having now attended, the book will certainly be next up on my nightstand.”
Previously Bielski attended the Medal of Peace ceremony on April5 which was received by Forest Whitaker.
“The one takeaway I had was that the caliber of the events our university hosts is truly profound, and facing this realization as a graduating senior was both deterring and humbling,” Bielski said. “I wish I had taken more advantage of the events in years past, but having witnessed the likes of two of my favorite actors be welcomed to the Linda Vista community with open arms surely left me proud to be graduating a Torero.” Backlash from the critics didn’t seem to phase the award-winning actor, and he even mentioned a sequel for the satrical novel “Bob Honey.” This was one of the two San Diego events the actor attended while in San Diego, who also appeared at D.G. Wills Books in La Jolla.