The Guy Behind 'Fight Club' Is Not Who You Think He Is

Four days before I’m supposed to travel to Portland, Oregon to meet Chuck Palahniuk, we’re already plotting a murder. Multiple murders, actually. Palahniuk is texting me from a Columbia High School reunion in Burbank, Washington, from which he graduated in 1980 (it wasn’t technically his reunion but his older sister’s), and among his fellow Coyotes are the bullies who chanted mean shit at him and beat him bloody. “Several will die today,” one text reads. This was a conversation that began nine texts earlier with me saying hello, it’s the writer from Esquire, wanted to touch base, etc., and now, it’s somehow progressed to killing his childhood tormentors. Soon, Palahniuk discovers that “several are dead. I feel cheated.” His solution is, of course, obvious: “Must find and piss on their graves.” [View in Browser]( [Esquire]( [SHOP]( EXCLUSIVE [SUBSCRIBE]( [Chuck Palahniuk Is Not Who You Think He Is]( [Chuck Palahniuk Is Not Who You Think He Is]( Four days before I’m supposed to travel to Portland, Oregon to meet Chuck Palahniuk, we’re already plotting a murder. Multiple murders, actually. Palahniuk is texting me from a Columbia High School reunion in Burbank, Washington, from which he graduated in 1980 (it wasn’t technically his reunion but his older sister’s), and among his fellow Coyotes are the bullies who chanted mean shit at him and beat him bloody. “Several will die today,” one text reads. This was a conversation that began nine texts earlier with me saying hello, it’s the writer from Esquire, wanted to touch base, etc., and now, it’s somehow progressed to killing his childhood tormentors. Soon, Palahniuk discovers that “several are dead. I feel cheated.” His solution is, of course, obvious: “Must find and piss on their graves.” [Read More](   [Trump's Calendar of Crime and Grifting Is of No Concern to Judge Tanya Chutkan]( [Trump's Calendar of Crime and Grifting Is of No Concern to Judge Tanya Chutkan]( March 4 is coming. [Read More]( [This Is Bone-Deep and Beyond Antidote]( [This Is Bone-Deep and Beyond Antidote]( All of this poison will continue to circulate in the national political bloodstream no matter what happens in the 2024 election. [Read More](     [The Definitive Guide to Wedding Dress Codes]( [The Definitive Guide to Wedding Dress Codes]( Ah, weddings: a time of joy, celebration, and all that mushy stuff. There are, however, a few hurdles you need to jump over before you partake in the cutting of the cake and the “Cupid Shuffle.” Primary among them: the dreaded wedding dress code. If you've ever spent the better part of an afternoon puzzling over a meaningless mishmash of terms and trying to figure out what in the hell everyone else will be wearing to Anna and Drew’s Western-themed wedding (you need cowboy boots, in case you are wondering), you're not alone. So we rounded up a list of the most common wedding dress codes you're likely to encounter and then consulted with etiquette expert Myka Meier to break down what each one typically entails. [Read More](   [The 70 Best Documentaries of All Time]( [The 70 Best Documentaries of All Time]( These investigative films examine crime, celebrity, the justice system, and more—and in some cases have sparked real-world change. [Read More]( [33 Thrillers on Netflix That Will Get Your Heart Racing]( [33 Thrillers on Netflix That Will Get Your Heart Racing]( Distract yourself from the real world with excitement of the cinematic kind. [Read More](     [How Sunni Dixon Built His Buzzy, Brazen, Badass Brand]( [How Sunni Dixon Built His Buzzy, Brazen, Badass Brand]( Sunni Dixon's story seems to have happened quickly. The self-taught cordwainer founded the semi-eponymous brand Sunni Sunni, and within three years, it's carried in Saks and worn by style icons like Kendrick Lamar, Lil Nas X, Usher and Burna Boy. But getting there required long-term perseverance. Because before he founded Sunni Sunni, Dixon went to fashion school, studied artisanal shoe-making techniques, and navigated a culture that often excludes everything he stands for. [Read More](   [Popular Mechanics The Big Little Book of Awesome Stuff]( Follow Us [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Notice/Notice at Collection]( esquire.com ©2023 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019