Jim Goad first gained notoriety as the editor and chief writer of ANSWER Me! magazine, publishing four issues out of a scummy Hollywood apartment between 1991 and 1994. Directly or indirectly, the magazine was responsible for an obscenity trial, a White House shooting and the suicides of three British youths.

Jim's first book, The Redneck Manifesto (Simon & Schuster, 1997), was considered by many to be a ground-breaking critique of American race relations, and was met with much critical acclaim. Its publication was to signal the beginning of a particularly turbulent period in Goad's life -- a tragic, violent affair with a psychotic young stripper started only weeks before his wife's cancer diagnosis. The psychological rigors of these situations hastened a dark, downward spiral which ultimately resulted in his incarceration for more than two years.

Goad's second book, Shit Magnet: One Man's Miraculous Ability to Absorb the World's Guilt (Feral House, 2002), was written entirely behind bars. Whereas The Redneck Manifesto dealt with the scapegoating of a specific social class, Shit Magnet examines the ideas of guilt, sin, blame, and punishment as universal human principles that operate without respect to one's race, gender, philosophy, or national origin. Throughout Shit Magnet, Goad details his own life's major scandals, from the cradle to the prison cell, to illustrate how such principles have operated in his trouble-filled life. The New York Press called the book a "relentlessly sad, ugly, hateful, raging, repellent, violent and brutally candid memoir-manifesto. It's as hard to put down as it is to read."

Since his release from prison in October of 2000, Jim Goad has kept busy as a radio talk-show host, a singer, an actor, a public speaker, the editor of a smut rag, and a Country & Western DJ. His recordings have been released under the monikers: Big Red Goad, Hatesville!, S.W.A.T., and Let's Fight! -- all recorded with various noteworthy musical contributors. Jim's third book, a comic called Trucker Fags In Denial (illustrated by artist Jim Blanchard) tells the tale of two butch truckers who hate fags ... and are violently in denial (to both themselves and each other) of the fact that they're quite gay. Further books currently in the works from Goad include Jim Goad's Gigantic Book Of Sex and his long-promised Encyclopedia of Race.

Jim has recently agreed to allow the making of a feature-length film adaptation of Shit Magnet, and continues to freelance for a number of periodicals, both big and small.

For more information visit: jimgoad.net

Jim Goad can be contacted at: jim @ unpopart.org