Gay porn star Conner Habib's debut novel, "Hawk Mountain", is getting really good reviews

from the nfl to pron.

sad

Oh, I was intrigued already, now more.

Sounds good.

Habib is an odd one.

This thread is useless without money sot videos or at least presenting hole.

R4 is correct

Is the protagonist's name Mike?

"Mike" who?

Mike Hawk.

Glad to hear this. Habib is virtually unique in being a former gay porn star who seems to be quite intelligent but not brimming with dysfunction and catastrophic psychological issues. Here's hoping the reviews lead to good sales and a successful new career!

(I still wish he had done bareback 😩) I'll be interested to read this book - had no idea he was a horror (psychological thriller?) fan. Nice observations, r10, I was going to make a snarky comment, but you're actually right - he does seem to be fairly well-adjusted, self-aware, and healthy overall, for a former porn actor. Also, no hint of shame about his past. I used to subscribe to his podcast, but some of the occult beliefs and his (occasionally) smug or condescending attitude rubbed me the wrong way. Reading about this upcoming book makes me curious to give him another try...🤔

r10, Dale Cooper is another former porn actor who seems to have transitioned to an everyday career, and healthy existence, post-pron.

Interviewer: What can we expect while attending any of your events?

Habib: One is that I probably weigh 50 pounds more than I did when I was in porn, maybe 60. So don’t expect me to look the same! It’s a literary event, so be excited to celebrate books and literature and take that seriously in the same way that you love and take porn, to some extent, seriously in your life and you get pleasure from that.

Does anyone know if his Irish boyfriend we see occasionally on Twitter is trans? He’s, frankly, odd-looking and I just wonder. Glad that CH’s book is getting good notices, anyhow a.

I'll wait for the sequel - Chickenhawk Mountain

Yeah I’ll be sure to read that…

The plot sounds completely idiotic

I'm impressed he can spell.

The cover is very tasteful: font, colours and illustration are all excellent. I love a good book cover.

What is Hawk Mountain in this novel which appears to be set by the seaside?

He struck me as such a twat. But I guess I’m jealous of his being in porn (exhibitionist in my dreams), a published author, and getting his ass the fuck out of the USA.

"... another former porn actor who seems to have transitioned to an everyday career, and healthy existence, post-pron."

1 out of 20 meth hoars will thrive.

He’s semi retarded

there is a Hawk Mountain in PA, not too far from where Conner Habib was raised. So that may be where the name came from. But who knows what it means in the novel.

Let's read and find out!

From the review at OP it appears to be another location that's meaningful to the novel's main character.

[quote] Let's read and find out!

Serious question: Has Datalounge ever had a book club?

If I get the audio book will there be moaning?

He looks older than 45.

He's half Irish. He's lucky he didn't 45 at 4 or 5.

I pity to poor creature at his book signings, fending off all the disappointed porn addicts angry he's porked out and wearing clothes. Though he'll probably still be thinner than them.

He’s like 300 lbs now

I'll give it a read.

R26 The Secret City thread did quite well a few month ago.

He's cute. But what pron films has he appeared in? Good for him, though, for branching out!

Too many ugly bottoms in gay porn.

Conner (real name Andre, and that's how he introduces himself) was next door neighbor to my boyfriend at the time. We saw Andre around the building a lot, and he was always very chill and nice to us. I got the feeling we could very easily have asked him over for a drink, but we never did.

When I broke up with my boyfriend, he awkwardly rode the elevator with me while we each had a box of my stuff that we carried out to my car. It was a real weird experience. Conner was on the same elevator with us, and held the door open for us. He looked at us with a 'knowing look', - like he got what was happening.

Fun fact - the building is also inhabited by CA State Senator Scott Weiner, who was Castro Supervisor at the time. Saw him around a lot too. He was a bit awkward, but he would at least say hello in the hallways. I didn't get the feeling I could have him over for a drink...

The plot does sound inane, however the book was actually published by a legit publisher, as opposed to self-published, a novelty today.

I do like the cover. But it is reminiscent of the cover for The Catcher in the Rye.

My favorite Connor Habib video involved his unbridled glee at handling Girth Brooks’s giant peen.

I just bought a copy, though. I think we should support gay writers in our community.

Why does every washed up loser try their hand at writing?

Says David Sedaris at R41.

He seems like an intelligent guy, but his smug, and condescending demeanor is offputting.

His dick is quite average.

Requisite does he escort?

I love his porn. Atypical but sexy, versatile.

How did he seen smug? It's not like he gives interviews....

I heard an interview with him a few years ago and he just seemed really pleased with himself. It was irritating.

He's still weeping like a bitch about the porn industry and his treatment. He's now living in Ireland. Zero sympathy for an entitled whore with regrets. There are other industries he could have worked in. Reminds me of the George Michael lyric; "some fucked up piece of ass".

Why did he do more than one scent of porn was so opswyting?

Well, R50, obsytymes when wan is opswyt wan juice presses in...

I asked him what he missed the most about doing porn and he farted in my face!

R50, dslaneoe ksjsshsk. Wowod, eiwnsbso djsj ksmmm.

Aside from what I hope was a typo and not a stroke, R50 brings up a good point. If porn was so painful for him, why do so many scenes and films? Unless he was a victim of human trafficking, he had a choice. Why he is complaining now about a choice HE made makes me less concerned about his outcome.

He always seemed pretentious and I seem to recall a former poster who knew him at UMass who found him to be a jerk. He seems like someone grasping to hold on to academic cred while doing pretty marginal stuff--last I read he was doing a PhD on stigma regarding paranormal experiences.

Compare that with someone like Dale Cooper, who actually has skills as a researcher (he used to work for a colleague) and is in a place where he can be part of public policy. Before all that, he started a business and did front line work counseling people living with HIV. Habib just seems like an exhibitionist and a gasbag by comparison.

I've sorta followed him through his career, R54, and the way he obsessed over his intellect during his time in porn and now the way he focuses on his weight gain during his book tour reminds me of other cerebral porn stars always seeing the grass greener somewhere else. Most notably I think of Dirk Caber who was a self-described overweight band & drama geek during his time at Johns Hopkins before his chemically induced metamorphosis.

Like so many other examples, it seems to me to be about deciding that "...if only people loved me for ____" and (as I said in R51) continuing with it because they've convinced themselves that it must be the panacea.

What's curious to me is unlike Jack/Dirk who performs and composes music using his real name, why is this book published--by a legit publishing company--under his porn name and not as a real person.

Is Jack/Dirk doing anything these days besides super sketchy porn and hard drugs?

Self-indulgent, wallowing in self-pity....it could only be a 'survivor' of the adult industry. This will be what identifies him. In thirty years he'll still be referring to himself as a former porn 'actor'. One-note load taker.

R56 brings up a great point! Why is "Conner" publishing books under his pron name??!!

He may be using his porn name to piggyback off his podcast, which is branded with his name in the title. That being said, I don't know that the podcast has smashed records but it's the theory I have.

The only thing getting smashed on Habib is his backdoors.

[quote] Why is "Conner" publishing books under his pron name??!!

Similarly, "Derek Bolt" is competing/engaging in an entire bodybuilding career under a fake name while openly (mostly) talking about his career as an architect. I remember when he had a meltdown before his wedding when one of his husband's homophobic relatives exposed his pron persona to both of their families. I sort of get it--when he's done with both of them he will be able to walk away as his real identity is not as intermingled as the average adult performer. But it does strike me as odd to work so hard for recognition at something and tie it to an identity you intend to dispose of.

r6 that looks like a credit card slot.

"last I read he was doing a PhD on stigma..."

Did you mean 'smegma'?

I like the bearish look he has going on.

I did not like when he kept his shirt on while fucking around with dad and gramps though.

Dat's da suck job! R65

W.W. Norton must be so proud to publish such a brave survivor!

Surely the book must be selling for its literary merits alone.

Any would-be novelists should feel better tonight about their prospects with W.W. Norton.

Interesting, in the interviews I read he didn't seem upset by or ashamed of his porn career at all.

I would certainly be ashamed of the photo at R65. EWWWW!

Old man sucker = prostitute

Coerced into topping (NSFW).

R14, a few years back, Habib was on a mission to fuck a woman. Maybe he's found a lovely FTM to accompany him on his new life in the land of leprechauns, banshees, and retired pron stars?

R73, it's verrrrry interesting. He only posts long shots of the boyfriend. Sigh. I've turned into one of those psycho transvestigators from Twitter...

Actually, this isn't a long shot but you get the idea.

Why would you all expect someone who spent years in porn not to have serious issues?

A better question is why does DL spend so much time thinking about him and hating on him.

Well, Mike Branson is on deck to be a Supreme Court nominee.

Conner used to data a physician in LA. Older guy, silver haired handsome daddy type.

date not data

R75, looks Irish.

I don't know how good it is or how bad it is, but I will say this - I admire he actually finished it because most I'm writing a book writers never get the damned thing done.

You probably have a day job or career R82. Connor has fuck all except a blown out hole and a stack of dvds featuring his 'greatest hits'.

^ and good, high-profile reviews

R77, it's Datalounge. We're entitled to irrational obsession and hatred.

Agree he should have gotten all the way naked in the scene at R65. I like him as a bear.

Any raw action?

Connor Habib? Is he Irish and Mid-Eastern? Or is that just a fake name?

R88, half Irish-American and half Syrian-American.

[quote] A better question is why does DL spend so much time thinking about him

And yet, here you are!

R89...what a combination. Mongrel

I think he carries it off very nicely. He has a lot of hot porn scenes.

Did he have to get someone to type for him? I imagine a man of his size probably can’t do that on his own.

He was always one of the most unremarkable guys in gay porn. Completely forgettable.

He is not that big! How did he land a job in pron?

Habib worked with Titan and Joe Gage a lot, R95. Gage (who I think was directing for Titan as well as his own line) cast a wide range of guys in his porn, which was cool. They were all fit but not particularly handsome, not all particularly muscular, not always hugely hung, some non-white guys (novel in mainstream porn back then). Some good stuff.

His real name is Andre Khalil

I’m about halfway through the audiobook, which he reads, and pretty competently compared to some first time author’s audiobooks. I guess it’s some type of wish fulfillment getting back at your Gay high school bullies. It’s getting quite disturbing, I’m assuming Dennis Cooper is an inspiration.

He was one of my favorite porn stars back in the day, then I discovered his social media accounts, interacted with him, and discovered he was an insufferable, narcissistic asshole. I've interacted with many current-and-former gay porn stars over the years and he was one of the most unpleasant I've ever encountered.

R99, that's really interesting to hear and at odds with his persona. More details?

Not surprising and hardly at odds with his public persona.

R96 Titan studio used a lot of Mexicans in the 90s.

Imagine reading the NYT, much less taking note of anything it asserts.

Is he still drinking piss?

R99.....how else would you expect someone who sells their own body online to be? I'm curious. Did you expect him to be some coy, blushing ingenue with the ability to converse on intellectually stimulating subjects? He drinks piss and cum ffs!

r12, Dale Cooper is an exgay bisexual piece of shit, nothing healthy about him.

R37 This isn't meant to be a commentary on his writing specifically, but while some prestige publishers still maintain their reputations, being published by a known publisher today does not in any way convey high literary quality.

Publishing is a business and it's all about sales.

I heard a lit agent from an influential agency say that, while editors and agents generally will deny it, the reality today is that (as always) platform converts to potential sales and it matters and (unlike always) social media platforms are the greatest platform that determine who gets a publishing deal among non-celebrities.

She said that virtually no one will get published (especially nonfiction) unless they have a minimum of 20,000 followers on any single social media platform, and that publishers value Instagram stars above all others. She said that virtually anyone with over 100,000 followers is guaranteed a book deal by one of the major publishers even if they do not write; the publisher will help the "author" come up with some idea that will sell and will hire the ghost writer to write the actual book that the social media influencer's name is on.

She said all is not lost for authors who don't have tems of thousands of followers—if a writer has a blog like Medium or Substack and has at least 12,000 subscribers to a newsletter, then they may be considered for a potential book deal. And she said that all this applies more to nonfiction, and that having dedicated fan bases is not as important for fiction authors, but they do have to prove sales potential, as well, before getting a deal.

I see that Conner Habib has almost 65,000 followers on Twitter and so it seems he could probably very easily secure a publishing deal from one of the big-five publishing companies based on his platform alone, regardless of writing ability.

And it's worth noting that Conner Habib is the alias he adopted as a porn persona and he/the publisher chose to use it as his pen name. They are definitely factoring in a majority of sales coming from his porn fans. If the publisher were trying to establish him as a novelist they wanted to be taken seriously on literary merit, they would have used his real name. Using the porn name means they want to sell to the social media followers.

DELUSIONAL

HAWK Mountain? Did he sell the movie rights to FALCON?

[quote] Why is "Conner" publishing books under his pron name?

Thanks R107 for answering the question

[quote] She said that virtually no one will get published (especially nonfiction) unless they have a minimum of 20,000 followers on any single social media platform, and that publishers value Instagram stars above all others. She said that virtually anyone with over 100,000 followers is guaranteed a book deal by one of the major publishers even if they do not write; the publisher will help the "author" come up with some idea that will sell and will hire the ghost writer to write the actual book that the social media influencer's name is on.

r105, I expected him to at least be civil, but he was rude, condescending, pretentious, and insulting. Like I said, I've interacted with other gay porn stars (in non-sexual encounters) over the years -- Dean Flynn, Matt Cole, Thom Barron, Anton Harri, and a few others whose names I'm blanking on right now -- and they were all polite to me. But from the very first interaction, Conner/Andre was a pure asshole.

Of course, as I've gotten older, I've come to the conclusion that it's the assholes who tend to triumph, unfortunately. Just look at Trump. The occasional nice guy succeeds, but he's a rarity.

Thanks, R112.