A somewhat uneven collection of rambling insights both amusing and thought-provoking.
Askins’ slim volume of musings—part memoir, part work of philosophy—dismantles the idea of the “self” even as it encourages readers to live more fully and fearlessly.
Turning Joseph Campbell’s famous “hero’s journey” arc (departure, initiation, return) on its head, the author invites readers to embark on his “Anti-Hero’s Journey,” in which he sets out to prove that all of humanity is, literally, nothing. The “Zeromyth” is an adults-only take on a fairy-tale idea of “self”: “Children die on this journey. All of them. By definition. There are no survivors, but you knew that already. Actually, the Zero doesn’t have any faces and about a thousand of them are yours right now. There is no call, no separation, no initiation, no return.” Askins tackles a range of topics, from the mathematical argument over zero’s status as a natural number and the three fundamental laws of logic to therapy using psychedelic drugs and humanity’s greatest fear. It’s this last point that really provides the basis for the viewpoint articulated here: The author argues that everyone’s greatest fear isn’t actually death, but the belief that they are nothing: “I am no one. Nothing. Zero. Zilch. Zip. Without. Nought. Naught. Empty. Worthless. Not a hero. Not a sidekick. Not a villain. Not a victim. Not a bystander. Not even the background. Not even the ground behind and beneath the background. Nothing.” Askins then sets out to prove that we are, indeed, nothing—but notes that “once you realize you’re nothing, then you can do anything.” This Buddhist-adjacent philosophy informs his sometimes disjointed discussions of his wife and kids, his time in the military, and his overview of life in general.
Anyone familiar with the idea of “no-self” in Buddhism will likely see some parallels between it and Askins’ philosophy, but for the uninitiated the book may prove rather bleak at first read. The author’s actual journey toward “zero” is told with plenty of sarcasm and self-deprecating wit (“I have a Master of Divinity degree. God, what a cocky title. Who comes up with this shit?”). Askins pivots between subjects seemingly at random, bouncing from his role in providing MDMA-assisted psychotherapy to imprecatory prayers without hesitation, giving readers the off-kilter feeling one might have while engaging in increasingly deranged late-night discussions over drinks. While the author can certainly be entertaining and insightful, there are occasional typos that distract. A short story by Andy Weir is republished in full, which provides the basis for some more discussion from Askins—but it fills precious space in what is already a very brief book. The text includes the questionable comment that “some might say rape is their greatest fear, death being preferable to dishonor.” The inclusion of this out-of-date idiom is unfortunate, as contemporary readers will likely take issue with the idea that being raped somehow causes the victim “dishonor.” Still, Askins gives his readers a lot to think about in a small, sometimes unnerving package. Readers who enjoy thought exercises and existentialist philosophy will likely find much to ponder here.
A somewhat uneven collection of rambling insights both amusing and thought-provoking.Pub Date: May 12, 2023
ISBN: 9798393806040
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
PROFILES
A blissfully vicarious, heartfelt glimpse into the life of a Manhattan burlesque dancer.
A former New York City dancer reflects on her zesty heyday in the 1970s.
Discovered on a Manhattan street in 2020 and introduced on Stanton’s Humans of New York Instagram page, Johnson, then 76, shares her dynamic history as a “fiercely independent” Black burlesque dancer who used the stage name Tanqueray and became a celebrated fixture in midtown adult theaters. “I was the only black girl making white girl money,” she boasts, telling a vibrant story about sex and struggle in a bygone era. Frank and unapologetic, Johnson vividly captures aspects of her former life as a stage seductress shimmying to blues tracks during 18-minute sets or sewing lingerie for plus-sized dancers. Though her work was far from the Broadway shows she dreamed about, it eventually became all about the nightly hustle to simply survive. Her anecdotes are humorous, heartfelt, and supremely captivating, recounted with the passion of a true survivor and the acerbic wit of a weathered, street-wise New Yorker. She shares stories of growing up in an abusive household in Albany in the 1940s, a teenage pregnancy, and prison time for robbery as nonchalantly as she recalls selling rhinestone G-strings to prostitutes to make them sparkle in the headlights of passing cars. Complemented by an array of revealing personal photographs, the narrative alternates between heartfelt nostalgia about the seedier side of Manhattan’s go-go scene and funny quips about her unconventional stage performances. Encounters with a variety of hardworking dancers, drag queens, and pimps, plus an account of the complexities of a first love with a drug-addled hustler, fill out the memoir with personality and candor. With a narrative assist from Stanton, the result is a consistently titillating and often moving story of human struggle as well as an insider glimpse into the days when Times Square was considered the Big Apple’s gloriously unpolished underbelly. The book also includes Yee’s lush watercolor illustrations.
A blissfully vicarious, heartfelt glimpse into the life of a Manhattan burlesque dancer.Pub Date: July 12, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-250-27827-2
Page Count: 192
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2022
A juicy story with some truly crazy moments, yet Anderson's good heart shines through.
The iconic model tells the story of her eventful life.
According to the acknowledgments, this memoir started as "a fifty-page poem and then grew into hundreds of pages of…more poetry." Readers will be glad that Anderson eventually turned to writing prose, since the well-told anecdotes and memorable character sketches are what make it a page-turner. The poetry (more accurately described as italicized notes-to-self with line breaks) remains strewn liberally through the pages, often summarizing the takeaway or the emotional impact of the events described: "I was / and still am / an exceptionally / easy target. / And, / I'm proud of that." This way of expressing herself is part of who she is, formed partly by her passion for Anaïs Nin and other writers; she is a serious maven of literature and the arts. The narrative gets off to a good start with Anderson’s nostalgic memories of her childhood in coastal Vancouver, raised by very young, very wild, and not very competent parents. Here and throughout the book, the author displays a remarkable lack of anger. She has faced abuse and mistreatment of many kinds over the decades, but she touches on the most appalling passages lightly—though not so lightly you don't feel the torment of the media attention on the events leading up to her divorce from Tommy Lee. Her trip to the pages of Playboy, which involved an escape from a violent fiance and sneaking across the border, is one of many jaw-dropping stories. In one interesting passage, Julian Assange's mother counsels Anderson to desexualize her image in order to be taken more seriously as an activist. She decided that “it was too late to turn back now”—that sexy is an inalienable part of who she is. Throughout her account of this kooky, messed-up, enviable, and often thrilling life, her humility (her sons "are true miracles, considering the gene pool") never fails her.
A juicy story with some truly crazy moments, yet Anderson's good heart shines through.Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2023
ISBN: 9780063226562
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
SEEN & HEARD
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