STAGEHAND

Aretsky reflects on his significant relationships and a life in show business.

After working as a stagehand for over 40 years, the author has amassed a wild collection of stories from L.A.’s most famous clubs and venues. By December 2018, Aretsky had settled into a routine of steady professional gigs and a lovely life with his girlfriend—whom he only refers to as “the Ex”—on L.A.’s Candy Cane Lane (a stretch of perpetually decorated-for-Christmas homes). After their sudden breakup, the author and the Ex began a complicated dance of staying in each other’s orbits while also trying to build new, separate lives. Aretsky’s memoir builds on his journals from this time, when he was trying to meet new women and remain friends with the love of his life. His breakup narrative is peppered with recollections as he discusses the houses he shared with zany roommates in the hills; his incredible travels to Europe, Mexico, and New Zealand; and all the many, many celebrities he’s worked with. (Some stand-out stories involve Michael Jackson’s birthday party, coming up with a vulgar nickname for an irate Art Garfunkel, and a lovely afternoon spent at the Playboy Mansion’s gym.) “People are people, no matter what they do for a living. Everyone has a story,” Aretsky writes, and his memoir affirms this idea as he introduces readers to one quirky Angeleno after another, be they mega-celebrities or outright weirdos (or both). However, as the author jumps around chronologically and thematically, many of the stories—especially the overly long travelogue chapters—start to feel like random lists of memories rather than narratives that build upon or complement one another. What remains consistent is Aretsky’s relatable and endearing vulnerability about the complicated breakup and his impressive knack for capturing L.A.’s peculiar spirit. Whether describing leisurely coffees with a group of retired veterans at a shopping mall or getting drunkenly chased down canyon roads by Eddie Van Halen, Aretsky proves himself to be an engaging and intriguing guide to Hollywood.

A meandering memoir that offers a fascinating perspective on eccentric Angelenos and their orbits around the stars.