The memoirs of a '70s punk/drag sub-icon whose unique trajectory across the counterculture has supplied her with great troves of decadent gossip as well as novel insights into life as a transsexual. County, nÇe Wayne Rogers, grew up a ``sissy boy'' in small-town Georgia and adopted flamboyant habits of makeup and dress while still in his teens, in the mid-'60s. Moving to New York City, County established a niche on the hippie edge of the gay community—in the summer of 1969 County both rioted at the Stonewall and grooved at Woodstock. While working menial day jobs, he was soon sharing an apartment with Warhol drag superstars Holly Woodlawn and Jackie Curtis, whose outrageous personalities and talents are the subject of some delightful, seamy anecdotes. Under Curtis's influence County adopted an extravagant, absurdist approach to cross-dressing that would be an important vehicle in an ongoing transformation from ``him'' to ``her.'' County acted in surrealist theatrical farces like the Warhol-sponsored Pork and DJ'ed at Max's Kansas City, where she began performing with a rock band in 1972. When punk exploded, County started making records, performing, and rubbing shoulders with Sid Vicious and the Clash. But strained by her amphetamine use and tensions within her band, County's odd career in rock had largely collapsed by the end of the '70s (after a hiatus, she has returned today to recording and performing). County discusses with disarming forthrightness the ambiguities of gender and her decision to forgo sex-change surgery (she does take female hormones). And she avoids both self-pity and backbiting, recalling frankly even her stint as a prostitute in '80s Berlin and London. County's lively memoir illuminates the original intermingling of gay and punk subcultures that's experiencing an energetic resurgence today. (2 b&w photo inserts)
Pub Date: April 1, 1996
ISBN: 1-85242-338-2
Page Count: 184
Publisher: Serpent’s Tail
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1996
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s...
Music journalist and musician Wald (Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap, 2014, etc.) focuses on one evening in music history to explain the evolution of contemporary music, especially folk, blues, and rock.
The date of that evening is July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, where there was an unbelievably unexpected occurrence: singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, already a living legend in his early 20s, overriding the acoustic music that made him famous in favor of electronically based music, causing reactions ranging from adoration to intense resentment among other musicians, DJs, and record buyers. Dylan has told his own stories (those stories vary because that’s Dylan’s character), and plenty of other music journalists have explored the Dylan phenomenon. What sets Wald's book apart is his laser focus on that one date. The detailed recounting of what did and did not occur on stage and in the audience that night contains contradictory evidence sorted skillfully by the author. He offers a wealth of context; in fact, his account of Dylan's stage appearance does not arrive until 250 pages in. The author cites dozens of sources, well-known and otherwise, but the key storylines, other than Dylan, involve acoustic folk music guru Pete Seeger and the rich history of the Newport festival, a history that had created expectations smashed by Dylan. Furthermore, the appearances on the pages by other musicians—e.g., Joan Baez, the Weaver, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dave Van Ronk, and Gordon Lightfoot—give the book enough of an expansive feel. Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic, and his endnotes show how he ranged far beyond personal knowledge to produce the book.
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s personal feelings about Dylan's music or persona.Pub Date: July 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-236668-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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