Chloé Griffin

A very thorough examination of Cookie Mueller and the many scenes she was a part of and influenced. Composed of mostly gratuitous information about how Cookie was well liked (and very well protected) by her friends. I liked this book but there was a lot of reading between the lines. I do appreciate that all these people who are seen as deviant horrifying satan worshipers spoke so candidly but never tried to throw her under the bus. This is how you write a memoir that is respectful and honest.

Highlights:
- Cookie actually tried to name her son Noodles
- Her son Max is baby Noodles in Pink Flamingos
- John Waters is a hilarious voyeur
- She and a friend were riding on a bus when a dude pulled out his dick and started jerking to them so Cookie puked on his dick to make him stop… (more)

Fascinating glimpse into the life of Cookie Mueller and the creative milieu from which she sprang. That last part needs clarification: Prior to codification of punk rock culture, proto-punks, such as Baltimore's Dreamland rich and bizarre cast of characters, wrote their own rules -- whether in Baltimore, Provincetown or NYC. One overriding aesthetic: Offend the boring middle class. Mueller's anarchic life reveals middle class upbringing, brief interaction with the Manson Family, bohemian life in John Waters' world, goddess of Village underground No-Wave scene, dope peddler extraordinaire WHILE writing "Ask Dr. Mueller" for the East Village Eye, mother to a son, wife to an AIDS victim and victim herself of AIDS, leading to her death in 1989. While the focus remains on Mueller, told through "Edie"-styled oral-anecdotal-biography, the scenery along the way provides a gripping account of a life constantly on the edge -- bohemia incarnate.… (more)