Saturday, December 19, 2009

The Graphic Life of a Broke Baby Dyke

Rent Girl by Michelle Tea - C

I accidentally stumbled upon Rent Girl at Borders, I was looking for poetry and ended up in the Gay & Lesbian section of the book store. Nevertheless, Rent Girl's enticing cover, gritty subject matter and hip illustrations were too intriguing to ignore.

Author Michelle Tea is a very interesting person with a colorful past. Rent Girl is her 2004 autobiographical illustrated novel about her years as a prostitute.

It's amazing to think that this was once her life and now she is an award winning author. It just goes to show that some people have that "It" factor regardless of what obstacles life throws in their way.

However, the best parts of this novel are the illustrations by Laurenn McCubbin. They're luscious, dark, and seedy; the very characteristics I hoped for in the writing. Tea's prose is at times captivating and at times disjointed. She gives us a glimpse into the sad, funny and creepy world of the sex industry, but I was hoping for something a little more pensive and emotional considering the circumstances.

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