About this item
Highlights
- A hilariously offbeat memoir about an adventurous young woman's escapades as she defies conventions and transforms an ordinary Los Angeles life into a star-studded, extraordinary miracle of self-discovery.Queen of the Oddballs forms a chronology of Hillary Carlip's habitual straying from roads more traveled -- from a wisecracking third-grader suspended from school for smoking (while imitating Holly Golightly) to a headline-making teen activist, juggler and fire eater, friend (NOT "fan") of Carly Simon and Carole King, grand prize-winning Gong Show contestant, cult rock star, and seeker of spiritual and romantic truths that definitely defy expectations.Illustrated with ephemera -- from diary entries and photographs to a handwritten letter from Carly Simon -- Queen of the Oddballs presents a virtual time capsule of pop culture's last four decades and celebrates a creative life lived to the hilt.
- Lambda Literary Awards (Humor) 2006 3rd Winner, Lambda Literary Awards (Women's Memoir/Biography) 2006 3rd Winner
- Author(s): Hillary Carlip
- 288 Pages
- Biography + Autobiography, Personal Memoirs
Description
About the Book
An adventurous young woman defies all the conventions of her star-studded yet ordinary Los Angelino life in wonderfully unexpected ways in this offbeat, coming-of-age memoir.Book Synopsis
A hilariously offbeat memoir about an adventurous young woman's escapades as she defies conventions and transforms an ordinary Los Angeles life into a star-studded, extraordinary miracle of self-discovery.
Queen of the Oddballs forms a chronology of Hillary Carlip's habitual straying from roads more traveled -- from a wisecracking third-grader suspended from school for smoking (while imitating Holly Golightly) to a headline-making teen activist, juggler and fire eater, friend (NOT "fan") of Carly Simon and Carole King, grand prize-winning Gong Show contestant, cult rock star, and seeker of spiritual and romantic truths that definitely defy expectations.
Illustrated with ephemera -- from diary entries and photographs to a handwritten letter from Carly Simon -- Queen of the Oddballs presents a virtual time capsule of pop culture's last four decades and celebrates a creative life lived to the hilt.
Review Quotes
"[Ms. Carlip's] curriculum vitae reads like a Cliffs Notes version of American popular culture..." -- New York Times
"Carlip has lived a life that would make Leonard Zelig jealous." -- Entertainment Weekly
"Funny, endearing, and sweet for the soul, this is a lovable memoir." -- Bust Magazine
"[T]he charm... lies inher whimsical surrender to celebrity culture, balanced byher awareness of how silly it all is." -- The Advocate
"Quirky... hilarious... this unconventional tale of self-discovery offers an unforgettable ride." -- Pages Magazine
"An unpredictable, fresh, distinctive memoir ... it will suck you in before you know it." -- Laurie Notaro, NY Times bestselling author of The Idiot Girl's Action Adventure Club
"Colorful? She was a kid Auntie Mame! Her book should be mandatory reading for anybody contemplating fabulousness." -- Paul Reubens, Pee-wee Herman
"Hillary Carlip is the best kind of eccentric: Genuine, ballsy, funny and soulful. ... She deserves to be our queen." -- Beth Lisick, Author of Everybody into the Pool
"A hilarious and inspiring read for all of us who were too afraid to be ourselves. Or stalk Carole King." -- Jenny Bicks, Executive Producer, Sex and the City