In 1999, thirteen females in the West Adams section of South Central Los Angeles were brutally murdered. Most of the victims were sex workers, the one exception being a teenage babysitter named Lecia, who was the killer's last victim.
The perpetrator wasn't caught and some people think the cops didn't try too hard because the women were 'throwaways.'
Fifteen years later, in 2014, prostitutes in West Adams are being murdered again, in the same manner as before. The cops resist the idea that a serial killer is active again and they CERTAINLY don't want the new deaths connected to those in 1999.
The story, which focuses on six women in West Adams, is set in 2014, with flashbacks to 1999.
- Feelia was a streetwalker in 1999, but gave up the life after surviving a deadly attack. The incident seems to have disturbed Feelia's mind because she insists a white woman started stalking her right after the assault, and is still haunting her fifteen years later. Feelia shrieks and carries on whenever she 'sees' the woman, and shouts at people who try to shut her up.
- Dorian is the mother of Lecia, the last girl killed in 1999. Dorian's spent years haunting the police station, insisting her daughter wasn't a prostitute, and exhorting them to find the killer. The grieving mother owns a fried fish shop in West Adams and feeds local streetwalkers who drop in. Now Dorian has been finding dead birds outside her restaurant, and thinks someone is trying to frighten her.
- Julianna was the child being babysat by Lecia on the night the teen was slain. Now Julianna is grown up, a strip club waitress who provides 'extra services' in the back. Julianna drinks and uses drugs to get through the day, and fears she'll never be able to get out of the debasing lifestyle. Julianna's hobby is photography, and she constantly snaps pictures of her prostitute friends, documenting the bleakness of their lives.
- Anneke is a married El Salvadoran woman who immigrated to Los Angeles with her husband and young daughter. The family is solidly middle class and Anneke wants nothing to do with (what she sees as) undesirable elements in the neighborhood. Anneke is obsessed with keeping her home and life in perfect order, and she sent her daughter Marella away to school to keep her safe.
- Marella is Anneke's daughter, now in her twenties and an art school graduate. Marella does performance art as well as modern installations with moving images.
Marella is living with her parents in West Adams, but has spent so much time away that she's almost a stranger to the area. Marella has bad memories of her life in El Salvador, and her art often depicts women as victims of sexual and physical violence.
- Esmerelda (Essie) Perry is a police detective who moved from homicide to vice after an unfortunate incident. The male cops in Perry's station steer the 'nuisance complaints' her way, so she gets to hear Feelia's allegations of a stalker and Dorian's report about dead birds. As Perry is looking into these complaints she makes discoveries about the serial killer.
The book doesn't focus on the identity of the serial killer, though that is revealed. The novel is more a character study than a murder mystery and Pochoda's portrayal of the six main characters, and the people around them, is vivid and perceptive - so we get a feel for the factors that shaped their lives.
We also get a peek at the ambiance of West Adams: the clubs; the streets; the bridges; the former mansions split into apartments; the nosy neighbors; the commercial establishments; the mixture of people; and so on.
Pochoda is a master storyteller and this is an excellent book. Highly recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Ivy Pochoda), and the publisher (HarperCollins Publishers/Ecco) for a copy of the book.
Rating: 4 stars
Calliope (Cal) Stephanides, born after World War II, was raised as a girl until the teenage years. Then, at 14, puberty kicked in and Cal matured into a boy.
Doctors found that Cal was a hermaphrodite with male (XY) sex chromosomes, intersex genitals, and a recessive genetic mutation that messes with the sex hormones.
But Cal's story (and genetic troubles) started long before, in 1922, when his Greek grandparents lived in Smyrna, Turkey. Unable to find suitable mates a brother and sister - Desdemona and Lefty Stephanides - fell in love. Driven out of Smyrna by a Turkish rebellion......
Turkish Rebellion
..... Desdemona and Lefty married on the boat to America, determined to keep their sibling relationship a secret.
Unfortunately Desdemona and Lefty each carried one copy of the mutated gene that would eventually cause Cal's troubles.
But this sprawling novel - in turns dramatic, funny, and tragic - is much more than the story of a hermaphrodite. It tells of life in Smyrna, the experiences of Greek immigrants in Detroit, arranged marriages, complicated family interactions and intermarriages, the silk industry, riots in Smyrna and Detroit, the rise of Islam and black power in the United States, and much more.
Greek immigrants in Detroit
Silk industry
Riots in Detroit
At the heart of the book is Cal's fascinating trajectory. Always feeling that something was wrong, Cal was an awkward girl who fell in love with a female classmate, had first sex with a boy, and was devastated when her "male" condition was revealed. Cal has a dramatic reaction to this revelation which leads to the book's climax. Definitely a book worth reading.
Rating: 5 stars
Joan Rivers, born Joan Alexandra Molinksy in 1933, was an American comedian, actress, writer, producer, and television host.
Joan Alexandra Molinksy
In this lively biography, which is informative, poignant, and funny, author Leslie Bennetts provides an insightful portrait of Joan's life - from childhood to death.....and beyond.
On the comedy circuit Rivers would say, "I'm from a little town called Larchmont, where if you're not married, and you're a girl, and you're over twenty-one, you're better off dead."
But Joan wanted to escape suburbia and get famous, and she thought the best way to do that was on the stage, as an actress. Young Joan's acting career didn't take off so - thinking she could make people laugh - Joan became a comic.
Joan's parents, who wanted her to settle down with a nice Jewish boy, objected vociferously, but Joan was determined to follow her dreams. Rivers was far from an overnight success, though, and played small gigs for years before she achieved fame.
Young Joan Rivers doing her comedy act
Agent Lou Alexander, who worked with the founder of the 'The Improv' comedy club in Manhattan, said about Rivers, "I've never seen anybody, man or woman, who wanted or loved [comedy] more than Joan Rivers. She could have a high temperature and she'd go onstage. There is nothing that would stop her. She was willing to give up anything to make it."
Joan Rivers loved to be onstage
Joan succeeded, in part, by breaking barriers - talking about things that shocked the public. Comic Judy Gold observes, "It was okay for guys to discuss their dicks and blow jobs, but it was never okay for women to discuss their sexuality." Nevertheless, Joan did. One of her schticks revolved her supposed lack of sex appeal. Joan would quip, "I was so flat, I used to put X's on my chest and write, 'You Are Here'. And I wore angora sweaters just so the guys would have something to pet."
Rivers got her big break on The Tonight Show in 1965. Her act brought tears of laughter to Johnny Carson's eyes, and Joan marveled, "He said right on the air, 'God, you're funny. You're going to be a star.'
Joan Rivers on The Tonight Show in 1965
After her felicitous debut, Rivers was a regular on The Tonight Show and eventually became the permanent guest host.
Joan Rivers as guest host of 'The Tonight Show'
The Tonight Show helped Joan's private life as well. When a short, stocky, bespectacled, Jewish producer named Edgar Rosenberg needed a comedy writer for a project with Peter Sellers, The Tonight Show recommended Rivers. Thirty-one year old Joan liked Rosenberg's British accent and observed, "I could see that this forty-year-old winner in a Dunhill blue suit and Lanvin shirt had class - a classy way of talking, a classy way of dressing." The couple married soon after their first date and had their daughter Melissa a few years later.
Joan Rivers and Edgar Rosenberg
Joan Rivers and Edgar Rosenberg
Joan Rivers with baby Melissa
Joan Rivers and Edgar Rosenberg with daughter Melissa
Joan enjoyed being married, but had to adjust her comedy routine from desperate single-girl jokes to clueless-married-woman jokes. For example, Joan said she knew nothing about sex because all her mother had told her was that the man gets on top and the woman goes underneath....."so I bought bunk beds." Even this mild reference to sex shocked the public. Nevertheless Joan carried on and joined the pioneers of social change.
According to Bennetts, "Rivers' humor was always fueled by anger" because Joan was insecure about her appearance and jealous of good-looking women, including her sister Barbara.
Joan Rivers' sister Barbara
Thus Joan made slut shaming a mainstay of her act and mocked beautiful women. For example, she quipped, "You want to get Cindy Crawford confused? Ask her to spell 'mom' backward." And referring to Jackie Onassis, "I use her as a great example of what women should do: always marry for money." Joan's most vicious jokes were aimed at glamorous Elizabeth Taylor, a great beauty who gained weight in middle age.
Elizabeth Taylor
River's cracked, "I took her to McDonald's just to watch her eat and see the numbers change" and "I had to grease her hips to get her through the Golden Arches." The public's gleeful reaction fueled a constant barrage of jokes at Taylor's expense that went on for years. Producers sometimes tried to rein in Joan's more outrageous jokes, but she never gave in to such pressure.
Bennetts observes, "River's metamorphosis into a ruthless verbal assassin helped turn her into a cultural icon.....but some people were put off by one of the world's most uninhibited mean girls." In fact, Joan's nasty jokes may explain why she was never invited to certain celebrity functions, like the Vanity Fair Oscar party.
Joan and Edgar's marriage had its ups and downs, many of them fueled by Rosenberg's personal ambition and determination to control Joan's career. According to Bennetts, Rosenberg didn't have much show business know-how, and this ultimately led to disaster. Following Edgar's advice, Rivers left The Tonight Show to host the Fox Network's rival program, 'The Late Show with Joan Rivers'.....which Rosenberg produced. Carson was furious about the betrayal, and never spoke to Rivers again.
Joan on 'The Late Show with Joan Rivers'
Joan interviewing Pee Wee Herman on 'The Late Show with Joan Rivers'
Bennetts covers the Rivers-Carson debacle in detail, and folks interested in the feud can read plenty of chitchat - and opinions about who was at fault - in this book.
In any case, Carson needn't have worried because Joan's late night talk show flopped and her career took a nosedive. Edgar blamed himself for the disaster, fell into a depression, and committed suicide in 1987. The tragedy was a triple whammy for Rivers. She lost her husband, lost her career, and became (temporarily) estranged from her beloved teenage daughter Melissa, who blamed Joan for Edgar's death.
Joan and Melissa Rivers were shattered by Edgar Rosenberg's suicide
Though Joan was devastated by Rosenberg's suicide, she used his death - just like she used EVERYTHING - as material for jokes. She would say, "Thank God my husband left in his will that I should cremate him and then scatter his ashes in Neiman Marcus. That way he knew he would see me fives times a week."
Joan Rivers used everyone as fodder for jokes
After Edgar's demise, Joan struggled to recover her well-being, career, and popularity. Though she'd been kicked to the curb, Rivers was determined to recoup.....and make money. Bennetts writes about Rivers' subsequent years in detail and notes that, over time, Joan did Broadway plays; sold jewelry and other products on QVC; hosted daytime talk shows; wrote memoirs; helmed a radio show; participated in Donald Trump's Celebrity Apprentice competition; did Red Carpet interviews; participated in a documentary; did comedy shows; became the host of Fashion Police; and so on. Rivers also became an activist for AIDS; supported the rights of the LGBTQ+ community; advanced her daughter Melissa's career; had a serious romance; socialized with the rich and famous; and more.
Joan Rivers sold her jewelry line on QVC
Joan Rivers interviewing Halle Berry on the Red Carpet
Joan Rivers was the host of 'Fashion Police'
Joan was very friendly with Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles, and loved to joke about the royals. Bennetts writes about the time Joan was asked to say a few words at the Prince of Wales dinner, and was told not to say 'fuck' in the toast. So Joan got up and said, "I've been told I can't say 'fuck'." Bennetts observes, "Being outrageous gave her so much pleasure. She loved it."
Joan Rivers with Prince Charles
It's well known that Rivers' had hundreds of plastic surgeries, undergoing procedures on her lips, breasts, nose, stomach, brow, eyes, and arms, as well as getting regular injections of Botox. Fashion maven David Dangle recalls, "She had her boobs reduced a couple of times, she had tummy tucks, eye job, lid job, nose, cheek implants. She was big on chemical peels, dermabrasion, and fillers. I think she looked extraordinary for an eighty-year-old woman. Her skin looked flawless."
Joan Rivers had hundreds of plastic surgeries
Defending her cosmetic enhancements, Rivers said, "For many of us, having it all means getting a nip, or a tuck, or a little lift now and again. Why? Because it makes us feel good." She went on, "I'd rather look younger and feel happy than look older and be depressed."
Joan Rivers wanted to look young
Though Rivers hated getting older, aging was fodder for her material. She joked, "The fashion magazines are suggesting that women wear clothes that are age appropriate. For me that would be a shroud." And she quipped, "I had a friend going through menopause come to lunch today. Her hot flash was so bad it steam cleaned my carpet."
Sadly, a minor surgical procedure led to Rivers' death at the age of 81. Joan's voice was getting raspy and she went to Yorkville Endoscopy in New York to diagnose the problem. While anesthetized for the look-see into her throat, Rivers suffered cardiac and respiratory arrest and went into a coma. She died a few days later.
Joan Rivers funeral
Rivers was much lauded, both during her life and after her death. Writer and humorist Roz Warren wrote about Joan, "It's impossible to overestimate her impact, both because she redefined what was possible for women in comedy and because she's been a role model for so many." Bennetts notes, "By the time Rivers died, many of the hottest names in comedy were women." These women included Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Ellen DeGeneres, Sarah Silverman, Whitney Cummings, Kathy Griffin, Margaret Cho, and more.
Producer Chip Duckett says, "[Joan] had this insanely diverse career that people didn't recognize until she was gone. She was such a chameleon, but when they looked at the whole of her career, a lot of people woke up to the fact that she had been such a trailblazer in so many ways."
Joan may not be completely gone because when her friend, Sue Cameron, consulted a psychic, Rivers' showed up right away. She seemed her usual self....talking about how she could use her death for a bit. Joan also reported that she was avoiding her late husband and was at peace with the circumstances of her death. Cameron says, "She was just so tired of having to be Joan Rivers.....exhausted and done." Joan wanted to rest.
Bennetts' extensively researched book is 419 pages long and filled with dishy observations, great stories, and funny jokes. Highly recommended.
Rating: 4 stars
Susannah Cahalan
At the age of 24 Susannah Cahalan was doing just fine. She was lively, talkative, and fun-loving; she worked as a reporter for the New York Post; she lived in an apartment in Hell's Kitchen; and she had a great boyfriend named Stephen.
Then Susannah began to change: she forgot to prepare for an important work meeting; started to get migraines; felt compelled to snoop through Stephen's things; developed numbness.....then pins and needles. Before long these symptoms morphed into intense crying; rambling speech; facial grimaces; chewing motions; puppet-like movements; aggressive behavior; out-of-body experiences; seizures; paranoia; and delusions.
Susannah Cahalan began to feel paranoid
Susan started to imagine that people were saying nasty things about her (or to her) and became convinced that her father had killed his wife (who was alive). In time, Susannah could hardly walk or speak.
Susannah saw doctor after doctor and had numerous medical and psychological tests, but physicians couldn't agree on a diagnosis. Suggestions included: excessive drinking and partying; anxiety attacks; epilepsy; bipolar disorder; schizoid disorder; schizophrenia; meningitis; encephalitis; and more.
Eventually, Susannah broke down completely and had to be hospitalized. At this point, Susannah 'lost' a month of her life.....she has no memory of this period. However, Susannah was able to reconstruct this time using hospital videos, doctors' files, interviews with medical personnel, recollections of friends and family, and a journal kept by her parents.
Susannah Cahalan was admitted to the hospital
Susannah might have descended into permanent psychosis, or even died - but was lucky enough to be diagnosed by a Syrian neurologist, Dr. Souhel Najjar.
Dr. Souhel Najjar
Dr. Najjar determined that Susannah had a rare autoimmune disorder called "anti–NMDA receptor autoimmune encephalitis" - in short, antibodies from Susannah's immune system were attacking her brain. When Susannah was asked to draw a clock she put all the numbers on the right side, showing that the right side of her brain was inflamed.
Susannah Cahalan's brain scan shows damage on the right side
Susannah Cahalan's clock drawing indicates damage to the right side of the brain
Dr. Najjar prescribed an intensive and prolonged regimen of steroid drugs, which ultimately halted the antibody assault on Susannah's head. The question remained.....could she recover completely? Fortunately Susannah had enormous support from her parents, stepparents, and Stephen - as well as excellent medical care (and good insurance).
Susannah did recover and married Stephen, who had supported her through the entire ordeal.
Susannah Cahalan married her boyfriend Stephen
In this memoir Susannah presents a thorough and vivid description of her descent into 'madness' and her difficult step by step recovery - which required her to re-learn how to walk, talk, and interact with people. Susannah also provides general information about the brain, how it works, how memories are formed, etc. This is interesting and accessible to the lay person.
Susannah Cahalan is enormously grateful to her doctor, Souhel Najjar
Susannah's case became a 'cause celebre' - with articles in medical journals and newspapers as well as television appearances.
Susannah Cahalan made television appearances to spread the word about her autoimmune disorder
As it turns out, the widespread publicity benefitted people who shared Susannah's illness, but were misdiagnosed. Some doctors, seeing articles about anti–NMDA receptor autoimmune encephalitis, were able to re-assess their patients. In some cases, this saved lives.
One BIG lesson I took away from this book is that it's very important to find the right doctor and get the correct diagnosis. As Susannah points out, people throughout history who were thought to be psychotic may have had anti–NMDA receptor autoimmune encephalitis.....or some other organic brain disorder. Of course this is true about health issues in general - ongoing research and new information often sheds light on previously 'mysterious' maladies.
I'd recommend this book to readers interested in memoirs about illness and recovery, especially brain disorders.
This book was adapted into a movie starring Chloë Grace Moretz.
Rating: 3.5 stars
