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A WOMAN, A PLAN, AN OUTLINE OF A MAN

ESSAYS

A satisfying collection of writings about growing up and recovery.

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A series of deeply personal and thought-provoking essays explore moments in a woman’s life, from high school rebellion to domestic violence and sexual assault.

“On the Edge of Seventeen,” the first of 13 vivid writings by debut author Kasbeer, captures a poignant period of her adolescence when rebellion crossed over into danger; in it, she tells of visiting her high school boyfriend in prison. Multiple essays unravel the repercussions of a rape that occurred when the author was 23. In “Lovers” this unraveling comes through therapy and a relationship with a kind and helpful partner while the titular essay investigates the therapeutic value of released rage. Other writings examine Kasbeer’s contention that the condition of having “one foot in childhood and another in adolescence is truly terrifying.” “The Diving Well” is one of these, capturing the uneasy exhilaration of testing one’s physical strength and courage in a female body on the brink of adulthood as well as a central truth about skill and talent: “I had no idea being good at something would come with such pressure to always be better.” In “Stuck in a Water Well,” Kasbeer juxtaposes her unsatisfying relationship with her mother and the plight of orphaned elephants, and in “Everyone Gets a Dog,” she reveals an appealing vulnerability, using hand puppets as “part pet, part entertainment, and part mental health apparatus.” The essays aren’t arranged chronologically, and they often reveal different viewpoints of the same incident. Taken as a whole, the works present a cogent portrait of a girl traveling the road to womanhood. Many readers will find the delights and hazards of this journey to be very recognizable, and Kasbeer depicts them both with astuteness and compassion, using incisive language that captures broad truths from intimate experience. Some observations—such as “All anyone really wants is to be seen and heard, and yet we avoid seeing and hearing others every day,” and “Nothing in life can be truly taken back”—will resonate deeply, long after the last essay is read.

A satisfying collection of writings about growing up and recovery.

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-73315-051-4

Page Count: 159

Publisher: Zone 3 Press

Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021

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  • New York Times Bestseller

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TANQUERAY

A blissfully vicarious, heartfelt glimpse into the life of a Manhattan burlesque dancer.

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  • New York Times Bestseller

A former New York City dancer reflects on her zesty heyday in the 1970s.

Discovered on a Manhattan street in 2020 and introduced on Stanton’s Humans of New York Instagram page, Johnson, then 76, shares her dynamic history as a “fiercely independent” Black burlesque dancer who used the stage name Tanqueray and became a celebrated fixture in midtown adult theaters. “I was the only black girl making white girl money,” she boasts, telling a vibrant story about sex and struggle in a bygone era. Frank and unapologetic, Johnson vividly captures aspects of her former life as a stage seductress shimmying to blues tracks during 18-minute sets or sewing lingerie for plus-sized dancers. Though her work was far from the Broadway shows she dreamed about, it eventually became all about the nightly hustle to simply survive. Her anecdotes are humorous, heartfelt, and supremely captivating, recounted with the passion of a true survivor and the acerbic wit of a weathered, street-wise New Yorker. She shares stories of growing up in an abusive household in Albany in the 1940s, a teenage pregnancy, and prison time for robbery as nonchalantly as she recalls selling rhinestone G-strings to prostitutes to make them sparkle in the headlights of passing cars. Complemented by an array of revealing personal photographs, the narrative alternates between heartfelt nostalgia about the seedier side of Manhattan’s go-go scene and funny quips about her unconventional stage performances. Encounters with a variety of hardworking dancers, drag queens, and pimps, plus an account of the complexities of a first love with a drug-addled hustler, fill out the memoir with personality and candor. With a narrative assist from Stanton, the result is a consistently titillating and often moving story of human struggle as well as an insider glimpse into the days when Times Square was considered the Big Apple’s gloriously unpolished underbelly. The book also includes Yee’s lush watercolor illustrations.

A blissfully vicarious, heartfelt glimpse into the life of a Manhattan burlesque dancer.

Pub Date: July 12, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-250-27827-2

Page Count: 192

Publisher: St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: July 27, 2022

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WAR

An engrossing and ominous chronicle, told by a master of the form.

Documenting perilous times.

In his most recent behind-the-scenes account of political power and how it is wielded, Woodward synthesizes several narrative strands, from the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel to the 2024 presidential campaign. Woodward’s clear, gripping storytelling benefits from his legendary access to prominent figures and a structure of propulsive chapters. The run-up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is tense (if occasionally repetitive), as a cast of geopolitical insiders try to divine Vladimir Putin’s intent: “Doubt among allies, the public and among Ukrainians meant valuable time and space for Putin to maneuver.” Against this backdrop, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham implores Donald Trump to run again, notwithstanding the former president’s denial of his 2020 defeat. This provides unwelcome distraction for President Biden, portrayed as a thoughtful, compassionate lifetime politico who could not outrace time, as demonstrated in the June 2024 debate. Throughout, Trump’s prevarications and his supporters’ cynicism provide an unsettling counterpoint to warnings provided by everyone from former Joint Chief of Staff Mark Milley to Vice President Kamala Harris, who calls a second Trump term a likely “death knell for American democracy.” The author’s ambitious scope shows him at the top of his capabilities. He concludes with these unsettling words: “Based on my reporting, Trump’s language and conduct has at times presented risks to national security—both during his presidency and afterward.”

An engrossing and ominous chronicle, told by a master of the form.

Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2024

ISBN: 9781668052273

Page Count: 448

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: Oct. 15, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2024

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