Zipper Mouth

Read from Monday, October 17th to Friday, October 21st.

Zipper Mouth, by Laurie Weeks, is the second of the books for my monthly book club from the Rumpus.  I enjoyed Zipper Mouth much more than Show Up, Look Good, even though they were both about similar subjects; a girl trying to make it in New York City. She is a deeply interesting protagonist.  Heavily addicted to drugs and alcohol, she works in various temp jobs while she struggles with a strong infatuation with a straight woman (she is a lesbian).  Late nights in clubs, letters to dead celebrities as if they were her best friends, apology letters to her real friends, a homeless woman spending the night on her couch, these are some of the adventures she goes through. 

There is not a traditional plot structure, and the sequences of time often are blurred.  She does not end up with her straight friend, although she often leads her on into thinking that she might.  The prose is beautiful, and it reads like one long high, and the sentences flow naturally into one another. 

The protagonist is a complete mess, but she is very sympathetic and human, someone we all wish we were friends with, although from a slight distance.  I did not get a chance to participate in the online discussion unfortunately because of work.  I would have liked to talk with Laurie Weeks.  It is a quick, brief review, because it has been awhile since I read the book.  Unfortunately I have been busy with other projects so my time for reading has suffered dramatically.  However, I highly recommend checking out the book.  Four out of five stars.