Book Reviews, Part 2

Role Models by John Waters

My god, this man has had a fascinating life. I know that that should go without saying but this book really shows it, purely by describing the lives of people Waters (Waters? No. You know what, from now on I'm going to call him John), has known. I love the way John writes; you actually feel like you're sitting down with a friend catching up over coffee. Which, I suppose, is exactly what John did with each of his role models in preparation for this book, but he makes you feel like you're sitting down with them too.

Role Models is John's latest publication, and, as the title would have you (hopefully), assume, it is about his role models. The people who helped John, or at least influenced him, to get to where he is today. And my, they are an amazing bunch. From Leslie van Houten to an estate-pocketing barmaid in Baltimore, to Johnny Mathis and my beloved Tennessee Williams, Mr. Waters has known the best of the best. And if you're anything like me, these are the people you WANT to know. They're fucking crazy geniuses. Fuck being normal when you can be a crazy genius. Fuck "fitting in" when you could hang out with the freaks.

I literally could not put this book down. The only time I ever did was to feed my cat. I read the entire book on the last day I had off work (last Tuesday). I was sad when I finished it because I wanted to read more about these fascinating freaks, and of course, about John himself.

My favourite chapters (it's so hard to choose!), were the ones about Leslie van Houten (former Manson Family member and Milhouse van Houten's namesake), Zorro the lesbian stripper, Tennessee Williams, and Rick James. The only chapter I wasn't that keen on was the one about John's favourite fashion designer. But I guess that's because I don't really give two shits about clothes.

Next on my reading list is Crackpot: The Obsessions of John Waters, which I picked up from work at a tidy price. I can't wait to have some free time to read it.

So, in short (mainly because it's 2am and I really should try to sleep), John Waters is amaaaaazing and I love that he's done the people who inspired him justice by writing this fantastic book. He rules. 5/5.