Memoir Review by Granny Anarchy
Last year, I read “Clothes, Clothes, Clothes, Music, Music, Music, Boys, Boys, Boys (CCCMMMBBB)” by Viv Albertine of The Slits, and I enjoyed it so much that I sought out her second memoir, “To Throw Away Unopened.”
Whether or not you like - or have even listened to - The Slits, Albertine is an exceptional memoirist who intersected
with a plethora of musicians. She formed the band Flowers of Romance with Sid Vicious, dated The Clash's Mick Jones, and calls The Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde a friend. She continued to engage in art and creativity as a director and screenwriter for film and TV, and her viewpoint as a flawed woman whose wounds may have informed her decisions offers feminist food for thought. She also has difficult family relationships and some interesting escapades.
“CCCMMMBBB” (currently unavailable through Metro Library) mainly chronicles Albertine's life from 1976-1982 - including, of course, information about her childhood. This covers the frenetic fomenting of punk, its explosion in the UK in particular, and its chaotic aftermath. Albertine's time with The Slits is breathlessly exciting and invigorating, though sometimes difficult and dramatic. After The Slits split, however, Albertine not only finds herself adrift and making, perhaps, some questionable personal choices - but her body becomes unreliable, culminating in a cancer diagnosis.
Albertine was informed that her mother was dying at her first book launch. Rather than focusing on what has happened since her first memoir, Albertine chose a different strategy in her second book.
She chooses to sift further through her past and, in particular, her complex relationship with her mother. In the same poetically conversational voice as her first book, Albertine intersperses snippets of her adult life with glimpses of her childhood. She also turns into a detective while trying to find herself amidst past cruelty, dysfunction, lies, and loss. Albertine additionally admits her own culpability in certain situations.
The title of this tome was taken from a bag Albertine found in her mother's wardrobe, containing her mother's diaries. Albertine also went through her father's diaries, and her writing allows the reader to follow her emotions and thought processes as long-held beliefs and misunderstandings are finally held up to different lights. Albertine is searching for the truth, and also herself, and perhaps some sort of solidity and solace she never had as a child. She shows us her weediness - her determination to grow, to flower, in the gritwhile chronicling what it is like to care for aging parents, be estranged from a sister, raise a child, and exist as a woman in any profession.
“To Throw Away Unopened” is recommended for punks, performers, musicians, artists, any creatives, women, sisters, mothers, daughters. It’s for people who have suffered (and can explore) emotional abuse, those who make bad decisions, who appreciate art and writing, who are facing various aspects of death, dealing with difficult relationships. And “To Throw Away Unopened” is for people who want to live - especially those who want to do so with more spirit. It's a bit chaotic, or at least messy (there are several thrown drinks!) and the family rivalry can get heavy. But as Albertine navigates it all and moves on with her own daughter, facing the future with her characteristic brashness (tempered with erudite reflectiveness) the book is an anthem to an indomitable spirit. Albertine's writing is riveting, and her life - even with, or perhaps especially because of its imperfectness - is an inspiration.
An interview with Larrissa
A talented local musician who recently performed at Library Out Loud.
What do you like about the OKC scene?
It’s bustling! Nearly everyone I know is an artist in their own right. I'll be sitting at the coffee shop, and the barista is the best muralist in town, an award-winning violinist is reading to my left, a grungy rock band is giggling in the corner, and that one guitarist who shreds is staring longingly out the window. It’s not dog-eat-dog, we’re all doing our own thing, beside each other.
What’s something about you or your music that has surprised you?
The reflection. I trick myself into thinking I'm performing, that I’m crafting these songs to create an experience for the audience but when I sit back and listen, I’m like “dang, guess I am just a God-fearing woman with two ex-husbands and a whole lot of sexual shame to work through.”
What is some advice you would give to your younger self?
I know it feels like being chosen by a man is all you will ever need, but beneath that is the desire for you to choose yourself. Find a hobby, pursue your own interests, spend time taking care of yourself. You don't realize how precious you are outside of your relationships. You don't have anything to prove.
What is some advice you would give to a new musician?
I’d pass along the wisdom Jarvix* gave me, “don’t give up.”
People will have tons of advice, you may face rejection after rejection, and there will be times you question if you can keep going. Feel free to slow down. You can take a break, but please, just don’t give up.
*local music expert known for Make Oklahoma Weirder
Are your current projects anything like what you planned to do?
I never wanted to be a solo artist. The first noodle I threw on the music wall in 2023 was actually a group called the “Cherry Tomatoes.” I still have dreams of resurrecting that project. This year, my mental health was in the dumps and I reeeeally struggled to maintain healthy relationships. Maybe one day, I’ll be lucky enough to co-create as a daily practice with others. One vulnerable step at a time.
What kinds of goals do you have for your music?
I want my song to be played quietly through the headphones of a woman doing dishes with dinner in the oven. In the same way that Martina [McBride] inspired me with “Broken Wing,” I want her to no matter who
What would be your dream gig?
I wake up in a town I’ve never been to and my best friends are with me. We walk into a diner with booths duct taped together and a lady named Betty pours our coffee while telling us the history of the whole county. We mosey around town until load-in and jam in the green room until the headliner (Kacey Musgraves or Sierra Ferrell obvi) peeks their head in. I don’t hyperventilate, but rather partake in a meaningful, calm conversation and she proceeds to join our jam. The show goes off without a hitch. Hopefully, there are tears, dancing, and at least a couple people making out. After the show, we get to shake hands with those who spent their dollars on harmony.
Larrissa SO MUCH LOVE,
Library Out Loud Presents:
come see young musicians rock the library!
VENUES
89thStreet
8911NWesternAve(OKC) 89thstreetokc.com
BeerCityMusicHall 1141NW2nd(OKC) beercitymusichall.com
BlueDoor
2805NMcKinleyAve(OKC) bluedoorokc.com
BlueNote
2408NRobinsonAve(OKC) okcbluenote.com
Bookish
1005NW36thSt(OKC) thebookishshop.com
Criterion
500EastSheridanAve(OKC) criterionokc.com
Core4Brewing 7NLeeAve(OKC) core4brewing.com
DiamondBallroom
8001SEasternAve(OKC) diamondballroom.com
FactoryObscura 25NW9thSt(OKC) factoryobscura.com
GrandRoyale 1749NW16thSt (OKC) instagram.com/grandroyaleokc
JonesAssembly 901WSheridanAve(OKC) thejonesassembly.com
OKCider 705W.SheridanAve(OKC) okciderco.com
Opolis 113NCrawfordAve(Norman) opolis.org
ThePetShop 1529LinwoodBlvd(OKC) thepetshopokc.com
Ponyboy 423NW23rdSt(OKC) ponyboyokc.com
ResonantHead 400SW25thSt,SuiteA(OKC) resonanthead.com
Resonator 325EMainSt(Norman) resonator.space
TheSanctuary 1012NIndianaAve(OKC) facebook.com/thesanctuaryok
51stStreetSpeakeasy 1114NW51stStreet(OKC) 51stspeakeasy.com
TowerTheatre 425NW23rdSt(OKC) towertheatreokc.com
TheVenue 1103NorthVilla(OKC) thevenueokc.com
ZooAmp 2101NE50thSt(OKC) okczooamp.com
Low-stakes Oscar takes
for the movies that earned between 4.5-5 stars from me, someone who gives ratings very generously.
Warning: mild spoilers for anyone who wants to go in fresh.
This year’s nominees are stacked. What follows are just some of the moments that stuck with me most. You might wonder why I didn’t rank them or pick a single Best Picture winner. And that is because I’d honestly want them all to win…and that’s boring. Also, at the time of writing, I still haven’t seen “The Secret Agent,” “Hamnet,” “Frankenstein,” “Train Dreams” or “F1,” but I’m hoping to fix that soon.
“Marty Supreme” – I almost didn’t want to give a whole 4.5 stars...but I had to. Josh Safdie delivers a perfectly anxiety-inducing arc following a table-tennis hustler whose confidence is always just ahead of reality. Timothée Chalamet gives exactly the kind of performance that I look for from him. In case you missed it, during his Critics' Choice Awards speech he called himself “one of the greats,” and, while I thought that was so silly at the time, I kind of hate that this one makes the argument. My only knock is that it feels a little too close to “Uncut Gems,” another spiral built around a too-cocky man who keeps almost winning while destroying everything he loves. I still loved it though.
TL;DR – “Uncut Gems,” but make it ping pong.
“One Battle After Another” – I’ll admit it; the trailers did not sell me. I kind of thought “meh an action movie okay I’ll pass.” Instead, I ended up giving it a full five stars. The film tracks a former revolutionary who gets pulled back into conflict, and while, yes, there is a lot of action, it is balanced with surprisingly delicate character work. Despite the 2 hour 42 minute runtime, it flew. When my friend leaned over and whispered, “the last 20 minutes are some of the best in film,” she was right, and I couldn’t believe how much time had passed. It might be my favorite Paul Thomas Anderson movie I’ve seen.
TL;DR – The most I’ve enjoyed Leonardo DiCaprio in a while
“Sinners” – My expectations here were different here because, from the jump, I was hyped, and it delivered. Set around twin brothers in the Jim Crow South, the movie moves in a wildly unique way and is ultimately one of the freshest takes on vampirism to grace the theaters. When I logged my review on the Letterboxd app, I wrote, “the juke joint dance scene alone is wildly good,” and I stand by that. That sequence is burned into my brain forever. Michael B. Jordan in this is phenomenal. Also, Oklahoma’s own Karlos Hill (who has also spoken a couple times at our libraries) served as a historical consultant, which is extremely cool.
TL;DR – My second favorite recent movie with Jack O'Connell as a villain.
“Sentimental Value” – I expected a solid family drama about sisters and their distant father, and it was that, but I did not expect to fall in love with it like I did. Five stars, easy. It is a devastating look at inherited trauma. The cast is incredible across the board. I wasn’t sure how Elle Fanning would fit the film’s tone, but it was that uncertainty that ended up being exactly the point. She nails that feeling of being slightly out of place.
TL;DR – Ouch. That hurt.
“Bugonia” – I have not historically been a Yorgos Lanthimos person, so giving this five stars is a huge deal. The movie follows two conspiracy theorists who decide a powerful CEO might not be human, and that’s all I’m going to say. This is a film that keeps making you ask “what if they did this?” and then boldly doing…exactly that. (Also justice for Jesse Plemons, who absolutely kills in this role.) The ending is wildly satisfying. It wraps up so many threads and answers questions you have been holding onto while still sneaking in a couple of new ones you will immediately want to argue about with your friends in the theatre parking lot.
TL;DR – The cinematic version of “haha no…unless?”
Bonus content – I’ve also been really taken with the Documentary Feature nominees. My top two are “The Alabama Solution,” which examines prison conditions using footage secretly recorded by incarcerated people. The film literally would not exist without their documentation. The other is “Come See Me in the Good Light,” following Colorado Poet Laureate Andrea Gibson through their cancer journey. It made me sob at least four times.
Ahoy There, Matey
Got a bad case of cabin fever? Catch a sea breeze with one of these reads, all available from Metro Library:
The Black God’s Drums (by P. Djeli Clark)
A Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix (by C.B. Lee)
Daughter of Tides (by Kit Rocha)
The Flying ship (by Jem Milton)
The Forever Sea (by Joshua Phillip Johnson)
In Deeper Waters (by F.T. Lukens)
The mermaid, the witch, and the sea (by Maggie Tokuda-Hall)
On a Lee Shore (by Elin Gregory)
our bloody pearl (by D.N. Bryn)
The Pirate and the Porcelain Girl (by Emily Riesbeck)
Running close to the wind (by Alexandra Rowland)
The Wicked Bargain (by Gabe Cole Novoa)
by Abby Ettinger
Favorite atypical reading style / medium / genre?
Nonfiction graphic novels are my niche. There’s a great Substack called Autobiographix ran by a former professor of mine that has lots of good recs to get you started. (Lynda Barry is also always a great jumping-off point.) -la pêche punkette
Agreed on nonfiction graphic novels. Or any graphic novel really. I just read “100 Nights of Hero.” It is completely gorgeous, and I would highly recommend it. - Zoe
I just read book books really. - Granny Anarchy
Probably graphic novels, webcomics and children’s books (as a grown adult). Does manga and anime count?
Because those too. - Primal Opossum
I’ve recently rediscovered a joy for easy readers. Partially because I’m devouring all of the vampire media I can get my hands on, and there are a surprising number of kids’ books about vampires (my favorite so far is “Vampenguin”). But they can be so whimsical and gorgeous and heartfelt. -Jackalope