Edgewise: A Picture of Cookie Mueller Paperback – September 30, 2014

I’m a huge fan of the Dreamlanders and particularly Cookie. I have every book on her and let me tell you this is a work of art. Not only is it an extremely well written oral history, the aesthetics and photos and the way it’s done is just fabulous, hon. I treasure it!!! You rock!!! Buy this book!!!!!!!!!

This book exceeded my expectations - I was surprised that this is her first book because it was so well done. One of the things that comes through is the author’s genuine fascination for CM and how she finds her life inspiring. You can tell from the interviews how well the author got to know the people she loved and the rapport she had with them. I especially liked the first person interview style (much like the book “Edie”, about Edie Sedgwick). I also enjoyed the timeline: it follows a standard liner format, more or less, but about 1/3 way through there is a chapter about her childhood. It really works - somehow it emphasizes just how much she shaped her own life, how adventurous she was and how complicated.As a teenager, women like Cookie fascinated me and gave me view of what kind of things you can get out of life if you follow your heart. Female heroes don’t have to be perfect mother’s or selfless martyrs - they can be a great friend, an adventurer, a bit of a hustler, etc all mixed together.

Like many, before reading this book, I only knew Cookie Mueller from her early work with John Waters. This amazing book explores the many sides of a complex, brilliant woman--a poet, a columnist, an art reviewer, a socialite, a fashionista and trend setter, a club kid (before such a concept existed), a mother, a wife, a bisexual lover, a drug addict, a victims of the AIDS epidemic, and an incredibly kind and generous soul. This book was leagues better than I expected it to be, neither tabloid expose, nor an after death white-washing of the more sordid side of her life, this biography is told by the people who knew her best--her lovers, her son, her friends, her colleagues, etc. I just couldn't put this one down and wish it could have went on forever.

Loved this book and brought back so many memories of the 70's and 80's for me and nowI even had a performance in the movie just made in Scotland - yeah.. my first movie role.

If you lived in Provincetown in the seventies and eighties this is a poignant, interesting book to read, or if you want to learn more about the scene around John Water's and his films. The way these peoples lives intersect with the drug and culture scene and AIDS crisis in downtown New York in the eighties is told beautifully and describes the sadness and confusion of the situation with a powerful simplicity. This is a good book.

An excellent read. If you loved Cookie when you were watching all those old John Waters films then you will love this, too. My one complaint: the first printing was too small. I wanted one for a friend for her birthday and finding a copy at a decent price was harder than it should be at only three months after its release date!

Wonderful book. Since it's mostly transcribed interviews with the people who lived it, you get see the unromantisized lives of these people who epitomized the crazy times they lived. They were the most of the most! And the book is put together beautifully. Each page is a work of art. Lots of photos and collages. A fabulous chronicle of a fascinating time.

Fantastic book. Absolutely FELL IN LOVE with this woman. Looked forward to getting in to bed with her every night til I'd finished reading it. (Also, surprised to find a friend of mine (Tommy Myers) mentioned, but that's not important). Great, great read!