Niki Rowland's Reviews > Chelsea Girls

For what has been marketed as a novel, there isn’t much direction to these fast-paced anecdotes of Eileen Myles’ wild life - a direct reflection of Myles’ experiences.

Whenever I found myself getting sucked into a story, it would end, and I hoped we’d return to it in an upcoming chapter, but I’d be left with my thoughts and wonder about what the hell I just read. The chapter on Myles’ father’s alcoholism was one I wish had gone on longer simply for the reason that it was written with such grace and innocence for something so dark and raw.

I really did enjoy when Myles showed their power of poetic phrasing by creating this drug and sex infused dream world (the chapter titled Leslie was incredible), but I honestly was grasping for more of the “unabashed lesbianity” that this book claims to possess.

As someone who has read Bukowski (with a grain of salt), I’ve solidified that I am not the biggest fan of reading about the riotous pursuits of most 20th century writers. But I am glad that I had the opportunity to read the upbringing of a founding lesbian of the writing world.

On another note, I have a good feeling I’d take to Myles’ poetry.