audaciaray's review
4.0
Full disclosure: the author is a friend of mine.
This is a 350-page book that I tore through in a weekend - and I am a busy lady. It's the kind of book that makes you miss your stop on the subway and emote right along with the characters (are people "characters" when it's a memoir? In this case I say yes. being a stripper is all about being a character, especially if your role is Construction Guy or Prince Charming).
The book has a solid dose of 1980s NYC coke-driven sleaze, plus tender and slightly raunchy tales of Chippendales from the center of the action. As the master of ceremonies of Chippendales, David Henry Sterry was in the midst but still an outsider to the Chippendales madness. As the self-proclaimed "second ugliest man at Chippendales," his tale is wonderfully self-deprecating and perceptive about the performance of hyper-masculine gender and sexualities. I loved the stuff he writes about sexuality and the notion of being beyond straight/gay/bi/whatever, especially since he just puts it out there but doesn't get too heavy-handed with it.
Also, it's just a damned fun read. Sterry's writing is invigorating and really delivers the pulse of the place, which is just great. And - he's quite the performer too. Here's a little video of Sterry performing a bit of Master of Ceremonies (in a top hat of course): "16 Pound Balls"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A5vnhgXXLg
This is a 350-page book that I tore through in a weekend - and I am a busy lady. It's the kind of book that makes you miss your stop on the subway and emote right along with the characters (are people "characters" when it's a memoir? In this case I say yes. being a stripper is all about being a character, especially if your role is Construction Guy or Prince Charming).
The book has a solid dose of 1980s NYC coke-driven sleaze, plus tender and slightly raunchy tales of Chippendales from the center of the action. As the master of ceremonies of Chippendales, David Henry Sterry was in the midst but still an outsider to the Chippendales madness. As the self-proclaimed "second ugliest man at Chippendales," his tale is wonderfully self-deprecating and perceptive about the performance of hyper-masculine gender and sexualities. I loved the stuff he writes about sexuality and the notion of being beyond straight/gay/bi/whatever, especially since he just puts it out there but doesn't get too heavy-handed with it.
Also, it's just a damned fun read. Sterry's writing is invigorating and really delivers the pulse of the place, which is just great. And - he's quite the performer too. Here's a little video of Sterry performing a bit of Master of Ceremonies (in a top hat of course): "16 Pound Balls"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A5vnhgXXLg
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