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A review by ejdecoster
The Cook Up: A Crack Rock Memoir by D. Watkins
4.0
3.5, rounded up to reflect his overall work. Also he signed my copies of his zines, so! Watkins has a strong narrative voice, a certain directness that makes his writing extremely engaging. From what I've read of his, I tend to think shorter forms are a strength for him.
If you're familiar with Watkins some of this content may seem familiar, but there's a certain rawness, maybe bluntness, to the telling that read to me like these are still events the author is still grappling with to some degree, and the reader is taken along with the writer.
There's a bit on p. 58 where Watkins describes fiends lining up to buy drugs as "... kids, happy kids, because we had their candy." It's a poignant and disturbing comparison that really felt like a mind grenade - it will be rattling around in my head for a while.
If you're familiar with Watkins some of this content may seem familiar, but there's a certain rawness, maybe bluntness, to the telling that read to me like these are still events the author is still grappling with to some degree, and the reader is taken along with the writer.
There's a bit on p. 58 where Watkins describes fiends lining up to buy drugs as "... kids, happy kids, because we had their candy." It's a poignant and disturbing comparison that really felt like a mind grenade - it will be rattling around in my head for a while.