By Carol Burnett (and Carrie Hamilton).
"Guess what, Mama! I"m now declaring the year 2001 to be "The year of the grown-up!" At thirty-seven, I think it's about friggin' time! I'll always be a rock and roll girl, a recovering addict with a bird-of-paradise tattoo on my shoulder, but in spite of all that (!) I feel myself becoming more of a woman, no longer a girl. I was driving today thinking that I've been working at what I love (acting, singing, writing, directing) for eighteen years. I've built this cabin, been married, and divorced. I've had a life!" --Carrie Hamilton
I read this one on my mother's recommendation. This will probably not surprise you.
This is a short memoir-ish thing about Carol's oldest daughter Carrie, who was a writer/singer/musician/actress/dancer and died of cancer at age 38. The book is very short and brief, skimming Carrie's birth, her issues with drugs in her teen years, her recovery, her career, and her eventual death. I felt like it was too short, because Carrie does sound like a fun, interesting person and the e-mails and faxes Carol reprints of hers are very lively. (Also, more photos, please.)
Sample quote from Carrie: "I accidentally smacked myself in the face with the mudroom door, leaving a big upside-down V-shaped welt on my cheek, like some sort of gang-related ceremonial mark. I shall adorn it somehow tonight (maybe with surgical glue and a few sequins), cause a fuss in Gunnison, and next week, perhaps, everyone I see shall have big red sequined Vs on their cheeks. I think wearing one of my boas will cap the whole thing off!" See what I mean about wanting more photos, especially ones in crazy outfits?
The last section of the book is Carrie's sorta-unfiinished (which is to say, it actually has an ending, but probably could have used more work) short story "Sunrise in Memphis," about a 23-year-old girl traveling with a random cowboy to Graceland. Both Carrie and Carol seem enamored of the story, but I was...not so much. Maybe because I'm biased about cowboys and don't find them terribly interesting since I grew up with them, or that I couldn't really get past why anyone would totally end up randomly traveling with a complete stranger like that, or whatever. Or maybe it's just not my thing.
Anyway, three stars--short but poignant.
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