Musical Chairs
Jen Knox
Indie Memoir/YA
[rating: 5/5]
Available in…
• Mobi/Kindle
… from…
• Amazon
• MobiPocket
Also in paperback
Some time ago, Jen Knox and I swapped memoirs. She sent me a copy of Musical Chairs, which explores her family’s history of mental health diagnoses, her years of strip-dancing, alcoholism, and estrangement, and her struggle for reconciliation. (That’s from the cover.)
I also sent her a copy of Love through the Eyes of an Idiot. In full disclosure, just as I had started reading her book, Jen sent me an email about mine:
I finally posted my review of your delightful book. Oh how it made me remember how lucky I am to have found Chris after all the relationships (if you can call them that) that came before him. He thanks you. I thank you, for writing a great read.
Truthfully, I’m gratified that Jen enjoyed my book. And I did really want to like hers as well— I always want to like a book from a fellow author, and it upsets me when I don’t. But I will tell you exactly what problems I had with Musical Chairs:
-
I ran across numerous line-editing issues, including misspelled words, bad punctuation (like ending a sentence with a comma, in at least two places), and sentences that made no sense in context. The best typo I found on page 152, where Jen wrote about working at the bookstore: “As I cleared dust from a self in the psychology section…” So, was that an ego or an id? (Ba dum bum.)
-
Some details were missing from spots in the story where I would naturally expect them, popping up as surprises elsewhere. For example, all the time Jen was staying with Miss Sarah and her daughter (in the chapter entitled “Miss Sarah”), I thought Sarah was a white, single mother. It was only much later in the book that I was told that Sarah (or at least her daughter) had darker skin, that she was married to a Latino who had treated Jen rudely, and that she had some pretty bizarre racial ideas.
-
Jen begins with a panic attack, and she concludes as the panic attacks disappear… I think. I have nothing against waxing eloquent, as she did in the epilogue; I’m just not sure how she concluded the story. (But otherwise the epilogue did leave me feeling uplifted and satisfied.)
All of my complaints were counterbalanced, however, by the fact that I literally couldn’t put the damn book down! That’s why I’ve been absent this week. I blew through the entire thing in a little over a day, immersing myself in her story every moment I could. Really, no joke, no exaggeration: I read until I got tired; then I napped, woke up, and continued where I left off; lather, rinse, repeat.
Truthfully, before I started the book, I half expected a melodramatic pity party for a life beset by personal tragedy and self-destruction. On the contrary, Jen drew me into her story, the story of a girl I could hardly believe existed.
At one point, I reclined in a hot bath with Jen’s book in one hand and a cup of Earl Grey in the other. I looked at the cup, a commemorative mug, dated November 20, 1994, for the centennial anniversary of the facility at which my Beloved interned. I suddenly realized that at that very time, Jen had run away from home, 15 years old, and was living with her 19-year-old boyfriend. My Beloved was about to launch her career, and during the same autumn, Jen was about to launch herself into boyfriends and sex and statutory rape and the real thing, erotic dances for money, fights and alcohol and the battle for control and delusions and psychosis and abandonment— But through it all, Jen seemed so… normal to me. I genuinely sympathized with her, felt for her in her quest, desired to reach out to her and provide what I saw she was missing in her life. And I smiled when she finally began to find it.
This is the reason I read independent memoirs, to meet people I might never otherwise know, through them to live experiences I could never otherwise fathom, and to win victories I would never otherwise have even pursued. And Musical Chairs generously filled that need.
-TimK
|
Musical Chairs |
Available in… |
This is a very informative post about online casinos and
betting platforms. I especially liked how it explains the importance of choosing a
secure site before signing up.
Many players often ask where they can find
reliable gaming platforms with fair odds and smooth payouts.
From what I’ve seen, checking platforms like vn22vip helps users compare features, bonuses, and
overall experience.
Thanks for sharing these insights — they’re helpful for both beginners and experienced bettors.
Greetings all! I’m reading the forum for a while and wanted to ask a quick question. Does anyone have practical experience on this matter? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
https://share.evernote.com/note/a80957b3-1753-28a4-e971-44ce2af2a312
Every withdrawal method’s pros and cons — choose the right payout option for your situation.
Лечение в стационаре позволяет провести детоксикацию, снять абстинентный синдром, уменьшить тревожность, восстановить сон и подготовить человека к дальнейшей терапии алкогольной зависимости. В нашей клинике помощь организована круглосуточно: можно оставить заявку через форму сайта, получить онлайн-консультацию, вызвать специалиста, заказать транспортировку или уточнить цены по телефону. Поэтому в нашей частной клинике в Краснодаре лечение проходит строго анонимно.
Подробнее можно узнать тут – быстрый вывод из запоя в стационаре в геленджике
Everyone loves what you guys are up too. This sort of clever
work and coverage! Keep up the superb works guys I’ve you guys to
my own blogroll.
darmowy bonus za rejestracjД™ bez depozytusalon gier toruЕ„ п»їaktualne bonusy bez depozytu total casino blik
Thanks very interesting blog!
Hi everyone! I have been reading this discussion for a while and wanted to ask a quick question. Has anyone got practical experience with this? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
https://www.slideshare.net/promoboxllcwa?tab=about
bester wimbledon wettanbieter
My web site; sportwetten tipp
บริการลูกค้า ของ เว็บซื้อหวยมาตรฐาน จะ พร้อมช่วยเหลือ ตลอด 24 ชั่วโมง ผ่านช่องทาง เบอร์โทรศัพท์ ไม่ว่าจะ แจ้งปัญหาระบบ หรือ ตรวจสอบผลรางวัล ก็ได้รับ การช่วยเหลือที่ดี ซึ่ง เป็นสัญญาณที่ดี ของ แพลตฟอร์มนั้น
If you desire to obtain much from this paragraph then you have to apply these methods to your
won website.
Hello everyone! I’m checking the forum recently and wanted to get your opinion. Does anyone have real experience on this matter? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Cheers!
https://www.provenexpert.com/septic-solutions-llc/
Thanks designed for sharing such a good idea, article is nice, thats
why i have read it fully
learn to play blackjack online freepieniД…dze do zabawy kasyno online blik dolly casino opinie
Hello all! I have been checking this discussion for a while and wanted to ask a quick question. Has anyone got real experience with this? Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
https://www.pinterest.com/septicsolutionsllc/_profile/
Hmm is anyone else experiencing problems with the images on this blog loading?
I’m trying to find out if its a problem on my end or if it’s the
blog. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I’m truly enjoying the design and layout of your website.
It’s a very easy on the eyes which makes it
much more pleasant for me to come here and visit more often. Did you hire out a designer to create
your theme? Excellent work!
Hello all! I have been following this discussion for a while and decided to get your opinion. Has anyone got real experience on this matter? Any tips would be super helpful. Cheers!
https://www.pearltrees.com/productairseattle
Appreciation to my father who informed me regarding this website,
this blog is really awesome.
Great web site you have here.. It’s hard to find high-quality writing like yours these days.
I truly appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!
The captain who scores consistently in the powerplay — early runs compound with the multiplier.
Hello all! I’m checking this thread for a while and decided to get your opinion. Has anyone got practical experience on this matter? Any feedback would be super helpful. Thanks in advance!
https://www.zeemaps.com/map/ofcle?group=6962440
Greetings all! I’m checking this discussion for a while and decided to ask a quick question. Does anyone have real experience with this? Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
https://gravatar.com/productairheatingofficial
Howdy! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after reading through some of the post
I realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m definitely
happy I found it and I’ll be bookmarking and checking back frequently!
kasyno bonus urodzinowyenergy casino mobile android kasyno online blik pzbuk bonus powitalny
Please let me know if you’re looking for a article writer for your site.
You have some really great posts and I feel I would be
a good asset. If you ever want to take some of the
load off, I’d absolutely love to write some content for your blog in exchange for a link back to
mine. Please shoot me an email if interested. Many thanks!
Hello all! I have been following this discussion recently and wanted to get your opinion. Does anyone have practical experience with this? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Cheers!
https://www.mapleprimes.com/users/viliageuxj
Hi everyone! I’m checking this thread for a while and wanted to ask a quick question. Does anyone have real experience with this? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Cheers!
https://linktr.ee/promoboxllc
cheltenham non runner no bet
My web site horse racing best Odds
kasyno z bonusem za rejestracjebonus joker za darmo wpЕ‚ata paysafecard kasyno betclic freebet bez depozytu
Слушайте кто знает Брат потерял человеческий облик Жена рыдает Скорая не приедет на такой вызов Короче, врачи стационара реально вытащили — вывод из запоя самара стационар с палатой Выписали через неделю здоровым В общем, жмите чтобы сохранить — вывод из запоя в стационаре клиника https://kapelnicza.vyvod-iz-zapoya-v-stacionare-samara.ru Стационар — это единственный выход Перешлите тем кто в беде
Greetings everyone! I have been checking the forum recently and wanted to ask a quick question. Has anyone got practical experience on this matter? Any tips would be super helpful. Thank you!
https://myspace.com/promoboxllc
With havin so much content and articles
do you ever run into any issues of plagorism or copyright infringement?
My site has a lot of completely unique content I’ve either authored myself or outsourced but it seems a lot of it
is popping it up all over the web without my permission. Do you know any ways to help stop content from being ripped
off? I’d truly appreciate it.
Состояние пациента отслеживается на каждом этапе, от первичной консультации до дальнейших рекомендаций.
Ознакомиться с деталями – быстрый вывод из запоя в стационаре геленджик
Hi everyone! I’m reading the forum for a while and decided to get your opinion. Has anyone got real experience on this matter? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
https://hub.docker.com/u/productairheatingofficial
В частной клинике вывод из запоя на дому или в стационаре проводится анонимно, конфиденциально и при добровольном согласии. Наркологическая служба работает круглосуточно, включая выходных и праздников, поэтому вызвать врача можно в любое время. Пациент или его близкий получает консультацию нарколога по телефону, узнает стоимость, условия выезда, возможные противопоказания, состав капельницы и порядок оказания медицинской помощи.
Выяснить больше – http://www.domen.ru
city casino białystokpoker jak grać aktualne bonusy bez depozytu darmowe kasyna z bonusem bez depozytu
Здорова, народ Отец не встаёт с кровати Дети боятся заходить в комнату Скорая не приедет на такой вызов Короче, спасла только госпитализация — запой стационар с комфортными условиями Провели полную детоксикацию В общем, жмите чтобы сохранить — вывод из запоя в стационаре в самаре https://kapelnicza.vyvod-iz-zapoya-v-stacionare-samara.ru Не ждите пока станет хуже Перешлите тем кто в беде
Hello all! I have been following this discussion for a while and decided to get your opinion. Does anyone have insights on this matter? Any feedback would be super helpful. Cheers!
https://speakerdeck.com/promoboxllcwa
Superb, ѡhаt a weblog іt is! Thiѕ webpage presеnts valuable fɑcts tо
us, keep it uр.
My blog tuition agency
Hello everyone! I’m following this discussion for a while and decided to get your opinion. Does anyone have insights on this matter? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Cheers!
https://www.classifiedads.com/household_items/4fw107xpm3dx8
https://gidromashin.com/product-category/zapchasti-k-gidronasosam/page/24/
Слушайте кто сталкивался Брат потерял человеческий облик Соседи уже вызвали участкового Скорая не приедет на такой вызов Короче, спасла только госпитализация — капельница от запоя в стационаре круглосуточно Врачи и медсёстры 24/7 В общем, вся инфа по ссылке — капельница от запоя в стационаре капельница от запоя в стационаре Стационар — это единственный выход Это может спасти жизнь
Greetings all! I’m following the forum recently and decided to ask a quick question. Has anyone got insights on this matter? Any advice would be super helpful. Thank you!
https://rentry.co/a9uw8p58
Запрос ••Глаз Бога поиск людей•• продолжает привлекать внимание пользователей. Используя подобные сервисы, важно соблюдать требования законодательства и уважать конфиденциальность других людей.
глаз бога
пхукет ко ланта Ко Ланта отлично подходит для семейного отдыха благодаря мелководью и спокойному морю на большинстве пляжей. Здесь дети могут безопасно купаться, а родители — наслаждаться отдыхом в шезлонге.
Spot on with this write-up, I actually feel this web site needs much more attention.
I’ll probably be returning to see more, thanks for the
info!
Hello everyone! I have been checking this thread for a while and decided to ask a quick question. Has anyone got insights on this matter? Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
https://forum.plarium.com/throne-kingdom-at-war/761_cardinals-guidelines/1757094_frequent-pumping-needed/
magic fruits demotop casino poland wpЕ‚ata paysafecard kasyno aplikacja gry play
free cheltenham bets no deposit
Here is my web-site: Online Horse Betting Sites