The Books Inc./Center Book Group discusses Michelle Tea's Rose of No Man's Land March 21, 2007

A whirlwind exploration of poverty and dropouts, "Rose of No Man's Land" is the world according to Trisha Driscoll -- a furious love story between two weirdo girls, full of witty thoughts and introspective contemplations on the dazzle-flash emptiness of contemporary culture.

Fourteen-year-old Trisha is a gender-blurring, self-described loner whose family expects nothing of her. While her mother lies on the couch in a hypochondriac haze and her sister aspires to be on "The Real World," Trisha struggles to find her own place among the neon signs, theme restaurants, and cookie-cutter chain stores of her hometown. After being hired and abruptly fired from the most popular clothing shop at the local mall, Trisha befriends a chain-smoking misfit named Rose, and her life shifts into manic overdrive. A "postmillennial, class-adjusted "My So-Called Life"" ("Publishers Weekly"), "Rose of No Man's Land "is brimming with snarky observations and soulful musings on contemporary teenage America.

Michelle Tea is an author and poet originally from Chelsea, Massachusetts. She currently lives in San Francisco. Tea was the co-founder of the Sister Spit spoken word tour. Her books, mostly memoirs, are known for their views into the riot grrrl and queercore communities. She has toured with the Sex Worker's Art Show alongside Ducky DooLittle and others. She is also a contributor to The Believer magazine & is the co-writer for the weekly astrology column, Double Team Psychic Dream in San Francisco's Bay Guardian newspaper.

Our next Book Group meeting is Wednesday, March 21 at 7 PM at the Three Dollar Bill Cafe at the LGBT Center, 1800 Market St. (@ Octavia). As always, I'd like everyone to come with any observations they may have as well as at least one question to pose to the group. Also, please come equipped with any title suggestions for our next joint venture. Hope to see you there. The Center/Books Inc. Book Group is free and open to everyone. We encourage inclusiveness and promote diversity. We meet the 3rd Wednesday of every month.

Official Website: http://booksinc.net