These articles were originally published on The Pop Break.
Book Review: ‘Songs Only You Know’ By Sean Madigan Hoen
Sean Madigan Hoen explores his rough teenage years in Songs Only You Know. Unlike a lot of memoirs writers, Hoen manages to avoid making you feel bad for him. It’s quite a feat, especially since he comes from the Detroit area, a part of the country equally known for cars and misery.
Songs Only You Know is set in Detroit’s 1990s rock scene, but it’s really about Hoen finding himself. The book covers his father’s crack addiction, his parents’ divorce, his sister’s battle with depression. This all happens while Hoen simultaneously tries to make it big and hide his rock life from his family, which takes a devastating toll on his sister.
Hoen’s memoir is not an easy read. There are times when he comes dangerously close to repeating the mistakes of his father, who seemed to have it all, yet throughout his life, was just as lost as his son.
Despite their problems and a natural tendency to pull away from the people they love, the Hoens were always there for each other. Underneath it all, Hoen’s family was surprisingly normal for a family that was far from perfect. That’s probably why Songs Only You Know is a well-written memoir by someone who is troubled, talented, and has finally gotten on the right path in life; instead of a 300 page rant against humanity.
When Hoen wasn’t dealing with his home life, he was trying to escape it through music. His bands and their tours were a reprieve from his father’s crack addiction and his sister’s depression, but they also lead him to trouble. There were times Hoen experimented with drugs, hung around the wrong people, and sought out revenge for people he felt wronged him. As he grew up, he worked hard to move away from his past, which is why Hoen no longer comes across as a punk up to no good.
Every middle class kid in their late-teens and early-twenties should read Songs Only You Know because it authentically explains what it’s like to have everything you could want, but still feel unhappy as you discover life isn’t perfect and you’re almost an adult. Unless you are the one person in the world whose high school years were amazing, you will find something in the book you can relate to.
Book Review: ‘Carsick’ by John Waters
Carsick, a book about hitchhiking across the United States, is made up of three novellas: the good, the bad, and the real. When reading the Carsick, one must take into account that it was written by America’s foremost purveyor of filth, John Waters, who is best known for writing and directing the original Hairspray movie.
The first thing that becomes clear is that Waters’ idea of good is different from everyone else’s. Who else describe being anally probed by aliens as a good thing? Then again, Waters’ has a habit of suggesting he likes to have nearly anonymous sex with strangers and graphically describing erections, but you wouldn’t expect less from the man who gave the world Pink Flamingos, a movie most definitely not for the faint of heart.
Most people would find Waters’ good trip disturbing, yet he somehow manages to make his bad trip downright horrifying. The scenes described wouldn’t be out of place in one of his movies, especially his regrettable infected tattoo. He’s also the type of person who would take your repulsiveness at his vileness as a compliment, which is why he isn’t for everyone.
The book has an interesting concept that is well executed. Waters could have easily decided to go back and forth between possible scenarios, but he wisely chose keep his imaginary experiences separate from what actually happened.
Despite having some sick fantasies and hanging around with unsavory-types, Waters’ wants to believe people are good. Now that he has successfully completed the trip from Baltimore to San Francisco without ending up dead, Waters’ can confirm that, overall, people are hardworking and decent. It’s him you probably want to stay away from or drive halfway across the country to meet him. It’s your choice. He’s really not scary and can turn on the normal when necessary.
You can clearly imagine his experiences, both real and imagined. Even if you object to the content Waters has a way with words. If he didn’t, the content wouldn’t be as objectionable and would result in a much less interesting book. As usual, The Pope of Trash does his job well.