Edgewise - A Picture of Cookie Mueller - Chloe Griffin

 

A companion book (for us) to the compilation of Cookie's writings that my lovely wife picked up a while ago and I am just now getting to. This one is an attempt at a biography with copious interviews with those who knew Cookie best, whether they be friends, lovers, family and even her son, who she references numerously in her own writings and who had quite the upbringing himself. Of course, some of the various memories conflict, but that's the way that memories work (especially considering the prodigious drug taking that this crew partook in), and the different viewpoints gives some variation on reality, whatever that might be for anyone involved.

The story concentrates on Cookie's adult life, with a brief bit about her youth and her time in San Francisco, but initially concentrating on the wild times in Baltimore, mixing with artists and, of course, John Waters and his crew. Hearing from her son, Max, is a huge plus for this book, as he, of course, has a contrasting perspective from those who were partying with Cookie, and it is sweet that her friends did seem to want to care for and protect him as much as they could in their addled states.

Funnily, there is a section on her younger days, complete with awkward adolescent photos, in the middle of the book - oddly placed, chronologically speaking, but after already learning a bit more about who she becomes, it is interesting to learn of her school'n'family days that helped to forge her identity.

The majority of the tome concentrates on her time in New York City (although, of course, she traveled copiously, including a jaunt to Italy where she met her husband), with her partying, drug-dealing and writing that defined her later years. Of course, the fun turns sour, to put it mildly, as the drugs take the lives of some friends and then AIDS ravages the scene completely, including infecting Cookie and her husband, taking both of their lives.

There was a lot of love for Cookie which shows through in everyone's reflections and very little negative to be said, although some of that could be that they don't want to talk bad about the death, but it doesn't feel that way. It seems that she was cherished in the scenes that she was part of and even her ex's have plenty of kind words. Would that we all can reach people like that.

I think that this was really well done and Griffin spent years in exhaustive research for a book that I doubt is a big moneymaker. But, I appreciate learning more about Cookie, who I find fascinating and talented, and appreciate the work that Griffin put into this. Definitely worthwhile!