Book Review: Donna Florio's Growing up Bank Street

Thank you to NYU Press for providing me with a copy of Donna Florio’s memoir, Growing up Bank Street, in exchange for an honest review.

In the mid-1950’s, Donna Florio’s theatrical, opera singing parents moved into a small apartment on Bank Street in New York City. Shortly after, Florio was born, and spent her childhood performing opera and navigating her diverse neighborhood.

In Growing up Bank Street Florio details the colorful characters who have lived in her neighborhood. Her exploration goes back to the turn of the century with the early families of Bank Street continuing to the present day. Florio herself spent her entire childhood on Bank Street, and after spending years abroad, returned to live in her neighborhood as an adult. Bank Street has been home to people of all economic walks of life, from street vendors and factory workers, to John Lennon and disgraced movie mogul, Harvey Weinstein. Florio was babysat by the real-life Auntie Mame, and was neighbors with the girlfriend of punk rocker Sid Vicious. Florio was even a neighbor interviewed by the press, making headline news, when Vicious overdosed in their building.

Celebrity aside, Florio spends much of her memoir talking about the normal neighbors on Bank Street who lived extraordinary lives. One of the most memorable was a friend who fearlessly helped other during the early days of the Aids crisis, a time when how the virus was transmitted was still unknown. Florio admits that his actions gave her courage to reach out to friends who were dying. Their neighborhood had always been welcoming towards the gay community, and the Aids epidemic hit Bank Street particularly hard.

Bank Street could be a rough and dangerous neighborhood, but I also took away the feeling that it was populated with neighbors who looked after each other. Later, when she was an adult, Florio learned that the seemingly well-timed intrusions from her neighbors, were actually planned to rescue Florio from her parent’s intense fighting. The neighbors could hear the arguments through the thin walls, and they would make an excuse to take Florio to their house, yet do it in a way that as a child, Florio did not realize the true reason and her parents were allowed to escape embarrassment. Growing up Bank Street is filled with examples of community pride, kindness, and neighbors helping neighbors. In some small way, it reminded me of my own childhood townhouse complex.

If you love New York, quirky characters, and fascinating history, you should definitely add Growing up Bank Street to your TBR list.

Cordella Magazine- "Belonging"

I’m thrilled to announce that my poem, “Belonging” was recently published in Cordella Magazine’s Field Notes. Please check it out here: Belonging.

I wrote “Belonging” several years ago, in Rick Bursky’s poetry course through the UCLA Extension Writer’s Program. It was a great class, really my first time writing poetry. Bursky was supportive and a wonderful instructor.

As a bizarre, “Only in Los Angeles” side-note, Francis Bean Cobain was one of my classmates. She didn’t call attention to herself, yet it was very clear to everyone that we had a semi-celebrity in our presence. The even more strange thing is, she is someone with whom I’ve always felt a bit of a connection, as two California kids who both lost their fathers to suicide when we were too young to remember them. I was sixteen when Kurt Cobain died, and I’ve always kept Frances Bean in my mind. Losing a parent, let alone to suicide, is a beyond shitty club that no one wants to be a member.

I finished at UCLA Extension in 2016, but didn’t start sending out my work for publication until Covid hit. It was very exciting when Cordella Magazine, a wonderful lit mag that supports women, picked up “Belonging” for its Field Notes section.

“Belonging” is loosely inspired by my former brother-in-law (first marriage), who was a landscape designer. He had a demanding client with a very fancy, expensive koi pond. Oddly enough, my sister-in-law from my second marriage is also a landscape designer. It’s definitely wonderful to have family members who create beauty in the world. I can’t remember the direct assignment for this particular poem, but I remember focusing on language and line breaks.

I’m simply very excited to see my work out in the world and I hope that you will check-it out.

Book Review- Rebecca Hardiman's Good Eggs

Thank you to Atria Books for providing me with a copy of Rebecca Hardiman’s Novel, Good Eggs, in exchange for an honest review.

Eccentric eighty-three year old widow, Millie Gogarty, has just been arrested for shoplifting, and to make matters worse, her middle-aged son, Kevin, is called to retrieve her from the police station. Worried about his mom’s behavior, Kevin pretends to strike a deal with the police, which includes canceling Millie’s upcoming holiday, and having a young American woman named Silvia employed as a part-time carer.

Initially, Millie is livid at the arrangement, and vows to give Silvia a difficult time, however, Silvia’s charm and friendship quickly melts Millie’s tough exterior. The two women form a bond, and Millie even loans Silvia a large sum of money. The relationship turns sour, when Silvia leaves Ireland, and Millie can’t contact her. Soon, Millie realizes that Silvia may not be the friend that she imagined.

Kevin is dealing with his own troubles, including a marriage that’s on the rocks, and a troubled teenage daughter, Aideen. Aideen’s angry attitude and unpredictable behavior have pushed her parents to send her to a strict private school, where she boards on school nights. Aideen find solace in the other back sheep of the family, her grandmother, whom she helps solve the mystery of the missing Silvia.

Good Eggs explores what it truly means to be a good person, and how we can both seek and give forgiveness, even when tremendous transgressions have occurred. None of Hardiman’s characters are perfect, yet they are all very much human, and I’m certain that all readers can find themselves in one or more of the characters.

I was most drawn to Aideen, who at sixteen, is struggling to figure out her personal identity. She doesn’t feel like she fits in with her family or society, causing her to lash out and make some terrible judgements in error. Yet, despite her troubles, she has a good heart.

One of the more surprising plot twists involves Aideen unwittingly poisoning her headmaster. Another classmate and Aideen steal a bag of fish eyeballs from biology class and put a few in their headmaster’s breath mint jar, intending on a disgusting prank. However, the girls do not realize that the eyeballs have been preserved in formaldehyde, which sends the headmaster to the emergency room. Aideen doesn’t know the extent of her headmaster’s injuries, yet she immediately disregards any repercussions, and fesses up to the crime in efforts to help give information to help her headmaster’s recovery. The other girl stays silent.

Aideen is filled with these moments, mistakes made and regrets. She desperately wants to make the right decisions, but she is also conflicted over how to navigate social situations. I could definitely see aspects of my teenage-self in Aideen.

Good Eggs was an unexpected read filled with plot twists, delightful characters, and a big dose of heart. I fell in love with the Gogarty family. Good Eggs is Hardiman’s first novel and I look forward to her next!