From Publishers Weekly
Woronov (Wake for the Angels) was a Cornell undergraduate when she was "discovered" by Andy Warhol protege Gerard Malanga and suddenly found herself drawn into Warhol's notorious circle of counterculture hipsters. Seduced by the decadent glamour of the scene that revolved around Warhol's famous Factory, a world where "wanting was better than having, looking was better than being-it was the land of reflections," Woronov dropped out of college, appeared in several of Warhol's underground movies, notably Chelsea Girls, and embraced the weird fascinations of New York City's '60s drug culture. Here she weaves a vivid, impressionistic account of her time in Warhol's inner circle, a chapter in her life that came to an end when her addiction to speed got out of hand. Beginning in a tone of youthful excitement and slowly descending into one of frenetic despair, these memoirs are highly compelling and offer insightful portraits of such Factory notables as Lou Reed, Ondine and Nico. Woronov's prose is often dazzling; while she notes that Warhol himself was "uncomfortable with words," she proves herself a wordsmith. Her writing alone makes this an engrossing read. Photos.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Leaving Cornell University in 1964, Woronov joined the human odds and ends that congregated at Andy Warhol's famed Factory in New York City's SoHo. She soon found herself part of the stage show for Warhol's rock band creation, the Velvet Underground, and survived primarily on amphetamines. Her Factory peak, however, was her starring role in Warhol's infamous film, Chelsea Girls (1967). Woronov tells her version of those years in a highly personal and impressionistic style, befitting the author of the short story collection Wake for the Angels (LJ 9/1/94). Though the usual cast of Warhol characters makes their appearance here (International Velvet, Ondine, Nico, Billy Name, etc.), the author's account is not for those seeking a history of the Factory years, for which Ultra Violet's Famous for 15 Minutes: My Years with Andy Warhol (LJ 11/15/88) or Nat Finkelstein's Andy Warhol: The Factory Years (St. Martin's, 1989. o.p.) provide a more reliable chronicle. An optional purchase for most collections.?Martin R. Kalfatovic, Smithsonian Inst. Libs., Washington, D.C.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
