false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171605769m/109520.jpg 109520 6 <i>I Am Not Myself These Days</i> is Josh Kilmer-Purcell's outrageously intimate memoir of a young man living a double life in the heady days and nights of mid-'90s New York City. As we follow Kilmer-Purcell through alcohol-fueled nights and a love affair with Jack, a crack-addicted male escort, he offers up an alternative universe where normal is "a Norman Rockwell painting that, if you leaned in close, would discover is made up entirely of misfits." <p> By day, Josh drudges off to a Soho-based advertising firm where he creates ad campaigns for corporate clients. At night, he dons live goldfish as false breasts to complete the look of Aqua, a 7-foot-tall award-winning drag queen who trolls gay clubs in search of her next drink/one night stand. In between, he spends his time trying to build a stable, loving relationship with someone whose beeping pager is a constant reminder of the pair's almost inevitable fate. Yet even as Josh's escapades get increasingly absurd, Kilmer-Purcell is always there to remind us that the story we're reading is real, and that fundamental human emotions and desires are essentially universal. In the end, everyone just wants to be loved and to fit in somewhere. And while the lesson may seem hokey at times, Kilmer-Purcell's sharp wit rescues the memoir from becoming an exaggerated sob story: <blockquote> The night before any major holiday is always a blockbuster night at gay clubs. Thousands... across the city fortifying themselves for long trips home where they'll be met with awkward silences, stilted conversations and cousins with whom they'd experimented with decades ago. </blockquote> From start to finish, <i>I Am Not Myself These Days</i> is an extraordinary journey into an amazing life. To be a fly on the wall is an adventure that should not be missed. <i>--Gisele Toueg</i><p> <i>slight edit by Leah Dagen</i> 1631 1 2 2006 I Am Not Myself These Days: A Memoir (P.S.) total:1111|5:323|4:418|3:287|2:68|1:15| 1111 4299 1654 231 109520 0060817321 9780060817329 1087 225 3.87 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171605769m/109520.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/109520.I_Am_Not_Myself_These_Days_A_Memoir 5 1 false Thu Oct 11 18:28:42 -0700 2007 Sat Oct 13 19:01:27 -0700 2007 more...]]> 109520 0060817321 9780060817329 1087 225 3.87 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171605769m/109520.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/109520.I_Am_Not_Myself_These_Days_A_Memoir 4 1 false Fri Mar 23 21:17:41 -0700 2007 Tue Mar 04 07:41:03 -0800 2008 more...]]> 109520 0060817321 9780060817329 1087 225 3.87 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171605769m/109520.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/109520.I_Am_Not_Myself_These_Days_A_Memoir 5 0 false Thu Feb 05 07:54:32 -0800 2009 Thu Feb 05 07:54:48 -0800 2009
I like fiction because I can delve into the story, take a mind break and live someone else’s life. I love fiction because it’s fun, often frivolous and I’m a sucker for a good story. Fiction has a way of easing stress for me...more...]]> 109520 0060817321 9780060817329 1087 225 3.87 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171605769m/109520.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/109520.I_Am_Not_Myself_These_Days_A_Memoir 4 0 false Sun Jan 18 19:23:25 -0800 2009 Wed Jan 21 12:40:49 -0800 2009 more...]]> 250538 0593056248 9780593056240 4 1 3.87 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173140194m/250538.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/250538.I_Am_Not_Myself_These_Days 5 0 false Thu Jan 29 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Thu Jan 29 03:42:39 -0800 2009 Thu Jan 29 23:57:43 -0800 2009 ...more...]]> 109520 0060817321 9780060817329 1087 225 3.87 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171605769m/109520.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/109520.I_Am_Not_Myself_These_Days_A_Memoir 3 0 false Fri Jan 02 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sun Jan 04 16:12:42 -0800 2009 Sun Jan 04 16:27:28 -0800 2009 more...]]> 109520 0060817321 9780060817329 1087 225 3.87 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171605769m/109520.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/109520.I_Am_Not_Myself_These_Days_A_Memoir 5 1 false Thu Aug 14 06:44:55 -0700 2008 Thu Aug 14 06:47:16 -0700 2008 109520 0060817321 9780060817329 1087 225 3.87 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171605769m/109520.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/109520.I_Am_Not_Myself_These_Days_A_Memoir 4 0 false Wed Apr 02 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Dec 23 20:27:28 -0800 2008 Tue Dec 23 20:31:27 -0800 2008
The protagonist is lost, but seemingly having a great time stumbling around. He's fabulously gay, but not politically so. He transforms himself into a grand drag queen, meets a boys, falls in love with...more...]]> 109520 0060817321 9780060817329 1087 225 3.87 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171605769m/109520.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/109520.I_Am_Not_Myself_These_Days_A_Memoir 4 0 false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Fri Jul 03 11:02:15 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 08 10:59:35 -0700 2009 hard-dri...more...]]> 109520 0060817321 9780060817329 1087 225 3.87 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171605769m/109520.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/109520.I_Am_Not_Myself_These_Days_A_Memoir 2 0 false Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Oct 14 17:48:26 -0700 2008 Tue Oct 21 08:09:38 -0700 2008
OK, so I read this one. Who knew that Augusten Burroughs wasn't the only gay, blacking out drunk alcoholic who worked in advertising in Manhattan? Well, I guess the difference is that the guy who wrote this book was also a drag queen who lived...more...]]> 109520 0060817321 9780060817329 1087 225 3.87 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171605769m/109520.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/109520.I_Am_Not_Myself_These_Days_A_Memoir 5 1 false Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sun Apr 27 08:12:31 -0700 2008 Mon Apr 28 11:06:03 -0700 2008 more...]]> 109520 0060817321 9780060817329 1087 225 3.87 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171605769m/109520.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/109520.I_Am_Not_Myself_These_Days_A_Memoir 4 0 false Fri Dec 28 10:03:20 -0800 2007 Fri Dec 28 10:04:28 -0800 2007 more...]]> 109520 0060817321 9780060817329 1087 225 3.87 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171605769m/109520.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/109520.I_Am_Not_Myself_These_Days_A_Memoir 5 0 false Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sat Sep 29 17:26:23 -0700 2007 Wed Oct 03 05:45:28 -0700 2007 more...]]> 109520 0060817321 9780060817329 1087 225 3.87 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171605769m/109520.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/109520.I_Am_Not_Myself_These_Days_A_Memoir 3 0 false Sun Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Wed Mar 04 08:03:45 -0800 2009 Wed Mar 04 08:03:45 -0800 2009 more...]]> 109520 0060817321 9780060817329 1087 225 3.87 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171605769m/109520.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/109520.I_Am_Not_Myself_These_Days_A_Memoir 4 0 false Fri Jul 17 07:11:51 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 17 07:19:56 -0700 2009
And he recommended the book, "I Am Not Myself These Days" which I'll subtitle, "Growing Up and Liking It".

Like any junior art director in New York City, Josh Kilmer-Purcell has a lot of growing up to do. ...more...]]> 109520 0060817321 9780060817329 1087 225 3.87 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171605769m/109520.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/109520.I_Am_Not_Myself_These_Days_A_Memoir 2 0 false Mon Feb 16 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sun Feb 15 12:55:01 -0800 2009 Wed Feb 18 10:25:47 -0800 2009 more...]]> 109520 0060817321 9780060817329 1087 225 3.87 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171605769m/109520.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/109520.I_Am_Not_Myself_These_Days_A_Memoir 4 0 false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Jan 20 10:28:25 -0800 2009 Tue Jan 20 10:31:51 -0800 2009 1
A lot of the escapades reminded me of Augusten Burroughs and with Josh Kilmer-Purcell's relationship with ...more...]]> 109520 0060817321 9780060817329 1087 225 3.87 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171605769m/109520.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/109520.I_Am_Not_Myself_These_Days_A_Memoir 3 0 false Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Fri Aug 03 10:50:24 -0700 2007 Fri Aug 03 11:53:42 -0700 2007 more...]]> 109520 0060817321 9780060817329 1087 225 3.87 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171605769m/109520.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/109520.I_Am_Not_Myself_These_Days_A_Memoir 5 0 false Sun Apr 05 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Apr 05 11:42:29 -0700 2009 Sun Apr 05 11:45:44 -0700 2009
If yo...more...]]> 109520 0060817321 9780060817329 1087 225 3.87 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171605769m/109520.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/109520.I_Am_Not_Myself_These_Days_A_Memoir 2 0 false Thu May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri Nov 28 10:52:21 -0800 2008 Fri Nov 28 10:52:21 -0800 2008 more...]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=109520