Rose of no man's land

Fourteen-year-old Trisha Driscoll is a hungry machine, taking in her hometown of Mogsfield, Massachusetts—a place that has shamelessly surrendered to neon signs, theme restaurants, and cookie-cutter chain stores. Cynical but naive, Trisha observes the disappointing world from the ignored perspective of a teenager: creepy guys, the unfathomable sadness of the elderly, illegal tattoos, and the wild kingdom of mall culture. After being hired and abruptly fired from the most popular shop at the absurd and kaleidoscopic Square One Mall, Trisha finds herself linked up with a chain-smoking, physically stunted mall rat named Rose, and her life shifts into manic overdrive. A whirlwind exploration of poverty and dropouts, Rose of No Man’s Land is the world according to Trisha—a furious love story between two weirdo girls, brimming with snarky observations and soulful wonderings on the dazzle-flash emptiness of contemporary culture. about THE AUTHOR Michelle Tea lives in San Francisco, where she is beloved for her writing, her spoken word, and her innovative arts organization that brought the world Sister Spit. Her published books include Rent Girl, The Chelsea Whistle, and Valencia. She loves—like, really loves—beauty products. from THE AUTHOR I grew up on the North Shore of Massachusetts. Last year I visited, grabbed a Slush at Richie’s King of Slush on Revere Beach Parkway. Cruised Route One in Saugus, our little Las Vegas New England, and pulled into a giant bookstore and shuffled around. I peeked around for The Chelsea Whistle, which sticks a female skewer through my nearby hometown. It wasn’t there. I felt hurt. What’s the point of writing if not to find your book splayed out on the “local writers” table in your hometown bookstore? I know Saugus isn’t my hometown, but it’s close enough. Plus, Chelsea doesn’t have any bookstores. I thought, what do I have to do, write a book about Saugus? Fine, then. Next stop was the Square One Mall, the place I would bring my adolescent holiday money the day after Christmas. Square One nowadays is glitzier than ever. Neon and fluorescence and all the clothes so bright and clutching at me through the glass windows. Teenaged girls everywhere in giant schools, jabbering in that North Shore accent. I felt giddy. Here’s my book.