Who Town

by Susan Kirschbaum

Writing for the Tribune, Sarah Rosen launches celebrities like rote zombies. She describes them as her editor dictates, to anoint the next wave of "it" and "who." One afternoon Sarah covers the dinner party of Roxy--a sculptor who carves figurine replicas of herself--and something, literally, snaps. Roxy's sculpture is decapitated by a rolling rack of designer clothes. Lola, Roxy's haphazard lover--an erotic actress--smokes weed with her bar back boyfriend. And Rick, son of an iconic metal guitarist reluctantly participates in Sarah's staged news story. Questioning her journalistic role as the ultimate fabricator, Sarah crosses personal and professional boundaries when she meets Roxy for a drink. Through the revolving perspectives of Sarah, Roxy, Rick, and Lola, the reader travels the tenuous thread that links them. Sarah comes from a Jewish family on the poor side of the tracks and dry cleans thrift store designer cast offs so she won't be found out. Roxy transforms herself from Waspy Connecticut prep into a goth narcissistic monster who lives rent free in her father's Tribeca building. Rick hides his original collection of Shakespeare plays and his substandard penis. And Lola experiments with sex and drugs in order to forget a pup tent in Texas and a mother's curse that ultimately drove her to New York City, the land of opportunity. WHO TOWN is a world that blurs sexual identity with ego gratification, artistry and pornography, religious taboos and addiction, and an increasingly falsified media that perpetuates a soul killing cult of insta-celebrity.

178 pages, Paperback

First published August 2, 2012

About the author

Susan Kirschbaum started her writing career as a journalist, penning cultural stories for Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, the Jewish Forward, the London Times, New York Observer, New York Magazine, and the  New York Times, among others. After myriad art critiques, then dipping into investigative journalism, she decided to delve deeper into the human psyche and write fiction. She’s never looked back.

Her first novel –”Who Town” — a social parody called the “New York hipster Less than Zero” — debuted in May 2012 on Amazon. *UPDATE 2013, Bret Easton Ellis, the author of Less Than Zero and American Psycho read Who Town. To quote him: "It was fun."

There’s a second satirical novel in the works that pays homage to some of Kirschbaum's literary heroes including Nabokov, Philip Roth, Henry Miller, Jim Morrison, and her eccentric late grandmother Eva “Marge” Kirschbaum, all great story tellers in their own right.

(**New Yorkers looking to support our neighborhood book treasure troves: Who Town can also be found at the Strand, 192 Books, Three Lives, Spoonbill & Sugartown (Williamsburg), and McNally Jackson, where it sold out a magical "7" times.)

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who Town is a fun and weird read about 20-something "it-kids," rich kids, models and children of the famous in New York City. I wouldn't say it's entirely satire. Having grown up on the periphery of this very scene the characters are almost like caricatures but are actually quite convincing, not exaggerated. Roxy, an aspiring artist whose family pays for her enormous Tribeca loft. Rick, a rocker whose father was in a famous band. Lola, the damaged actress who is not afraid to have sex on screen.

I found it appealing when the author reveals the vulnerable sides of these characters who are kind of obnoxious on the surface. Again, on the edge of satire, their "issues" are intentionally comically cliche but the situations that take place, the characters' interactions do have heart. I wouldn't have enjoyed the book otherwise.

I related to the main character, Sarah, a reporter tasked with profiling these privileged and messed up characters. The book follows her struggle with "journalistic integrity", her recognition of the ridiculousness of the it-kids' fame and at the same time her envy of them and wanting to be accepted by them.

Who Town is funny and biting but the fact that the parts that touch on relationships/dating/friendships ring true is also comforting.

[Kiki · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're looking for biting wit and a sober-but-hilarious look at the NYC fashion and art scene, read this book! Kirschbaum is an insider who gives us a good, hard, funny look at the dark underbelly of New York's party and art scene. The lives of It Girls Lola and Roxy, indie-band front man Rick, and "Tribune" art columnist Sarah are intertwined in a tale that makes you step back and question the machinery behind high fashion, art, and the journalists that manipulate our perception of them.

Though the book provides plenty of satire, the stories of each individual are also surprisingly intimate and touching - not through any sentimentality but because of Kirschbaum's ability to describe characters' helplessness and neediness with humanity and humor. Kirschbaum also has the gift of delightful description - Lola's first heroin trip is a great showcase of this.

So, grab this book and settle in to enjoy the raucous, pathetic, tender lives of NYC's bright young things.

[Yesim · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fellow New Yorker, many of the characters reminded me of people I knew around the early 2000's and she really captured the time period. Kirschbaum portrays an insiders look at the downtown scene that makes you want more by the end.

[Anouck Lepere · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to enjoy a moment in ones life with a well proportioned quality paper back book.
The story reads like a woman with very beautiful hands is slicing very finely butter into multiple pieces!
Butter is a by product from milk. Probably the most popular farm project ever created.

[Brooke Andersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who Town transported me to a time in New York City I wish I had been a part of. This is a truly captivating read following the highs and lows of a group of young adults immersed in the downtown scene of New York City before social media took over. Kirschbaum's descriptive writing pulls you in immediately, and her chaotic, vulnerable and lovable characters leave you wanting more.

[Hector Meza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alice steps through the mirror, Dante walks through a dark forest and into hades... and, similarly, Sarah, the protagonist of former journalist Susan Kirschbaum's clever and honest debut novel, crosses Canal Street and into a fashionable photo shoot held at a Tribeca loft. Not anything like her modest, middle-class suburban Philly upbringing, Sarah cannot help falling through this rabbit hole into a world fueled by drugs, trust funds, and Louboutins, and populated by a porn star with a heart of gold, a princess (from New England) and her magic doll collection, and a frustrated rock-n-roll heir that sings the saddest songs in the world, among other misfit children scared of life and of themselves.

It is obvious right away that Sarah, a journalist at one of the nation's most prestigious newspapers, whose noble and intellectual aspirations have been stymied by the vapid style beat she's been assigned to, is a stand-in for Kirschbaum herself. Similarly, her other characters are fictionalized amalgamations of real-life New Yorkers, but unlike those found in other "fashion" books they're no easy caricatures: Kirschbaum paints detailed portraits of their quirks and nuances with a loving, compassionate brush... yet, she never let's them off the hook for all their plentiful bullshit.

Who Town is neither a bitter expose nor an apologia, but a brutally frank (and also incredibly funny) exploration of a dying, desperate world and the poor souls--rich in money but completely lacking in self-awareness--that inhabit these very fashionable woods.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book--an updated Bright Eyes Big City with more interesting characters, It really reminded me of moving to nYC and trying to find a place for yourself, while trying to find out who you are at the same time. Much more interesting than the books people proclaim as "coming of age books" its for any age--Give it to your friends, nieces, and favorite cool aunts! As well as your male friends, nephews, and your fave cool uncle x

[Devin Kasparian · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun book. Delectable characters, classic downtown NYC it-kids drama. Had a wonderful time getting to know these characters, and Kirschbaum’s writing is fantastic and biting.

Really enjoyed the building drama between the it-kids — I wish the ending was stretched out a little longer. Need another read from Kirschbaum.

[YL · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aspirational novel of manners, but the plot itself seems to become confused with the characters. Read as investigative journalism though -- this is quite fascinating and the author obviously knows her beat

[Ted Scofield · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHO TOWN is a delicious insiders' peek into the fascinating lives of a handful of NYC characters. I really enjoyed the voyeuristic aspects of the book, which was clearly written by a person with first-hand experience in the exclusive New York art & music scene.

[Paige Silveria · Rating 5 out of 5]

A satisfactory departure from nausea-inducing chick-lit, "Who Town" quickly wins your affection after just a few pages, and your respect after a few chapters. Susan Kirschbaum's debut novella depicts 'the real New York' without apologies or reservations.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who Town was a delightful read that felt all too familiar, having spent the better part of my own 20s working and playing in New York City. Kirschbaum effortlessly portrays a side of downtown New York culture that feels both real and deeply personal. Would highly recommend to anyone interested in a window - or a mirror - to the turbulent lifestyles of lower Manhattan.