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Gutter Glitter
Did you know that guinea pigs are so sensitive that the slightest change in environment can shock them to death?
That's me. I am the guinea pig.
Kirsten Moore's debut memoir Gutter Glitter follows Kirsty as she navigates debilitating childhood anxiety and anorexia, followed by life-altering spinal surgery and subsequent opioid abuse. Her history with mental illness is compounded when she experiences three significant losses within six months.
Kirsty uses her sardonic wit and self-deprecating humour to reflect on the absurdity that can come from the most dire circumstances.
Ultimately, Gutter Glitter chronicles Kirsty's evolution from trembling guinea pig to twerking warrior as she reminds us that we are all '100% dat bitch!'
* Check out the audiobook podcast by searching Gutter Glitter in your favourite podcast app.
That's me. I am the guinea pig.
Kirsten Moore's debut memoir Gutter Glitter follows Kirsty as she navigates debilitating childhood anxiety and anorexia, followed by life-altering spinal surgery and subsequent opioid abuse. Her history with mental illness is compounded when she experiences three significant losses within six months.
Kirsty uses her sardonic wit and self-deprecating humour to reflect on the absurdity that can come from the most dire circumstances.
Ultimately, Gutter Glitter chronicles Kirsty's evolution from trembling guinea pig to twerking warrior as she reminds us that we are all '100% dat bitch!'
* Check out the audiobook podcast by searching Gutter Glitter in your favourite podcast app.
290 pages, Paperback
Published August 1, 2023
20 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 20, 2023
I ordered this book after seeing it on Instagram. Such a heartbreaking, yet empowering read. Kirsten is so raw and honest about her story and writes in a way that captivates readers from the first page. Her story is one of true strength and one that a lot of people will find comforting in their own times of pain and suffering.
August 14, 2024
Gutter Glitter is a very real, raw and unflinching account of the life of the author, who has endured a multitude of trauma and is still here to tell the tale, which in and of itself speaks to her tenacity and strength.
Told in a conversational and well-written style, Kirsten describes her early life anorexia nervosa, her spinal cancer battle, which then led to prescription opioid addiction and a lot of self destructive behaviour, not to mention a life long struggle with codependency. Top the whole thing off with some SA and a lot of suicidal ideation and, while it might sound like an odd thing to say about someone's real actual life, this read is not for the faint hearted.
It does, however, provide interesting insight into these experiences. I liked the way Kirsten would describe her intense inner experiences. So often, things like mental health issues are defined by what is observable from the outside or by how they affect other people. Kirsty offers us an inside look at the thought processes and motivations she experiences throughout her journey, which I think is really valuable.
It is almost eerie the extent to which I related to some of her experiences. I also spent a good portion of my teens and 20s in various stages of anorexia nervosa, never quite being "successful" enough as an anorexic to be taken seriously despite subsisting at times on 4-600 calories a day (I literally had a GP look me up and down and say "well you're not anorexic now, are you". This was the campus GP at a medical school, btw, and I had an "underweight" BMI at the time). One of the chapter title songs, Ana's Song by Silverchair, I was absolutely obsessed with in my teens.
I also survived a fatal car accident at 20 with a fractured pelvis, so while I've never had spinal surgery, I do know what it's like to push out a multi-laxative induced poop into a bedpan through broken bones and then wait for someone to clean you up.
I also had my "maybe I'll find my self worth under these random dudes" phase so... yeah, all in all, while the specifics may have varied, I definitely felt a lot of kinship with the author.
Overall an open and vulnerable read from someone who has been through a lot. And to everyone who's still here in spite of life rather than because of it, just because fuck it you're a contrary lil wench - I see you.
Told in a conversational and well-written style, Kirsten describes her early life anorexia nervosa, her spinal cancer battle, which then led to prescription opioid addiction and a lot of self destructive behaviour, not to mention a life long struggle with codependency. Top the whole thing off with some SA and a lot of suicidal ideation and, while it might sound like an odd thing to say about someone's real actual life, this read is not for the faint hearted.
It does, however, provide interesting insight into these experiences. I liked the way Kirsten would describe her intense inner experiences. So often, things like mental health issues are defined by what is observable from the outside or by how they affect other people. Kirsty offers us an inside look at the thought processes and motivations she experiences throughout her journey, which I think is really valuable.
It is almost eerie the extent to which I related to some of her experiences. I also spent a good portion of my teens and 20s in various stages of anorexia nervosa, never quite being "successful" enough as an anorexic to be taken seriously despite subsisting at times on 4-600 calories a day (I literally had a GP look me up and down and say "well you're not anorexic now, are you". This was the campus GP at a medical school, btw, and I had an "underweight" BMI at the time). One of the chapter title songs, Ana's Song by Silverchair, I was absolutely obsessed with in my teens.
I also survived a fatal car accident at 20 with a fractured pelvis, so while I've never had spinal surgery, I do know what it's like to push out a multi-laxative induced poop into a bedpan through broken bones and then wait for someone to clean you up.
I also had my "maybe I'll find my self worth under these random dudes" phase so... yeah, all in all, while the specifics may have varied, I definitely felt a lot of kinship with the author.
Overall an open and vulnerable read from someone who has been through a lot. And to everyone who's still here in spite of life rather than because of it, just because fuck it you're a contrary lil wench - I see you.
October 5, 2024
Once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down. This puppy was consumed in about 2 days.
A little administrative background on the author of Gutter Glitter. Kirsten Moore, as per her biography at the end of the memoir, has been a classical singer, songwriter, yoga teacher and nutritionist, and has recorded 2 albums, ‘Bare’ in 2014 and ‘Breathe & Repeat in 2016. If you happen to pop over to Apple Music, you can find her latest musical offering ‘Left Out At Sea’ from 2023. She has worked as an au pair and an English tutor in Italy, written a blog about living with mental and physical illnesses, and won the Nillumbik Artists in Own Residence grant for her writing. In short, Kirsten is a woman of many talents. But, with all of that light comes a bit of dark – it always does, and you can’t have one without the other.
Gutter Glitter was an easy read in terms of the structure of the memoir, and the author’s voice, tone and choice of words. The content, however, is not what the everyday person would consider easy. Mental illness, opioid addiction and anorexia are discussed by Kirsten with disarming honesty. I challenge anyone to read Kirsten’s memoir and not turn their faces from the light she shines on the dark parts of life that we all like to try to avoid.
That’s the thing, isn’t it? As a species, we tend to want to see only the bright, shiny goodness in life. We don’t like to confront the dark and all the scary things it might be hiding, and that includes in the people we interact with. But there’s something about the way Kirsten opens up to the audience about mental illness and opioid addiction and anorexia that simultaneously shields and exposes us to the challenges that many people in society face. I want to say it’s the almost conversational tone she writes in, and the quips that accompany some of the more serious anecdotes that allow the reader to witness what she lived without scaring anyone away from what she has to say.
What struck me about Kirsten’s story were the insights she offered about the way people with anorexia, opioid addiction and mental illness think. When she wrote about what was going on in her head as she pushed food around a plate, or convinced herself that she wasn’t the right weight, or that she really did need that extra painkiller was fascinating to me. Eye opening. What we see portrayed on TV or in movies about anorexia, addiction and mental illness is rarely, I believe, truthful. It’s glamourised for your viewing pleasure. Gutter Glitter gives us Kirsten’s truth. It’s not glamourised. It’s not painted over to make it acceptable for our poor sensitivities. It’s real. It’s what one person’s brain is doing to them, and that person, Kirsten, has opened herself up and ushered us in to see it for ourselves.
While I enjoyed reading the whole memoir, those moments of Kirsten allowing us into her mind in the midst of anorexia telling her she was not body beautiful or opioids telling her she needed them to survive because she couldn’t possibly live with all that pain were the diamonds. They were the moments that sat with me the longest after I finished reading the memoir. That humanising of an addiction, eating disorder or mental illness through giving the reader access to her thoughts sets Kirsten’s memoir above others that I have read that discuss addiction or mental illness. She gave me something that others had not. More insight. More understanding. More empathy. Or, given her surname, perhaps I should have written: Moore insight. Moore understanding. Moore empathy.
I always find it difficult to say I enjoyed a memoir that discusses the things we like to avoid like mental illness and addiction. It’s in that word – ‘enjoyed’. Did I enjoy reading about someone’s pain? No. Did I enjoy when they wrote about a traumatic incident? No. Did I enjoy reading about someone else’s life, their challenges and how they have worked or are working to overcome them? Yes. People are interesting. Their experiences are interesting. In writing all of that, yes, I did enjoy reading Gutter Glitter. I also enjoyed listening to Kirsten’s music, so if you fancy hitting her up on Apple Music or Spotify, get on it.
I wholeheartedly recommend getting your hands on a copy of Kirsten Moore’s Gutter Glitter. It might just make you reconsider how you speak to people (particularly little girls) and how you see those struggling in your life.
Kirsten Moore
Gutter Glitter
A little administrative background on the author of Gutter Glitter. Kirsten Moore, as per her biography at the end of the memoir, has been a classical singer, songwriter, yoga teacher and nutritionist, and has recorded 2 albums, ‘Bare’ in 2014 and ‘Breathe & Repeat in 2016. If you happen to pop over to Apple Music, you can find her latest musical offering ‘Left Out At Sea’ from 2023. She has worked as an au pair and an English tutor in Italy, written a blog about living with mental and physical illnesses, and won the Nillumbik Artists in Own Residence grant for her writing. In short, Kirsten is a woman of many talents. But, with all of that light comes a bit of dark – it always does, and you can’t have one without the other.
Gutter Glitter was an easy read in terms of the structure of the memoir, and the author’s voice, tone and choice of words. The content, however, is not what the everyday person would consider easy. Mental illness, opioid addiction and anorexia are discussed by Kirsten with disarming honesty. I challenge anyone to read Kirsten’s memoir and not turn their faces from the light she shines on the dark parts of life that we all like to try to avoid.
That’s the thing, isn’t it? As a species, we tend to want to see only the bright, shiny goodness in life. We don’t like to confront the dark and all the scary things it might be hiding, and that includes in the people we interact with. But there’s something about the way Kirsten opens up to the audience about mental illness and opioid addiction and anorexia that simultaneously shields and exposes us to the challenges that many people in society face. I want to say it’s the almost conversational tone she writes in, and the quips that accompany some of the more serious anecdotes that allow the reader to witness what she lived without scaring anyone away from what she has to say.
What struck me about Kirsten’s story were the insights she offered about the way people with anorexia, opioid addiction and mental illness think. When she wrote about what was going on in her head as she pushed food around a plate, or convinced herself that she wasn’t the right weight, or that she really did need that extra painkiller was fascinating to me. Eye opening. What we see portrayed on TV or in movies about anorexia, addiction and mental illness is rarely, I believe, truthful. It’s glamourised for your viewing pleasure. Gutter Glitter gives us Kirsten’s truth. It’s not glamourised. It’s not painted over to make it acceptable for our poor sensitivities. It’s real. It’s what one person’s brain is doing to them, and that person, Kirsten, has opened herself up and ushered us in to see it for ourselves.
While I enjoyed reading the whole memoir, those moments of Kirsten allowing us into her mind in the midst of anorexia telling her she was not body beautiful or opioids telling her she needed them to survive because she couldn’t possibly live with all that pain were the diamonds. They were the moments that sat with me the longest after I finished reading the memoir. That humanising of an addiction, eating disorder or mental illness through giving the reader access to her thoughts sets Kirsten’s memoir above others that I have read that discuss addiction or mental illness. She gave me something that others had not. More insight. More understanding. More empathy. Or, given her surname, perhaps I should have written: Moore insight. Moore understanding. Moore empathy.
I always find it difficult to say I enjoyed a memoir that discusses the things we like to avoid like mental illness and addiction. It’s in that word – ‘enjoyed’. Did I enjoy reading about someone’s pain? No. Did I enjoy when they wrote about a traumatic incident? No. Did I enjoy reading about someone else’s life, their challenges and how they have worked or are working to overcome them? Yes. People are interesting. Their experiences are interesting. In writing all of that, yes, I did enjoy reading Gutter Glitter. I also enjoyed listening to Kirsten’s music, so if you fancy hitting her up on Apple Music or Spotify, get on it.
I wholeheartedly recommend getting your hands on a copy of Kirsten Moore’s Gutter Glitter. It might just make you reconsider how you speak to people (particularly little girls) and how you see those struggling in your life.
Kirsten Moore
Gutter Glitter
Read
November 3, 2024Gritty, raw, eye opening.
There are no words I can find to be able to articulate Kirsten’s life. Memoirs are such a stark reminder of life, the precious nature of it, and how we will truly never understand someone else’s journey.
Kirsten’s life has been harrowing to say the least. As each chapter began you knew there was going to be pain and sadness, yet it’s written with such humour and wit that you can really feel the connection to the author between the lines.
I really enjoyed the blue humour and sheer honesty throughout when having to deal with blow after blow. Sometimes you just have to laugh when constantly faced with trauma, because otherwise it’ll break you.
I especially loved that at the start of each chapter there was a song listed, and I knew many of them. I could hear the song playing like a backing track to the story, which just added such a different layer.
To come out the other side, strong and empowered shines a beautiful light on so much endurance and pain that’s been experienced.
Heavy content warnings for this book obviously, despite that, Kirsten’s personality shines brightly throughout!
Thank you to the author for a gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
There are no words I can find to be able to articulate Kirsten’s life. Memoirs are such a stark reminder of life, the precious nature of it, and how we will truly never understand someone else’s journey.
Kirsten’s life has been harrowing to say the least. As each chapter began you knew there was going to be pain and sadness, yet it’s written with such humour and wit that you can really feel the connection to the author between the lines.
I really enjoyed the blue humour and sheer honesty throughout when having to deal with blow after blow. Sometimes you just have to laugh when constantly faced with trauma, because otherwise it’ll break you.
I especially loved that at the start of each chapter there was a song listed, and I knew many of them. I could hear the song playing like a backing track to the story, which just added such a different layer.
To come out the other side, strong and empowered shines a beautiful light on so much endurance and pain that’s been experienced.
Heavy content warnings for this book obviously, despite that, Kirsten’s personality shines brightly throughout!
Thank you to the author for a gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 18, 2024
This is a raw, well written, heartfelt journey through illness, addiction and loss. Harrowing and hilarious. Wry and perceptive. It’s never just treading water. I was totally held in its spell and read it in one huge binge. You will be taken into Kirsty’s life and look out through her eyes from start to finish. The characters zing with life. Her emergence from despair to another place will inspire, amuse and surprise.
November 19, 2024
i have never really delve into non fiction before so gutter glitter is my first! I loved how it felt like Kristen was right there talking to me and chatting about her life. the topics in this book were heavy but so important. the memoir felt so raw and open - and I won’t lie, my heart broke multiple times throughout while reading this. an empowering and moving memoir - thank you for sharing this with your readers.
March 2, 2024
This was a heartwarming and poignant story about one person's experience with cancer, grief, addiction and recovery. It serves as a example of perseverance against all odds. This memoir is filled with insights into human nature. It is unexpectedly written with a lightness of touch and Kirsten's own brand of quirky humor. I enjoyed this immensely.
August 31, 2023
She puts self awareness/kindness/deprecating/healing into words from such a honest place. Gifting us the opportunity to not be ok all the time or even most of the time while still bad bitching it. A gem.
February 29, 2024
An incredibly poignant, beautifully real memoir. Kirsten’s words are raw and honest, and emotions leap from the pages. Many readers will relate to the delicate topics that the author so bravely tackles. It takes true courage and vulnerability to tackle delicate topics such as chronic illness,anxiety, addiction, and losses.
A book I won’t soon forget. Highly recommend!
A book I won’t soon forget. Highly recommend!
April 16, 2024
Such an incredible, genuine and raw journey. I was really taken with Kirstens voice and how open she is within these pages. My heart broke and was healed multiple times while reading. I don't know how to express the experience this book gave me, highly recommend!
February 27, 2024
Kirsten's a great storyteller. She tackles some tough but relatable subjects in Gutter Glitter and does so with a sense of humour. An impressive debut and an author to keep an eye on.
February 28, 2024
I find this is a wonderful book. So full of insight, heartbreak, renewal and ultimately successful recovery. The gory bits and gloriously real, the lovely bits profound. I highly recommend!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews