The Art of Table Dancing: Escapades of an Irreverent Woman

by D.C. Stanfa

DC Stanfa's ultimate goal in life is to outlive her acne, survive the dateless experience of high school, and get the hell out of Toledo. She has succeeded at all three. Follow this true, humorous journey of a rebellious Catholic schoolgirl in the 1970s, and her escape from the repressed notions of the Church and other adolescent constraints--such as living in the body of Peter Pan and in the shadow of a popular sister. While looking for fun and love, she also finds trouble in Dallas in the 1980s, gets her fifteen minutes of fame by posing as VP of Talent for GQ magazine on a beach trip, and ends up on a notorious talk show. To DC, falling down means always looking up and laughing in the face of whatever threw you to the ground--often looking in the mirror--and to get back up on that table and dance! She learns that life's little betrayals are necessary to really growing up--as is going home again. And in the end, humor, hope, and a sense of belonging prevail.

Genres: Memoir

287 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[C.B. Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

D.C Stanfa's first book merrily pulls one along the path of growing up with some wild twists and turns. A great read!

[Sheila Chiricosta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Table Dancing was a great read and transported me back to my Catholic school days and my teenage years! D.C. is a talented writer and I highly endorse this book. You will laugh and cry when you relive her hilarious adventures
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[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

DC Stanfa does the things, says the things, writes the things I wish I had the spine to do, say and write. Her irreverent sense of humor and her comedic timing make this a fun read. It also has its soft, warm spots that give you a glimpse of the woman behind the laughter.

[Wendy S. Delmater · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beaches are all through this book by DC Stanfa. One thing I learned was that the “lapsed Catholics gone wild” trope I knew from where I grew up on Long Island was not confined to that geographical area; it was more a symptom of the times in the 70’s. DC (a baby nickname for Denise) questioned authority and was rebellious all of her life. It started with talking back to the nuns in Catholic school about everything from evolution to the dress code… backed by her mom who was never all that comfortable with Catholicism since she’d become a Catholic mainly to marry DC’s father. It was also the story of a junior high and high school outsider, a fact that will no doubt resonate with a lot of her readers. A larger percentage of the women reading it will totally get the “I’m flat-chested and my sisters/girlfriends are not” battle her younger self had with acceptance and self-image, too.

I was never a drinker, but after reading this I can at least understand the allure of going to bars and clubs and pouring a little false courage. But what I identified with the most was DC working a man’s profession and doing it extremely well, with pride. In her case it was regional sales for a company that sold cardboard cartons, in Texas. The whole girl-needs-to-leave-small-town bit slid off me since I was a NY native, but I’m pretty sure it will resonate with a lot of folks.

All in all it was a fun read, and a glimpse into a world where the teen friends who scrimped and saved to go on spring break in Florida maintained those friendships into adulthood, and never tired of hilarious pranks. The GQ photographer prank alone was worth the price of the ebook!

[Faith Bevan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the book about a year ago and loved it, living vicariously through DC's escapades, When she mentioned the Hash House Harriers, I knew she was the real deal. Lots of smiles, laughs and appreciation of life, youth, and the quest to find joy in life

[Lawanda Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contemporary Romance

D C tells her story in a comical way. I lived through the '70s so this book brought back memories. Lol and oh the Joy's of spring break.

[Marilyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

First few chapters recall her early attempts to defy the brow beating Catholic school nuns, a promising start to this memoir. But it quickly devolves to the equivalent of eavesdropping on valley girl conversations about the cool kids, who made out with who, and endless bar hopping. Gladly left this in the guesthouse where I found it when hoping to avoid reading Danielle Steele.