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THUNDERPUSS: A Queens Tale
From the very beginning, Alejandro Jimenez endured horrendous struggles. Stripped from his childhood home after his mother burned his feet with cigarettes, the 1-year-old baby was thrust into an unforgiving foster care system. Sexually abused by an older neighbor and beat physically by an alcoholic father, young Alejandro grew to hate the world and resent his place in it. Embraced by a cadre of larger-than-life characters in the underground gay club scene in Florida as a teenager, he threw himself into life in the fast lane. Ultimately, it was hair that saved him.
Poignant, touching, humorous, and, at times, tragically heartbreaking, Thunderpuss is a memoir like no other. Alejandro recounts his life with grace and wisdom, without malice or judgment. The result is a breathtaking book that leaves readers feeling simultaneously beat down and uplifted. It is a tour-de-force that doesn't let you go until the final page.
Poignant, touching, humorous, and, at times, tragically heartbreaking, Thunderpuss is a memoir like no other. Alejandro recounts his life with grace and wisdom, without malice or judgment. The result is a breathtaking book that leaves readers feeling simultaneously beat down and uplifted. It is a tour-de-force that doesn't let you go until the final page.
197 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 6, 2021
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 25, 2022
WHOA. What a wild memoir. Jiménez has lived more life than most of us can possibly imagine. The stories he shares are absolutely jaw-dropping, and not just the many examples of abuse and drugs. The poor kid couldn't even get on a horse without something crazy happening. I'm blown away by his total honesty and complete vulnerability. We desperately need more queer memoirs like this.
Full disclosure, I picked the book up on a total fluke. The title suggested it might be a memoir about the early 2000s club scene, when the DJ group "Thunderpuss" dominated dance floors with their epic remixes. This era of music is a monumental highlight within queer history and I was eager to read stories from others like me who found it so impactful.
As it turns out, the musicians are not mentioned explicitly and "Thunderpuss" refers to a pet name Jiménez earned when he was a coked up fifteen-year-old sneaking into Orlando nightclubs with a fake ID. Not exactly what I expected, but not too far off either.
Despite my misunderstanding of the book's premise, I devoured it quicker than anything I've read all year. I was surprised how much I could relate to his experiences, even though the little dramas in my life look like nothing by comparison. There are some universal truths, I suppose, to being gay. At least for those of us from this particular generation.
I would add that the book is also a marvelous example of the American dream. From a baby, Alejandro experienced every possible hardship imaginable. Yet now he is a celebrity hair stylist and business owner with his husband by his side. In times that feel increasingly dark, it is wonderful to be reminded that great things can happen in this country.
Maybe I'm just getting old, but I find myself increasingly mesmerized by reading what people have done with their life--for better and for worse. This is one of my favorite lives I've learned about yet. And given his history, Alejandro still has a whole lot of adventure still to come.
Full disclosure, I picked the book up on a total fluke. The title suggested it might be a memoir about the early 2000s club scene, when the DJ group "Thunderpuss" dominated dance floors with their epic remixes. This era of music is a monumental highlight within queer history and I was eager to read stories from others like me who found it so impactful.
As it turns out, the musicians are not mentioned explicitly and "Thunderpuss" refers to a pet name Jiménez earned when he was a coked up fifteen-year-old sneaking into Orlando nightclubs with a fake ID. Not exactly what I expected, but not too far off either.
Despite my misunderstanding of the book's premise, I devoured it quicker than anything I've read all year. I was surprised how much I could relate to his experiences, even though the little dramas in my life look like nothing by comparison. There are some universal truths, I suppose, to being gay. At least for those of us from this particular generation.
I would add that the book is also a marvelous example of the American dream. From a baby, Alejandro experienced every possible hardship imaginable. Yet now he is a celebrity hair stylist and business owner with his husband by his side. In times that feel increasingly dark, it is wonderful to be reminded that great things can happen in this country.
Maybe I'm just getting old, but I find myself increasingly mesmerized by reading what people have done with their life--for better and for worse. This is one of my favorite lives I've learned about yet. And given his history, Alejandro still has a whole lot of adventure still to come.
Displaying 1 of 1 review