Mamarama: A Memoir of Sex, Kids, & Rock ‘n’ Roll

Any parent may ask, “What’s the connection between my youthful self and the old fart my kids think I am?” The question is especially relevant for Evelyn McDonnell, a Janie-come-lately breeder looking back on her bohemian, feminist, punk-rock glory days and wondering, is the new me still the old me? The answer is A baby changes everything but your self. In fact, though she may no longer write fanzines or engage in political performance art, McDonnell’s revolutionary spirit is strengthened by having an added investment in the future–her toddler son and teen stepdaughters. As she makes the transformation from Riot Grrrl to Rebel Mom, this music journalist gives an eyewitness account of the cultural movements of the ’90s, from alternative rock and third-wave feminism to hip-hop, raves, poetry, and Rent . Through this pop-culture lens she confronts the conventions and pressures of modern motherhood. Part of an emerging generation of cultural commentators and memoirists, McDonnell adds an original, humorous, and edgy voice to the ongoing literature of motherhood.