The Last of the Live Nude Girls: A Memoir
Praise forLast of the Live Nude Girls:"The most compelling aspect ofLast of the Live Nude Girlsis that it illustrates just how easily one can wind up living a life outside the margins." —Portland Mercury"McClear writes about her secret peep-show existence with the ribald expertise of a natural storyteller, but it’s her deeper exploration, into the motivations behind her actions, that makes the book both memorable and highly relevant." -Daily Beast"Sheila McClear's sharp, sweetly personal account of New York's vanished tenderloin asks the question if such supposedly degrading places are such a blight, why do we remember them with such fondness? A fascinating and honest read." —Mark Jacobson, author ofThe Lampshade andAmerican Gangster"McClear is most convincing and most moving, in fact, on the complex relationship between the sex trade and her own frustrated sex life." -Public Books"Sheila McClear's beautifully detailed account of her life as a peep-show girl reads as both a eulogy and a paean to the freaks and misfits who have long given their souls to the city. Filled with psychological insight, metaphor, and — above all — empathy, this book should be read by anyone who has ever taken or even contemplated extreme measures to escape the pain and tedium of life, with the hope of finding some meaning or redemption along the way." —Matthew Gallaway, author ofThe Metropolis Case“Ms. McClear’s closeness to the material most enriches her reporting when it comes to her coworkers. Despite their outsized personalities, they could have wound up sounding as interchangeable as their stage names, but with Ms. McClear’s writing, even their tattoos are memorable. Their substance abuse becomes familiar, occasionally even endearing, in a madcap way. Ms. McClear also has a keen ear for dialogue.” —New York Observer“Sheila McClear is a reminder that kids can still arrive in New York City from Nowheresville and break in with some serious grit, hard work, and talent.” —Out Magazine"Everyone is required to buy two copies." —Gawker"Eye-opening, gritty, and compelling." —The Paris Review Online"A collection of disciplined and rewarding New York tales." -The L Magazine