Hit So Hard

August 28, 2017
In her 50 years of life, musician Schemel has experienced some of the greatest highs and lows possible, from her career playing drums for the iconic grunge band Hole to the darkest depths of heroin and crack-cocaine addiction. It’s the latter that makes up the bulk of this heartbreaking memoir, as Schemel looks back on her history of addiction: her first drink at age 12, her first time shooting up, and her ensuing 30-odd stays in detox and rehab facilities before eventually cleaning up for good in 2005. Along the way, Schemel recalls the most harrowing periods of her life, including her time spent homeless in L.A. and doing sex work to survive. Schemel’s recounting is bluntly terrifying and provides invaluable insight into the ravages of addiction—and just as importantly, the possibility of recovery. Readers searching for juicy details on Schemel’s years with Courtney Love won’t be disappointed either (high, she took off her shirt during a Cleveland performance), and she adds fuel to speculation that Kurt Cobain was transgender, making this book a must-read for any grunge fan. 16 pages of black and white photos.