The Hypocrisy of Disco

October 1, 2007
An absurdist reference to her atypical 1970s upbringing, the title of Hayward's debut memoir suits her offbeat tale of preadolescence, when she lived according to the whims of her hippie mother, H'lane, moving from one West Coast commune to the next. Struggling to fit in despite denied holiday celebrations and sporadic attendance at school (H'lane considers them "zoos run by the government to keep kids safe in cages"), Hayward's direct, borderline-juvenile voice chronicles in vibrant detail her puzzling misadventures with H'lane, her jealously and awe of friends with "straight moms" and her eventual exile to New Mexico to live with her negligent dad. Amidst unnecessary hardship and borderline abusive parenting, Hayward's remembrances are surprisingly positive; she bears no ill will toward her parents, writing about them with remarkable honesty and respect. The zippy narrative is divided into short chapters and propelled by a somewhat disjointed chronology (young Hayward's sense of time is appropriately sketchy). Unfortunately, the narrative ends with Hayward's 13th birthday, leaving hinted-at future events ("I did not see H'lane again until I was twenty-one") unexplored, and readers unsatisfied. Hopefully, this solid memoir is just the first from Hayward.

November 5, 2007
An absurdist reference to her atypical 1970s upbringing, the title of Hayward's debut memoir suits her offbeat tale of preadolescence, when she lived according to the whims of her hippie mother, H'lane, moving from one West Coast commune to the next. Struggling to fit in despite denied holiday celebrations and sporadic attendance at school (H'lane considers them "zoos run by the government to keep kids safe in cages"), Hayward's direct, borderline-juvenile voice chronicles in vibrant detail her puzzling misadventures with H'lane, her jealously and awe of friends with "straight moms" and her eventual exile to New Mexico to live with her negligent dad. Amidst unnecessary hardship and borderline abusive parenting, Hayward's remembrances are surprisingly positive; she bears no ill will toward her parents, writing about them with remarkable honesty and respect. The zippy narrative is divided into short chapters and propelled by a somewhat disjointed chronology (young Hayward's sense of time is appropriately sketchy). Unfortunately, the narrative ends with Hayward's 13th birthday, leaving hinted-at future events ("I did not see H'lane again until I was twenty-one") unexplored, and readers unsatisfied. Hopefully, this solid memoir is just the first from Hayward.

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