The Blonde of the Joke

In The Blonde of the Joke -- a novel by Bennett Madison slated to publish later this summer -- we meet a 'plain Jane' named Val who over the course of the story is transformed by Francie, a 'blonde bombshell' who one day struts into her physics class. They are both outsiders at their high school -- Francie is a 'slut' (but not really) whereas Val is invisible -- and soon they spend a lot of time at the mall, where Francie not only teaches Val how to shoplift, but offers her a philosophy/language of subversion, e.g., explaining why stolen gifts are always more valuable than anything you could buy (and who can argue with that?).

The book is narrated by Val, and because she is intelligent and introspective, it's easy to understand her attraction to Francie, who is essentially a drag queen in both the most awesome and depressing senses of the term; at first glance, she seems to be one of those people who glide through life in a cloud of fabulousness, completely immune to the more tedious pressures of society, and it's only later that we understand -- through Val's increasing skepticism and disillusion -- that behind the nails and hairdo and miniskirts and eyeliner and spike heels lies a very tormented soul; this makes Val's transformation into something more like Francie particularly heartbreaking, because we understand both the allure of what she wants, but also what she may be giving up in the process.

The book is set in an unidentified but surreal suburb that is frankly epic in terms of its bland trappings; there are nondescript houses and malls and bus routes to the edge of town, and without exception all of the adults -- although they are not prominent -- are completely ruined yet completely unsympathetic. (In short, this is a compelling picture of the United States!) Madison writes in a light and breezy tone, which makes for great laffs -- particularly in the descriptions of Francie's more outlandish outfits/actions, as well as the girls' antics at the mall -- and serves as an effective counterpoint to what is at heart a brutally sad story about a girl (Val) coming to terms with the depressing reality of 'growing up.'

The book is ultimately about what happens when we (as a result of our own shitty lives) project our largely unconscious desire for change onto others, falsely imbuing them with powers that we ultimately have to mine within ourselves.

Don't be fooled by the tween veneer of this story, it is recommended for all ages. (Order it here.) Or read Bennett Madison's blog here.