Edgewise: A Picture of Cookie Mueller
Back of the Book
Cookie Mueller was a firecracker, a cult figure, a wild child, a writer, a go-go dancer, a mother and a queer icon. A child of suburban 1950s Maryland, she made her name first as an actress in the films of John Waters, and then as an art critic and columnist, a writer of hilarious stories and a maven of New York's downtown art world. Edgewise, by Berlin-based actress and writer Chloé Griffin, tells the story of Cookie's life through an oral history composed of more than 80 interviews with the people who knew her, including John Waters, Mink Stole, Gary Indiana, Sharon Niesp, Max Mueller, Linda Yablonsky, Richard Hell, Amos Poe and Raymond Foye. The contributors take us from the late-1960s artist communes of Baltimore to 1970s Provincetown and New York, through 1980s Berlin and Positano. Along with the text, Edgewise includes artwork, unpublished photographs and archival material and photography by Philip-Lorca diCorcia, David Armstrong, Robert Mapplethorpe, Peter Hujar and others.
Why You Should Read It
Composed of over 80 interviews with people that knew her, Edgewise transcends beyond just a biography of sorts for Mueller herself and satisfies the readers further by answering the question – what would it be like to be seen by the likes of John Waters and Mink Stole etc.? What kind of a character would become the subject of sustained conversation for these people in the glamour, wit and unruliness of their world? Mueller’s character is unsurprisingly exalted in the hands of her companions, whose tongues been refined by years of experience in the queer creative scene of New York from the 50s to the 70s. Mueller’s personality is presented with warmth and generosity and an insight into her unparalled contributions to the very lives of the queer legends in conversation mark the golden trajectory of a truly unique persona, one responsible for defining for generations to come what was expected of a star in the social scene of New York.
Memorable Passage
Why does everybody think I’m so wild? I’m not wild. I happen to stumble upon wildness. It gets in my path.
About Cookie Mueller
Cookie Mueller (1949–1989) was a multifaceted American artist, actress, and writer whose vibrant contributions to the arts left an indelible mark on the downtown New York City scene during the 1970s and 1980s. Known for her collaborations with filmmaker John Waters in iconic films like "Pink Flamingos" and "Female Trouble," Mueller's magnetic on-screen presence was matched by her talents as an author. Her writing, often characterized by a raw and unfiltered style, includes works such as the memoir Walking Through Clear Water in a Pool Painted Black and the collection of stories Ask Dr. Mueller. Mueller's artistic endeavors extended beyond film and literature to visual arts and performance, making her a vital figure in the countercultural movements of her time. Her unapologetic approach to storytelling, paired with her distinctive contributions to various artistic mediums, makes Cookie Mueller worth knowing for her enduring influence on the intersections of film, literature, and avant-garde expression.
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