Face It: A Memoir

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It felt glossed over and lacking detail regarding her relationship breakdown etc however she mentioned she was a private person so that may explain it. Noting Bowie’s generously proportioned appendage, she is moved to wonder “why Iggy didn’t let me have a closer look at his dick”. I expected something cool and fierce, instead this is dull and unengaging, told in a rambling monotone. A similar matter-of-factness runs through her recollections of the man who approached her and Stein one night outside their front door and threatened them with a knife.

I also liked how Harry deconstructs the image and persona of 'Blondie' as a character, and compares that with her later work in films. From the spit and sweat of the New York Punk scene to the glamour and polish of New Wave success, Debbie Harry has relentlessly maintained her invincible aura of cool. Nevertheless, I was enchanted by her girlhood in New Jersey and somehow making the decision after high school to become an artist (of a genre to be determined) in New York in the 1960s--and, despite all odds, actually accomplishing it.She seems to have been open to and embraced all sorts of experiences in life that many people wouldn't have the courage to and followed her heart to try and live her life on her terms, even though it might have been easier if she had pursued a safer path.

she asks, treating us to her morning schedule of letting the dogs out and making coffee, to which the answer is: no. She was a huge part of the early 70's punk scene and forged her way in a very male dominated industry. What I didn't know, despite seeing her in person at a 1990 Gay Pride rally in New York City, was how close Harry and Stein were (and are) to many LGBT friends and colleagues.She has also had some success as a solo artist, recording five solo albums and has sold more then 7 million records. The CBGB’s alumni list is very impressive considering the overall size and squalor of both the bar and its neighborhood.

The most interesting part of the book is the first third in which Harry talks about her pre-Blondie days. Blondie fans will love its piquant atmospherics and the energy and honesty of Harry’s take on her singular saga.We want to know about Chris Klein- not just that there was a relationship- but what came between them- what broke them up. Knowing that there are still those who expect her to be simply "a blonde in tight pants," she tells her life story how she wants to tell it. She still claims being a punk, which might appear curious considering some other punks, far from the sophistication of his most notorious band. And if you're going to talk about all the times you've done heroin while heroin use and overdose deaths are on the rise, literally an epidemic, maybe follow up with something like "it was stupid, we were lucky to survive, and I wouldn't recommend doing it these days". She says almost nothing about the writing or production of her music, and she seems reticent to talk about big events like the dissolution of the group and the break-up of her relationship with Chris Stein.