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"Because she was my mother, the death of zaftig good-time gal Renay Corren is newsworthy to me, and I treat it with the same respect and reverence she had for, well, nothing. A more disrespectful, trash talking woman was not to be found."
So began Andy Corren's unforgettable obituary for his mother, Renay Mandel Corren, a tribute that went on to touch the hearts of millions around the globe. In his brief telling of the life and legend that was Renay, a "loud, filthy‑minded (and filthy‑mouthed) Jewish lady redneck who birthed six kids," Andy captured only a slice of his loving and fabulously unconventional mother.
In this uproariously funny, deeply moving family portrait, readers meet the rest of his absurd clan: his brothers, affectionately nicknamed Asshole, Twin, and Rabbi; his one-eyed pirate queen of a sister, Cathy Sue; and then there's Bonus, who Andy isn't aware of until later in life since this mysterious oldest brother grew up at the Green Valley School for Emotionally Disturbed and Delinquent Children.
A story of love and forgiveness, as well as a celebration of a woman who was "great at dyeing her red roots, weekly manicures, filthy jokes, pier fishing, rolling joints and buying dirty magazines," Dirtbag Queen is an entertaining and poignant portrayal of the complex and heartfelt humanity that unites us all—especially family.
What's the last book you received as a gift, and what's the last book you gave as a gift?
A friend gave me "Dirtbag Queen" by Andy Corren for my birthday earlier this month. I would never have picked it up, would be very careful who I would recommend it to, but reading it opened my eyes to another culture and how even the most dysfunctional family survives and cares for each other. Ce...
-Carol_Ann_Robb
What book or books are you reading this week? (02/13/2025)
"Eddie WInston is Looking for Love" by Matianne Cronin & I really like it (so far!) Next up will be one a friend gave me–"Dirtbag Queen" by Andy Corren. Probably wouldn't have picked it up but I'm willing to give it a try since it was recommended to her.
-Carol_Ann_Robb
"A matriarch's idiosyncratic life captured and besainted through a succession of hilarious memories." —Kirkus Reviews
"Corren's ribald sense of humor won't be for everyone, but readers who go along for the ride will be moved to learn how his family endured significant hardships by sticking together. It's a unique and memorable romp." —Publishers Weekly
"Beyond simple memoir, this is a raw, honest, funny story of family, forgiveness, and, in the end, letting go. The book would be of interest to fans of Doug Stanhope's Digging Up Mother and even David Sedaris' more family-focused stories." ―Booklist
"Here's something I can say with perfect certainty: Andy Corren has written the best scene I know of involving Donny Osmond, a standard poodle named Licorice, and a young man's sexual awakening. And lucky for us, he's written a whole lot more. Dirtbag Queen is an irreverent, laugh-out-loud look back at an outrageous childhood. It's also an exquisite love letter to a woman who broke every rule of motherhood and taught her children how to live." ―Grant Ginder, author of The People We Hate at the Wedding
"Fantastic. Utterly unhinged, hilarious, and unexpectedly heartbreaking." ―#1 New York Times bestseller Jenny Lawson
"Dirtbag Queen is told with the kind of unyielding honesty, devastating humor and above all tender familial pride that makes a seemingly eccentric upbringing feel universal. You will not regret a moment you spend with this family—nor will you ever forget them." ―Steven Rowley, New York Times Bestselling author of The Guncle
This information about Dirtbag Queen was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Playwright, performer, and first-generation Jewish redneck Andy Corren was born and raised on the wrong side of Fayetteville, North Carolina, and now lives in Harlem. Andy has performed live sketch & standup, told his stories, written & produced his plays, and sent a lot of unanswered emails in a show business career that spanned multiple firings over three, checkered decades. Andy has a worthless BFA and wasn't accepted into any MFA programs, but has an amazing dog named Hudson and a cabin in the Catskills, so on balance he feels God is on his side.
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