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“An honest and genuine DIY punk-rock lesbian love story.” —Kirkus Reviews
Amanda moves to London with nothing but her guitar and her collection of punk music as the soundtrack to her every move. With the company of a few friendly voices in her head, she looks for—and finds—a best friend and new lover. She forms a band, Lesbian Raincoat, and completely rewrites the story of her life.
In this irreverently funny yet profound novel, Amanda risks deportation, recalls the fervor of AIDS activism in the United States, connects to the class struggle of punk, and finds redemption in love. But she also must confront her own mental illness, her lover’s rape, and the violence of post-9/11 politics. Pissing in a River captures the glee and turbulence of surviving the cacophony of modern life.
“A love letter to the obsessions that captivated an outcast generation: punk, politics, passion, and provocation.” —Maria Raha, author of Cinderella’s Big Score: Women of the Punk and Indie Underground
“An honest and genuine DIY punk-rock lesbian love story from back in the day.”
—Kirkus
"Lorrie Sprecher's Pissing in a River is testament to the fact that women are not hidden from the world, we're IN it. And sometimes we make noise about that."
—Kristin Hersh, author of Rat Girl
“Pissing in a River is a love letter to the obsessions that captivated an outcast generation: punk, politics, passion, and provocation. Sprecher’s smart and fiercely empathetic characters evoke the beauty of the chosen family, the shelter from solitude in which they revel together, and the art that keeps them alive.”
—Maria Raha, author of Cinderella's Big Score: Women of the Punk and Indie Underground
“Beautiful and honest, Pissing in a River chronicles the lives of queer activists: their art, their downfalls, and their epic love stories.”
—Cristy C. Road, author of Spit and Passion
Lorrie was a member of ACT UP/DC (the AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power in Washington, DC) and has been arrested six times for acts of nonviolent civil disobedience. She has a PhD in English and American literature from the University of Maryland, College Park. Lorrie and her dog Kurt reside in Syracuse, New York.
Her edgy, quirky voice delivers an acerbic cultural critique, and at her readings, she has been told that she should consider a career in stand-up comedy.
Before 9/11, Lorrie wrote songs against the Taliban for RAWA (the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan) and is an outspoken critic of elective wars and the US government’s use of torture. The punk song “It’s a Heteronormative World, No!” recorded by her band Sugar Rat appears on a compilation put out by Riot Grrrl Berlin. Sugar Rat’s music is available for digital download. For more information on her writing and music, please visit her websites: www.lorriesprecher.com and www.sugarrat.com.
Lorrie is interested in the struggle for human rights and animal rights around the globe. She lives in her head but also in the world.
Track 1: “17 Years of Hell”
Track 2: “The KKK Took My Baby Away”
Track 3: “Dancing Barefoot”
Track 4: “Away from the Numbers”
Track 5: “Smash It Up”
Track 6: “English Civil War”
Track 7: “Guns on the Roof”
Track 8: “Stay Free”
Track 9: “The Prisoner”
Track 10: “City of the Dead”
Track 11: “White Riot”
Track 12: “Nobody’s Hero”
Track 13: “Staring at the Rude Boys”
Track 14: “London Calling”
B SIDE
Track 15: “Wimpy’s Are Shit”
Track 16: “Catch Us If You Can”
Track 17: “Shot by Both Sides”
Track 18: “Fight the Fright”
Track 19: “In His Hands”
Track 20: “Save Yourself”
Track 21: “The Ghost at Number One”
Track 22: “Strict Time”
Track 23: “Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve)?"
Track 24: “Chinese Takeaway”
Track 25: “Hold On I’m Coming”
Track 26: “Heaven’s Inside”
Track 27: “There She Goes”
Track 28: “English Rose”
Track 29: “Reuters”
Track 30: “Just Out of Reach”
Track 31: “D’You Know What I Mean?”
Track 32: “Potential Suicide”
Track 33: “Capitalism Stole My Virginity”
Track 34: “Opinion”
Track 35: “You’re Nicked”
Track 36: “Girl’s Not Grey”
Track 37: “Godspeed”
Track 38: “Precious”
Track 39: “Brimful of Asha”
Track 40: “Joe Where Are You Now?”
Track 41: “Hold Me Closer”
Track 42: “George Bush Fuck You”
Track 43: “Magazine”
Track 44: “Don’t Worry About the Government”
Track 45: “Two of Us”
Track 46: “Return of the Rat”
Track 47: “Treat Me Well”
Track 48: “The Seeker”
Track 49: “Drowning in the Shallow Waters of Prescribed Morality”
Track 50: “I Wanna Be Sedated”
Track 51: “Dream Time”
Track 52: “Rescue”
Track 53: “I’m Partial to Your Abracadabra”
Track 54: “When Angels Die”
Track 55: “Groovy Times”
Track 56: “You Belong to Me”
Track 57: “Pilgrimage”
Track 58: “Rock the Casbah”
Track 59: “How Deep It Goes”
Track 60: “Smells Like Teen Spirit”