I Feel Famous

A girl's coming of age story set to the pulse of punk rock, the diaries of Angela Jaeger track the exciting discovery of punk music and lifestyle in 1977 by a 17-year-old music enthusiast living New York's East Village. Angela's story unfolds chronologically, charting her late adolescence in tandem with her transition from observer to participant in the nascent punk scene. Gradually becoming a nightly fixture of her neighborhood's vibrant underground rock milieu at CBGB and Max's Kansas City, by 1978 she continues to fulfill her punk fantasy abroad. She follows the Clash on a tour across England and finally returns home in 1979 to start a band. Angela encounters an impressive cast of characters during her adventures, including Lydia Lunch, Joe Strummer, Billy Idol, Klaus Nomi, and Sid Vicious. Laced with humor and wide-eyed curiosity, Angela's daily first-hand accounts take the reader on a personal journey not found in punk histories. The author has also added commentary, providing context and further anecdotal material. The text is illustrated with the visual expressions of Angela's enthusiasm - her drawings of punk personalities and fans, previously unseen photos and ephemera culled from her personal archive, affording a unique insight into the relationship between the music, media, and the audience. The diaries touch on a variety of themes: identity politics, downtown NY, anglophilia, fandom, fame and fashion. Contrasting the stark black and white of 1970's New York with the exuberant beat-up color of a decaying London and its disenchanted youth, a lost era is brought back to life through a dedicated fan's own reportage. Creative, funny and endlessly cool, the result is an unprecedented perspective into an ever-popular moment in contemporary cultural history.

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