Poetry. Latino/Latina Studies. With dark, knife-in-the ribs humor and poignant glimpses of youth and early adulthood, Gwendolyn Zepeda's first book is the literati's version of television variety shows of the 1970s. Chock full of sharp observations in a narrative that jumps from personal essay to a parody of romance novels to inventive fiction, this collection spans a wide range of themes: the complications of being a "half-white child of hippies born in Houston in 1971" raised in a largely Mexican barrio..."how to Be a Trailer Trash Housefie..".and a midnight dance with a giant cockroach. Weaving her exploration of family life, love, the struggle for economic stability, and the search for a personal creative space, Zepeda's brash voice cuts at society's stereotypes, at once critiquing those around her and herself.