Below is a snippet of my hope-to-be-published memoir, Autohairography. If you know of a publisher that’s nice and likes quirky girls, please email me!
[image credit: mala marija]
1992 – 1993:
the year of the peacock.
My neighbor’s name was Reagan Bilsen. I remember her being the epitome of fabulous when I was younger, and I looked up to her in many, many ways — her love for the side ponytail, the way she pulled off a french braid effortlessly, or her black ‘Button Your Fly’ tshirt that she was gifted on her 12th birthday. I was much younger than Regan, but my sisters let me tag along when they would run nextdoor to sing in her basement and play DreamPhone. I think my mother bribed them all with pink lemonade, but either way, I was in.
In the summer of ’92, Regan began to evolve. It wasn’t the boobs that did it — it was her hair. And with a heavy heart, I knew it was official — she had perfected the peacock bang. You know the one I’m talking about, where the bottom half of the bangs hung in a perfectly curled-under wave, whereas the top half was brushed halfheartedly to the side and glued tight in an upward swing, resembling a pissed-off peacock’s raised feathers.
Somehow when Reagan crafted this bang (truly an art form, indeed), it would look not sticky nor hard, but soft and feathery — much like my playmate’s Cocker Spaniel, Andy. Yet when I attempted my version of the Peacock Bang, my hair stuck together in strands and I looked much like a member of Flock of Seagulls, rather than Debbie Gibson’s Electric Youth album cover.
After months of failed attempts to Peacock myself, I grew out my bangs and bought a white banana clip at KMart. My life was never the same again.
ha ha ha! Oh…I so feel you on all of these hair memories. Not because ours are the same but, because I fought with my hair my whole young life. *sigh* You cutie pie you!
xoxo
Melis
You know I just can´t wait for this.
I am now starting my MA and was thinking of doing my thesis on hair and art, but I´m not sure there´s enough stuff out there about it (it´s a theoretical MA).
And if you do find a publisher, which I know you will, let me know!
And if you ever need a “hairy illustrator”… Well, you know were to find one :)
PS: there´s these ladies who call themselves The Salonnieres that are working on an art project on hair. They do performances in hairdressers and stuff like that. they´re so much fun!
Thank you unendingly for introducing me to the peacock bang! hahaha! Cocker spaniels are always good hair comparisons. DreamPhone!!! I never had it, but one of my friends did. So so good.
i never had mile high peacock bangs and i’m from nj! my mother loved baby bangs, so i suppose i never had the chance. the only thing that would make these fun posts better would be photos of you and your bangs. but, i guess those will be in your published book :)!
I remember Joyce..she measured her fringe ( aussie version of bangs) to be 11cm high at the front and the teased,gelled out sides to be 9cm! The details you remember! But this was 1984 and she was the champion of hair.