Walking Through Clear Water in a Pool Painted Black

“★★★★★ John Waters says it best: "Cookie Mueller was a writer, a mother, an outlaw, an actress, a fashion designer, a go-go dancer, a witch-doctor, an art-hag, and above all, a goddess. Boy, do I miss that girl."”

“This is my favorite book of all time. I gift this book to every woman I love”

“So much to say about this book. All I can do is beg you to read it read it read it! Cookies voice is singular and convincing, yet the way she writes is almost passive… take it or leave it, she doesn’t care. This is also a perfect re-read, as it is mostly a collection of essays/reflections. There’s certainly something for everyone, whether you are a fan of the John Waters crew or not! “Mueller's many mise en scènes—the Baltimore of John Waters, post-Stonewall Provincetown, avant-garde Italy, 1980s New York, an America enduring Reagan and AIDS—patches together a singular personal history and a primer for others. As Laing writes in her introduction, Collected Stories amounts to ‘a how-to manual for a life ricocheting joyously off the rails . . . a live corrective to conformity, conservatism, and cruelty.’” I certainly want life to be ricocheting joyously off the rails, for better or for worse. Also, THE TITLE. 🫶🫶🫶”

“Cookie Mueller was a party monster at a professional level. Think of her as Joan Didion’s Wario. All the sharp insight, none of the chill. A John Waters muse, NYC advice columnist and completely unreliable narrator. It doesn’t really matter what’s true, just enjoy the ride.”

“Need to read”

“a truly captivating and outlandish read. cookie mueller is funny and so alive. will make you want to REALLY live to the edges of your life”

“cookie mueller's work always has this euphoric sense of impending doom, like that tickle in your stomach when your plane starts to tank.”

“The iconic Cookie Mueller and her wild life in a collection of stories. I love Cookie's approach to life and her stories never fail to amuse.”

“favorite read of 2025, and one of my favorite books ever. I miss cookie mueller everyday”