Galley Talk: Dumbfounded

I am always on the lookout for quirky coming-of-age memoirs in the tradition of Augusten Burroughs or David Sedaris, so I could not resist Matt Rothschild's Dumbfounded [Crown, Aug.]. Rothschild grew up in a luxury Manhattan penthouse raised by his wealthy Jewish grandparents. Matt's cross-dressing and devotion to Judy Garland raises eyebrows. When puberty kicks in during the height of the Beverly Hills 90210 craze, pre-teen Matt ditches gender-bending to cultivate an ultra-cool Luke Perry persona. He joins the swim team, slicks back his “Jewfro” and becomes a Park Avenue delinquent. Matt's Auntie Mame–like grandmother provides urbane and acerbic comic relief. This hilarious memoir skillfully delves into darker territories like family dysfunction, isolation and struggles with self-acceptance, as a young man groomed for life as an insider finds himself cast as an outsider. Rothschild's vivid and universal Gen Y memoir should appeal to all generations.