Top four literary reasons to avoid the ‘high' road this summer

By Lindsay Rice, Staff Writer

June 23, 2008 | noon

Tapping the kegs at 8 a.m., passing out on a random couch by 5 p.m. and hitting up the bars by 10 p.m. is no unusual day in the life of an OU student. The never-ending supply of cold kegs can cause academics and jobs to take a back seat to all-day drinking. These cautionary memoirs prove that such a severe lack of balance can put you at rock bottom quicker than you can say “get laid lemonade.”

4. “Smashed” by Koren Zailckas

Whether a college student has gone Greek or not, an individual at a university can hardly avoid being privy to some of the general goings-on within a sorority. This true story unveils the problematic side of pink panty-droppers and power hours. Zailckas, an undercover journalist of sorts, relays the story of her first sip to her last blackout binge eight years later with blatant honesty and a multitude of metaphors. Alcohol stands in for confidence in every aspect of her life, such as forming friendships within her sorority and meeting men with an agenda throughout the entirety of the novel. This idea can be translated into the life of any innocent booze experimenter, so with the next shot of cranberry vodka, ponder whether you are taking it for the wrong reasons, like to snag that hottie across the bar or to tell off a nagging roomie.

3. “Smack” by Melvin Burgess

The straightforward title of this book, in keeping with the theme of this list, does not refer to bad-mouthing another. Instead, "Smack"'s fictional main character, Tar, runs away from his home in England only to fall in with a group of heavy heroin users. The novel takes place in the streets of Bristol in the 1980s, portraying a realistic picture of the unhinged life of “squatters.” The trouble that Tar and his girlfriend get themselves into ranges from petty robbery to prostitution for drug money, illustrating the rapid decline of morals that comes with one of the most dangerous drug addictions. While the story may not be based upon an actual person, there is truth to be taken from it. Burgess’ writing style is as blunt as the title, and his description of the heroin high makes the reader wonder just how fictional an account the book really is.

2. “A Million Little Pieces” by James Frey

Although Frey may be an infamous literary liar, but despite what his critics and Oprah have to say, one inevitable truth remains: the man can write. One might even be so bold as to pose the question, "How would a recovering drug addict’s mind be sharp enough to write with such intricate detail employed through various literary techniques?" With the author’s indifference to accuracy aside, his tall tale ultimately manages to mesmerize the reader from the first line of the novel, when he wakes on plane battered and bruised with no idea how he got there, to his attempt at rehabilitation for alcohol and drug addiction. The tone is morbid and brutal. With no attempt to get the reader on his side, the author blames only himself in an effort to reject playing the victim. Frey is so defiant toward conformity that he even rejects proper English writing style with the absence of quotations surrounding his conversations, making for a sporadic reading that mirrors his mindset. Summer can culminate in some pretty memorable stories but let's hope unconscious air travel is not one of them.

1. “Go Ask Alice” by Anonymous

This next harrowing memoir is so shameful that the author wished to remain nameless. Some believe the book to be linked to Beatrice Sparks, one of the editors of the book and author of multiple other publications, but the mystery remains. Although the diarist recounts her story in the late 1960s, no aspect of the book’s message is dated. The slightly more innocent subject, Alice, is a mere fourteen when the book begins, and her narration initially serves as a reminder of her youth. After her family moves and depression sets in, the strained relationships within the household prompt a summer in her hometown, in order to live with her grandparents. Her first dose of LSD is, surprisingly, accidental and taken at a party, where it is slipped into half of the drinks unbeknownst to the recipients. From there her life spirals out of control and, despite attempts at reform and rationalization, the narrator turns into a heavy abuser of drugs and her own body. And to think adults always say that marijuana is the gateway drug.

There is nothing wrong with partying hard, just as long as it does not lead to the party of life ending too soon.

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