Paperback Edition
ISBN: 9781558617483
Publication Date: 10-04-2011

Written in the brash, fervent voice of the young and addicted, this debut novel from underground superstar Laurie Weeks “is a short tome of infinitesimal reach, a tiny star to light the land” (Eileen Myles).

Strung out on dope and unrequited love for her straight best friend, Jane, the novel’s unnamed narrator zig-zags between glimpses of her childhood and early teens to the raw, super-caffeinated world of her present on the streets of New York. Chosen by Dave Eggers as Best American Nonrequired Reading and a winner of a 2012 Lambda Literary Award, this novel encapsulates the soaring highs and gritty lows of the junkie and the reckless intensity of love. “The book’s pulse is evident on every page.” (Lambda Literary)

Winner of a 2012 Lambda Literary Award

Selected by Dave Eggers for Best American Nonrequired Reading

"Brash, exuberant… recalls Naked Lunch and imparts a fresh, lyrical sympathy. . . . Dreamy, impressionistic, and rapturous. . . . an ecstatic love story.” —Publishers Weekly

"Embarrassment, fear of rejection and all its associated paralysis consume our protagonist whilst the liberating effects of hedonism affect the story by degrees. The result is a beautiful telling of psychosis (drug-induced and otherwise) that is painfully honest and depressingly funny. Another good book for anyone keen to laugh at the tragedy of existence (who isn’t?) and to savour the talents of a bright, new literary force." —AnOther Magazine

"Laurie Weeks's Zipper Mouth is a short tome of infinitesimal reach, a tiny star to light the land." —Eileen Myles, author of Chelsea Girls

"Zipper Mouth is a brilliant rabbit hole of pitch-black hilarity, undead obsession, the horror of the everyday, and drug, drugs, drugs." —Michelle Tea, author of Against Memoir