Dear Readers,
Thank you for your support of my new memoir. It feels both surreal and exciting to finally hold this book in my hands. This story blends light and darkness, joy and grief, drama and celebration. Fond memories often include a dog. Here is a snippet from the book about a pack of poodles and my initiation into the poodle club.
“The dog’s agenda is simple, fathomable, overt: I want. “I want to go out, come in, eat something, lie here, play with that, kiss you. There are no ulterior motives with a dog, no mind games, no second-guessing, no complicated negotiations or bargains, and no guilt trips or grudges if a request is denied.”
― Caroline Knapp
The Dressing Drink
Although I’d been an only child, I had, in fact, been part of a pack—a pack of poodles. Moppy and Inky were Standards. Tinsel and Josephine were Minis. “Yum Yum,” that the adults called Cupcake, my closest pal, was a Toy. One of my fondest childhood memories is of traveling in the back seat of Chryssie, our 1959 black-and-white pushbutton-transmission Chrysler—the poodles and me. And we were back there quite often because Mother thrived upon the freedom of being behind the wheel, controlling that behemoth of an automobile, traveling from Manhattan to Philadelphia and the Main Line, or to the farm in Bucks County.
Our journeys always began the same—Mother herded the poodles into the back seat. Once she and I were in the front, Mother would palm my bum and unceremoniously dump me over the front seat into the pile of poodles in the back. Of course, the poodles protested, grumbling and panting, until my squirming (and theirs), settled.
Poodles are known to be diggers, and Tinsel was the diggingest of our dogs. She did an admirable job of pawing through the seat fabric to the stuffing below, leaving the back seat smelling of pungent foam rubber and dog breath. In the winter this was my nest. I would curl up into the pawed-out indentation, surrounded by the warm furry pack, and feeling secure, I would sleep. In the back seat of that car, surrounded by the pack, is—to this day—my memory of the safest, most loved I’ve ever felt.
What are readers saying about The Dressing Drink?
Paul Joseph Viola
5.0 out of 5 stars Society and Theater
Tommy is an excellent writing with a captivating family history that kept me turning pages. I thiroughly enjoyed this as it combined high society and the theater world as he sought understanding. Great read, hope many enjoy this engaging memoir.
Tim P
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow, a diamond
Masterful example of visual writing. Beautifully done. Could not put the book down.
Kate
5.0 out of 5 stars One of a kind Autobiography
This is a fabulous, heart breaking, exhilarating, funny and utterly endearing story you will not be able to put down. It would make a great limited series! Highly recommended!
Mark Twain
5.0 out of 5 stars Raised by poodles & loved by UBE & Mira
A rare glimpse into the life of a complex being. It may have taken 40 years to write the book, but it is a look back at what makes us who we are today. When one thinks of their ancestors and the complexity of their beings, intertwined in our own, we are left with a longing to be with them and to see them again. It’s not easy to pick up the pieces of a shattered childhood nor is it an easy voyage to adulthood, but to examine what actually happened and to reckon with the past, is something that takes courage to do. Well done!
If you have not left an honest review yet, please do so. I enjoy your feedback, and they help tremendously. Authors need reviews to increase book credibility, visibility, and sales by providing social proof and influencing algorithms. Reviews help potential readers decide if a book is right for them.
In Other News
My new podcast, “American Spectacle,” is now available. I recently had a thought-provoking conversation with dancer, educator, and cultural historian Michelle Audet about how society packages, polices, and profits from beauty. We explored the effects of mainstream aesthetics on Black and Brown dancers, as well as the roles of assimilation and resistance in performance. We emphasized the urgent need to question who gets visibility—and why. This episode critically reflects on the politics of appearance and the personal power involved in reclaiming one’s image. Please subscribe to the channel and share these episodes with friends. You can watch it below:
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No matter what happens, part of me will always be nursing the ghost of a dressing drink.
Yours Truly,
Thomas King Flagg
