Donna Gaines Livres

Gaines explores her life as a self-proclaimed misfit, embracing her contradictions as a bourbon-loving, workaholic with a Ph.D. and a penchant for tattoos. Through her candid narrative, she shares her journey of self-discovery and spirituality, finding divine moments in unexpected places, such as punk rock music. The book offers a unique perspective on navigating life's complexities while celebrating individuality and authenticity.

The central experience of the Ramones and their music is of being an outsider, an outcast, a person who’s somehow defective, and the revolt against shame and self-loathing. The fans, argues Donna Gaines, got it right away, from their own experience of alienation at home, at school, on the streets, and from themselves. This sense of estrangement and marginality permeates everything the Ramones still offer us as artists, and as people. Why the Ramones Matter compellingly makes the case that the Ramones gave us everything; they saved rock and roll, modeled DIY ethics, and addressed our deepest collective traumas, from the personal to the historical.

Teenage Wasteland provides memorable portraits of "rock and roll kids" and analyses of their interests in heavy metal music and Satanism. A powerful indictment of the often manipulative media coverage of youth crises and so-called alternative programs designed to help "troubled" teens, Teenage Wasteland draws new conclusions and presents solid reasons to admire the resilience of suburbia's dead end kids.