Cringe

I came across Cringe: Teenage Diaries, Journals, Notes, Letters, Poems, and Abandoned Rock Operas edited by Sarah Brown while browsing through the library catalog the other day. This is a companion book to the Cringe live performances. You know, people getting on stage to read embarrassing bits from their teenage diaries.

It's the same idea as Mortified... I really couldn't tell you what makes each project unique. But I recently saw a snippet of a Mortified performance on This American Life (tv version), and hope to go to a live show soon... so I was kinda excited for Cringe.

I was maybe too excited... at a few points I found myself struggling to read the handwriting of middle schoolers (too much like my day job) and skimming over the entries. That being said... it is funny. You will definitely cringe.

Like this little bit of a love poem written to impress a girl:
"I wish I could be your maxi-pad / Behind which you hide your prize." WTF?

or the love letter addressed to: "The face that launched my bicycle many times."

and the treasured bits taken from a series of entries over the course of a summer:

"June 28th 1991. This morning I met the other CITs. One of them is named Laura. She has some Jewish last name I can't remember. Also, I think she's got double C cups. They're huge.

July 23rd 1991 ... I didn't really sleep much which is good because otherwise I might have had a wet dream and that would be really embarrassing to clean out of a sleeping bag."

Recommendation: Much less painful than actually reading through your own teenage diary but find it at your local library, not the bookstore.