“At 19, I was a rebel, a long way from that shy girl in the Long Island hot pink bedroom,” writes local author Lori Horvitz in her new book, The Girls of Usually. “To prove it, I shaved stripes into my hairy legs.” The collection of memoir essays, at once witty and self-effacing, follows Horvitz through her awkward youth (she practiced magic) to her misadventures as a world traveler. If Horvitz was a misfit, the reader benefits from her off-kilter observations: “My only fond memory of Hebrew school was riding on back of Mr. Wilkomersky’s motorcycle,” she writes. “When it was my turn, I wrapped my arms around his waist and shut my eyes and felt the wind whip against my face and thought, ‘Maybe this is what it means to be a Jew.’ But Mr. Wilkomersky got fired for endangering our lives.” Horvitz presents The Girls of Usually at Malaprop’s on Sunday, Feb. 22, at 3 p.m. malaprops.com. Photo courtesy of the author
Smart bets: Lori Horvitz

Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.