Adele Bertei Book order

“The mystery is how I managed to survive, and whether or not Maddie Twist remains alive and well and living like Brel in Paris, or beyond.”Through the eyes of her alter ego Maddie Twist, Adele Bertei threads together the tapestry of an extraordinary, troubled childhood in the 60s and 70s. It begins with her beautiful mother, whose delusions of grandeur bring both wonders and horrors to the Bertei home. It is her undiagnosed schizophrenia that eventually leads to the removal of her children, and the beginning of young Maddie’s wild journey. By her middle school years, Maddie Twist has moved through several foster homes and reformatories. With each new posting, she discovers sanctuary amongst her peers—outcast girls—while gaining belief in her identity, and unwavering trust in her own voice. As she ages out of the system and finds herself navigating the world alone, Maddie’s only constant is a ribbon of music that weaves itself around her heart. She can sing, and she is certain it will be the beacon that guides her towards another life. In frank prose without an ounce of self-pity, Twist is an episodic survival of the fittest, navigating the crooked rivers of poverty, race, sexuality, and gender. It is a world of little girl gangsters, drag queen solidarity, wild roller-skating, and magical thinking. With Twist , Bertei gives us a story of violence and madness, of heartbreak and perseverance, and, ultimately, redemption.

Performing as the Bluebelles in the 1960s, Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx, and Sarah Dash wore bouffant wigs and chiffon dresses, and they harmonized vocals like many other girl groups of the era. After a decade on the Chitlin Circuit, however, they were ready to write their own material, change their name, and deliver—as Labelle—an electrifyingly celestial sound and styling that reached a crescendo with a legendary performance at the Metropolitan Opera House to celebrate the release of Nightbirds and its most well-known track, “Lady Marmalade.” In Why Labelle Matters, Adele Bertei tells the story of the group that sang the opening aria of Afrofuturism and proclaimed a new theology of musical liberation for women, people of color, and LGBTQ people across the globe. With sumptuous and galactic costumes, genre-bending lyrics, and stratospheric vocals, Labelle’s out-of-this-world performances changed the course of pop music and made them the first Black group to grace the cover of Rolling Stone. Why Labelle Matters, informed by interviews with members of the group as well as Bertei’s own experience as a groundbreaking musician, is the first cultural assessment of this transformative act.

ADELE BERTEI is a multifaceted artist, known as a poet, writer, actor, performer, singer, songwriter, and filmmaker. She emerged in the late 1970s New York scene as the organist for the Contortions, a group of musical insurrectionists. Bertei has starred in several indie films, including Lizzie Borden’s Born in Flames, and has collaborated with a wide range of artists such as Tears for Fears, Sandra Bernhard, and Whitney Houston. Her first solo recording, “Build Me a Bridge,” was a dance hit, along with other singles like “Just a Mirage” and “Hyperactive!” She showcased new material in 2017-18 at venues including MoMA and Club Salo in Paris. Bertei has also led songwriting workshops for homeless youth and volunteered with Wayne Kramer’s Jail Guitar Doors. Her book, Why Labelle Matters, is set to be published in 2021. In her memoir, Peter and the Wolves, she reflects on her friendship with Peter Laughner, a pivotal figure in the 1970s underground punk scene. This work details their artistic collaboration and the vibrant, yet fleeting, spirit of rock and roll. The first paperback edition features newly discovered photos, a new foreword, and an epilogue by Tim Wright, the original Pere Ubu bassist, all within 93 pages.