Description

Book Synopsis

Walking Through Clear Water in a Pool Painted Black is the only story collection from the legendary writer, actress, ex-biker and columnist Cookie Mueller, published in the UK for the first time.

Mueller chronicles her high-risk, high-reward life in glorious technicolour, from becoming a part of John Waters' legendary acting troupe to becoming a mother, from describing the hedonism of 1980s New York to critiquing the government's dire response to the AIDS epidemic. Cookie's voice is fresh, wise, freewheeling and unafraid of darkness. Like a lysergic Nora Ephron, she is the candid flipside to the idealistic hippie dream. Whether good, bad or ugly, her stories are fiercely entertaining and reliably honest.

Featuring a new introduction by Olivia Laing, this edition collects Mueller's stories, columns and writings, and presents a testament to a life lived courageously and well.



Trade Review
A how-to manual for a life ricocheting joyously off the rails . . . a live corrective to conformity, conservatism and cruelty -- OLIVIA LAING
Cookie Mueller wrote like a lunatic Uncle Remus - spinning little stories from Hell that will make any reader laugh out loud. She was a writer, a mother, an outlaw, an actress, a fashion designer, a go-go dancer, a witch doctor, an art-hag and, above all, a goddess. Boy, do I miss that girl -- JOHN WATERS
People fall in love with Cookie when they read her . . . She was a matchless beautician of the word -- RICHARD HELL
Utterly fearless and stunning -- Steven Long * * The Crack Magazine * *

Table of Contents
'A how-to manual for a life ricocheting joyously off the rails . . . a live corrective to conformity, conservatism and cruelty' - OLIVIA LAING

'Cookie Mueller wrote like a lunatic Uncle Remus - spinning little stories from Hell that will make any reader laugh out loud. She was a writer, a mother, an outlaw, an actress, a fashion designer, a go-go dancer, a witch doctor, an art-hag and, above all, a goddess. Boy, do I miss that girl' - JOHN WATERS

'People fall in love with Cookie when they read her . . . She was a matchless beautician of the word' - RICHARD HELL

Walking Through Clear Water In a Pool Painted

    Product form

    £10.44

    Includes FREE delivery

    RRP £10.99 – you save £0.55 (5%)

    Order before 4pm today for delivery by Tue 16 Jun 2026.

    A Paperback / softback by Cookie Mueller, Olivia Laing

      Trusted by thousands of customers. See 2,385+ Customer Reviews

      View other formats and editions of Walking Through Clear Water In a Pool Painted by Cookie Mueller

      Publisher: Canongate Books
      Publication Date: 04/08/2022
      ISBN13: 9781838858483, 978-1838858483
      ISBN10: 1838858482

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      Walking Through Clear Water in a Pool Painted Black is the only story collection from the legendary writer, actress, ex-biker and columnist Cookie Mueller, published in the UK for the first time.

      Mueller chronicles her high-risk, high-reward life in glorious technicolour, from becoming a part of John Waters' legendary acting troupe to becoming a mother, from describing the hedonism of 1980s New York to critiquing the government's dire response to the AIDS epidemic. Cookie's voice is fresh, wise, freewheeling and unafraid of darkness. Like a lysergic Nora Ephron, she is the candid flipside to the idealistic hippie dream. Whether good, bad or ugly, her stories are fiercely entertaining and reliably honest.

      Featuring a new introduction by Olivia Laing, this edition collects Mueller's stories, columns and writings, and presents a testament to a life lived courageously and well.



      Trade Review
      A how-to manual for a life ricocheting joyously off the rails . . . a live corrective to conformity, conservatism and cruelty -- OLIVIA LAING
      Cookie Mueller wrote like a lunatic Uncle Remus - spinning little stories from Hell that will make any reader laugh out loud. She was a writer, a mother, an outlaw, an actress, a fashion designer, a go-go dancer, a witch doctor, an art-hag and, above all, a goddess. Boy, do I miss that girl -- JOHN WATERS
      People fall in love with Cookie when they read her . . . She was a matchless beautician of the word -- RICHARD HELL
      Utterly fearless and stunning -- Steven Long * * The Crack Magazine * *

      Table of Contents
      'A how-to manual for a life ricocheting joyously off the rails . . . a live corrective to conformity, conservatism and cruelty' - OLIVIA LAING

      'Cookie Mueller wrote like a lunatic Uncle Remus - spinning little stories from Hell that will make any reader laugh out loud. She was a writer, a mother, an outlaw, an actress, a fashion designer, a go-go dancer, a witch doctor, an art-hag and, above all, a goddess. Boy, do I miss that girl' - JOHN WATERS

      'People fall in love with Cookie when they read her . . . She was a matchless beautician of the word' - RICHARD HELL

      Recently viewed products

      © 2026 Book Curl

        • American Express
        • Apple Pay
        • Diners Club
        • Discover
        • Google Pay
        • Maestro
        • Mastercard
        • PayPal
        • Shop Pay
        • Union Pay
        • Visa

        Login

        Forgot your password?

        Don't have an account yet?
        Create account