Coming in 2026 from Heresy Press. Available for pre-order from Amazon.
“Full of surprises, The Girlie Playhouse subverts cliché. Alexander is a serious stylist who is not afraid to ruffle feathers.” —Charles Holdefer, author of Don’t Look at Me and Ivan the Terrible Goes on a Family Picnic
The demi-monde of strippers seen from a female perspective. Beneath the deceptively plain language of the story is a more complex train of thought—subtly satirical, shocking in effect and surreptitiously subversive. —Tom Newton, author of Fabian: A Cubist Biography and Warfilm
“Alexander’s beautiful style with flowing sentences and delicious phrases glorifies female beauty in a society which often finds is threatening and in turn threatens it. She writes with a light touch, apparently following Nabokov’s dictum to caress the detail. Despite danger and tragedy in the background, this is a humorous and satirical novel, highly entertaining and thought provoking. I haven’t enjoyed reading a novel this much since I Served the King of England by Bohumil Hrabal.” —Josip Novakovich, author of Apricots from Chernobyl and Honey in the Carcase
From the Publisher:
The Girlie Playhouse by V. N. Alexander intricately weaves the lives of exotic dancers in a cabaret setting, capturing their struggles against societal norms and personal demons. Narrated by Pixie, the story taps into her childhood memories of her mother, a tragic figure who was also a stripper, illuminating the complexities of their shared past. With the arrival of an eccentric new dancer, Trixie, the dynamics within the Girlie Playhouse shift dramatically. Trixie’s enchanting presence captures the attention of patrons, notably Max, a married lottery winner facing his own existential crisis. Tensions rise when a local feminist group starts protesting at the venue, sparking contentious debates over women’s objectification and autonomy. Trixie’s relationship with Max blooms amidst the chaos, but as their romance intensifies, Trixie’s hopes for a brighter future clash with the stigmatization of her profession. In the end, the consequences of Trixie’s life choices culminate in an unforeseen tragedy, a poignant reminder of the emotional weight of a dancer’s life and the challenges of that calling.