The Girlie Playhouse: A Novel

The Girlie Playhouse is narrated by “Pixie,” the daughter of a famous cabaret dancer who was murdered by a sanctimonious preacher. In flashbacks, she describes that tragedy, which has filled her with loss and longing. Pixie, who admits that she has a thing for “girls with meretricious charms,” becomes a stripper herself and meets Trixie—who reminds her of her own mother—at a club called the Girlie Playhouse. Max, a regular at the joint, thought he was happily married until he saw Trixie and...