Girls, Visions, and Everything

Lila Futuransky is a lesbian living on the East Side of New York who admires Jack Kerouac and is determined to emulate her hero. She wanders around the city, takes many lovers, but then she meets Emily. They fall for each other, and soon Lila must choose between her love for Emily and her desire to continue living out her fantasy from On the Road. Unfortunately Schulman tries to imitate Kerouac's writing style rather than develop her own voice. Moreover, the narrative bogs down in Lila's wanderings, which lead to sketchy encounters with stereotypical druggies, homophobes and homosexual artists. There are too many unnecessary characters, and the setting, Manhattan's hip, wild, creative downtown scene, does not come alive.(October)