The Making of Rotten, a Novel Exploring Consent in the DIY Scene
by Mandy Brownholtz
NY-based writer Mandy Brownholtz recently self-published her first novel, Rotten. The book deals with issues of consent & millennial sexual politics in the context of DIY music and arts communities, a niche that surprisingly hasn’t been explored enough. Set against a grimy, punk DC, it tells the story of spiraling college dropout and freelance writer Viv Taylor, who must revisit her unresolved past when a local paper assigns her a story on underground DIY venue Fort Rotten. Predating #MeToo, Viv reckons with the difference between choice and acquiescence, free will and circumstance, and ultimately determines that the only choice we have is to take ownership of ourselves, our stories, and our love of self.
Below, Mandy shares a photo diary of her DIY days in the DC scene and a playlist of songs referenced in Rotten.
Mandy at Fort Reno, Tenleytown, Washington DC, 2009
Kat at Fort Reno, Tenleytown, Washington DC, 2009
Baltimore band Gray Ghost at Corpse Fortress, Silver Spring MD, 2009
Baltimore band Gray Ghost at Corpse Fortress, Silver Spring MD, 2009
Roman at Corpse Fortress, Silver Spring MD, 2009
Mandy at Fort Reno, Tenleytown, Washington DC, 2009
Mandy Brownholtz is a writer living in Queens, NY. She is from the D.C.-Metro area. Her features appear on the NYC-based music & culture blog Audiofemme. Her work has been published in The New York Times. Rotten is her first novel.