Darling Days

This “extraordinary memoir” from a gender non-conforming child of the ‘80s, is “brave and true, as devastating as it is inspiring.” —Joey Soloway, Emmy-award winning creator of Transparent

Born into the beautiful bedlam of downtown New York in the eighties, iO Tillett Wright came of age at the intersection of punk, poverty, heroin, and art. This was a world of self-invented characters, glamorous superstars, and strung-out sufferers, ground zero of drag and performance art. Still, no personality was more vibrant and formidable than iO’s mother’s. Rhonna, a showgirl and young widow, was a mercurial, erratic glamazon. She was iO’s fiercest defender and only authority in a world with few boundaries and even fewer indicators of normal life. At the center of Darling Days is the remarkable relationship between a fiery kid and a domineering ma—a bond defined by freedom and control, excess and sacrifice; by heartbreaking deprivation, agonizing rupture, and, ultimately, forgiveness.

Darling Days is also a provocative examination of culture and identity, of the instincts that shape us and the norms that deform us, and of the courage and resilience it takes to listen closely to your deepest self. When a group of boys refuse to let six-year-old, female-born iO play ball, iO instantly adopts a new persona, becoming a boy named Ricky—a choice iO’s parents support and celebrate. It is the start of a profound exploration of gender and identity through the tenderest years, and the beginning of a life invented and reinvented at every step. Alternating between the harrowing and the hilarious, Darling Days is the candid, tough, and stirring memoir of a young person in search of an authentic self as family and home life devolve into chaos.

This unforgettable story is a testament to survival and the courage to be yourself, exploring:

• A Vivid 1980s New York Setting: Experience the East Village at the height of the punk, art, and heroin scene—a world of self-invented characters, glamorous superstars, and profound deprivation.
• Complex Mother-Daughter Relationship: At the heart of the story is the volatile bond between iO and Rhonna, a mercurial glamazon whose love was both a fierce defense and a source of deep chaos.
• Gender Non-Conforming Identity: After being denied a game of ball for being a girl, six-year-old iO becomes Ricky—a profound, lifelong exploration of identity celebrated by an unconventional family.
• A Story of Resilience: More than a memoir about poverty and addiction, this is a raw and candid testament to the strength it takes to listen to your deepest self and invent a life against all odds.