Toxicology

Jessica Hagedorn's bold new novel, Toxicology, explores the intertwining lives of two women in Manhattan's West Village: Mimi Smith, a low-budget slasher filmmaker seeking inspiration, and Eleanor Delacroix, a nearly eighty-year-old writer of erotic fiction struggling with addiction after the death of her lover. As they navigate personal and artistic challenges—Mimi coping with her newly sober brother, a missing boyfriend, and a rebellious daughter—Eleanor faces her own demons. The novel delves into themes of money, desire, mortality, and the complex ties between creativity and self-destruction, all underscored by the haunting presence of a ghost from Mimi's past.