Austinist Book Review: <em>Rollergirl</em> by Melissa "Melicious" Joulwan - Austinist: Austin News, Food, Arts & Events

As a founding member of the Texas Rollergirls, a league "by the skaters, for the skaters," Melissa "Melicious" Joulwan presents her inside perspective of the Austin-born flat track roller derby movement in Rollergirl: Totally True Tales From The Track. Rest assured, these tales, they're from the track and they're totally true.

Rollergirl chronicles Joulwan's ascension from jaded California dot-com dropout to seasoned Texas flat-track fixture. Struggling to find a comfortable niche just after moving to Austin, Joulwan and her husband decided to venture out of 78704 on a fated Saturday night to check out the burgeoning roller derby scene. Joulwan experienced a revelation during her first trip to Playland:

I was entranced, and entertaining a life-changing thought: I wanted to be a Rollergirl. With each lap the girls skated around the track, I became more convinced that I must become a Rollergirl. The move to Austin, my panter tattoo ... they were just the first steps to what was beginning to look like my destiny: Roller Derby.

Through a friend of a friend, Joulwan is introduced to rollergirl "Pris" and invited to practice the very next day. Strapping on a pair of cheap skates and determined to take life in a new direction, Joulwan begins her journey of becoming Melicious. A rollergirl is born.

In Rollergirl no detail is spared about track life. For instance, a handy graphic entitled "Be Prepared" lists the essentials every rollergirl should have on hand, from "condom(s)" to "lime salt" to "glitter." Seriously, no detail is spared, the author includes a few paragraphs on how well worn pads feature a rollergirl's signature scent. Not just a memoir, the book operates as a primer for flat track roller derby rules and regulations as well as an anthropological field guide to the rollergirls themselves, classifying them in types like "The Superheroine" and "The Wisecrackin' Dame."

Rollergirl is at its best when it discusses roller derby as an American institution. The section of the book entitled "The Old Brawl Game" tracks the origins of roller derby back to the Depression-era exploits of promoter Leo Seltzer and the surprising popularity of the sport up through the 1950s. Joulwan then attends to the various incarnations of roller derby throughout the latter half of the 20th century. The tone here is blissfully romantic and still maintains a playful edginess. This is demonstrated in the treatment of former roller derby stars Joannie Weston and Ann Calvello when they're proclaimed to be "the best [combination] of a Vegas showgirl and Olympic athlete, blended together and served up in a frosty glass on eight wheels."

This transitions into Joulwan's firsthand experience with the 21st-Century DIY approach to roller derby that started in Austin. The heart of Rollergirl is its chronicle of the rise of The Texas Rollergirls and the subsequent networking of flat track leagues across the country. Joulwan details the conflict at the foundation of the original league: the rift between the skaters and the "SheEOs" of Bad Girl Good Woman productions, the LLC established by three former rollergirls to manage the affairs of the league. The rift gave way to a complete split, resulting in the foundation of The Texas Rollergirls, a league "by the skaters, for the skaters."

It's not all smooth skating. Rollergirl falters when attempting to recreate the actual roller derby action. The scrambling, tumbling nature of the contests fails to translate well into prose and this is best evidenced in the hectic depiction of The Texas Rollergirls' first championship series. Additionally, the section devoted to rollergirl types and names seems unnecessarily long and unstable in tone. These are the only drawbacks to an otherwise enjoyable read, the strengths of Rollergirl outweigh its weaknesses.

Rollergirl is a fast little book that provides an intriguing look into the past, present and future of roller derby in America. Ooh, and it also features a cameo from the ubiquitous Jaime Foxx -yes, he's turning up in books now- who was present when the rollergirls were on Good Morning America.

FYI: Melissa "Melicious" Joulwan will be at BookPeople tomorrow night to discuss the book and all things roller-related. Be sure to skate by and pick up a signed copy from the author.

Rollergirl: Totally True Tales From The Track by Melissa "Melicious" Joulwan
Touchstone/Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 0743297156
$15 [buy it]

Melissa "Melicious" Joulwan presents Rollergirl
Tuesday, February 20
BookPeople [map]
7pm