“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” ~William Shakespeare
My name is Monica, but you can call me Brook. I was born Monica Lynne, twenty something years ago, in Northern California. Since then, I was adopted by the strip club capitol, Atlanta, Georgia. I guess you could say that’s where ‘Brook Lynne’ was born. Although, I did not like the adoption of an alter ego, at first, the name change seemed to be a needed rite of passage to the strip club industry. I loved the name “Brooklyn,” and since half my name was Lynne already…well, you get the picture. So, Brook is no different than Monica. It is a nickname to which I am accustomed and often referred – even though I do not ‘dance’ anymore. After three consecutive years of dancing in one of Atlanta’s most popular strip clubs, I was fired. I am still waiting on the reason. Stay tuned.
I am still in Atlanta trying to make the transition from stripper to the “regular” work force. Luckily, I had a bartending license, which I am now using to keep my bills paid and entertain my customers with ‘too’ strong drinks and stories from my former life as a shake dancer. My relationship status is colorful. I have loved and lost, lost some more, won a little, and lost again. Fun times! While I am gradually trying to find my niche in life, I am also rehabilitating from an industry of impractical wages, vanity and trap stars. Just the site of strobe lights, baby oil or a stage, can send me into a quick relapse of fried chicken wings, one dollar bills and hard liquor. I kid. The only thing that I truly miss is the money. I promise.
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I’ve been writing my wrongs on social networks since 2007, starting with MySpace. I’ve tried to show people how to learn fom their mistakes rather than to regret them. I wanted to be candid about topics to show how human I am, and how unavoidable honest mistakes are in life. You can find such rants, praises and randomness on my own blog site, ABSOLUTEBROOK.com. It started after blogging my erratic surroundings while working in the strip club. My mini journaling can be found on my crazy and honest – sometimes even contradicting twitter page: Twitter.com/Brookandthecity.
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I’m in the middle of birthing my second love child, which is a true labor of love, a book called ‘With Brook Lynne in Mind.’ (For more info, visit www.withbrooklynneinmind.com.) It is loosely based on a true story (my life); I try to get the reader to walk with me through everything I love, loathe and cannot figure out. I am probably the ‘OMG’ child of all my friends and fam, promising to not disappoint when it comes to my mood swings and social anxiety. Yes, I am a former stripper, now bartender, with social anxiety, living in “Black, Hollywood,” getting my jollies from writing about everything and anything. As I close the chapter in my life on strip, and finish the delivery of my first book, I can then be known as a published author and a proud mother of two. My motto, ‘Pretty Bitches, Do Pretty Things!’
