Harley Loco

A Memoir of Hard Living, Hair, and Post-Punk from the Middle East to the Lower East Side

By: Rayya Elias

Narrated by: Christina Delaine

When she was 7, Rayya Elias and her family fled the political conflict in their native Syria, settling in Detroit. Bullied in school and caught between the world of her traditional family and her tough American classmates, she rebelled early.

Elias moved to New York City to become a musician and kept herself afloat with an uncommon talent for cutting hair. At the height of the punk movement, life on the Lower East Side was full of adventure, creative inspiration, and temptation. Eventually, Elias's passionate affairs with lovers of both sexes went awry, her (more than) occasional drug use turned to addiction, and she found herself living on the streets - between her visits to jail.

This debut memoir charts four decades of a life lived in the moment, a path from harrowing loss and darkness to a place of peace and redemption. Elias's wit and lack of self-pity in the face of her extreme highs and lows make Harley Loco a powerful listen that's sure to appeal to fans of Patti Smith, Augusten Burroughs, and Eleanor Henderson.

Contains mature themes.

©2013 Rayya Elias (P)2020 Tantor

Loved the reader

content was real, unvarnished. I loved it after reading All the way to the River.

What an amazing woman.

I have never read about the journey to & from addiction before. It’s written to where you feel excited for most of the book.

Beautiful, powerful autobiography

Absolutely loved this book. It was hard for me to put it down. Many can and should relate to this story as it can change you and the way you look at other and society. Five stars without hesitation.

Really fun ride-

I read this after Elizabeth Gilbert’s book- curious about Reya - Good story- gritty and real

Wow…Powerful writing and an education into addicti

I know you are dead now. Doesn’t matter….your story is tragically beautiful. You were a little stick of dynamite waiting to be blown up. Thank you for sharing your truth . I have dipped low., but never as low as you had to…needed to….to find your self.
You were loved…no doubt about that. So sorry you never felt it…..better luck in your ext lifetime my dear.❤️