As enticing as a story about a manipulative 
mother who systematically poisons her daughter 
for years sounds, Stephanie Wrobel’s debut 
“Darling Rose Gold” manages to add an even 
more interesting wrinkle to this premise. It’s 
likely you’ve heard of Munchausen syndrome 
by proxy (MSBP): A child’s caretaker fabricates 
illnesses to make the child seem sick. This form 
of child abuse is a focal point of depictions 
such as HBO’s documentary “Mommy Dead 
and Dearest” and Hulu’s “The Act.” For the 
most part, such narratives culminate with the 
revelation that leads to the caretaker’s arrest, 
but Wrobel states that her novel “begins where 
most novels … end — with the reveal upfront.” 
Patty Watts has been in prison for five years, 
and the novel begins with the day of her release, 
when her daughter, Rose Gold Watts, takes her 
in, seemingly forgiving her for poisoning her for 
eighteen years of her life. The reader experiences 
the present through Patty’s eyes, and the five 
years during which she’s imprisoned through 
Rose Gold’s eyes, and as these two narratives 
come closer to intertwining, the question 
remains: Why would Rose Gold give her mother 
shelter? Wrobel draws out the suspense of this 
question well, and the uncertainty of the answer 
carries much of the novel’s momentum. But not 
effectively enough. 
I was struck by how poor the novel’s attempt 

was at creating a compelling and realistic 
abusive mother, and when half the novel 
devolves into disengaging and inauthentic first-
person narration, it’s difficult to take the story 
seriously. The concept of “show don’t tell” is 
nonexistent here. Patty is reduced to a hand-
wringing caricature, comically thinking to 
herself about how she can 
manipulate 
her 
daughter 
again, “She’s not the only 
Watts capable of forming a 
plan … Now I know her weak 
spot: Adam,” (Rose Gold’s 
infant son). Patty’s character 
lacks nuance, her reasoning 
is simplistic. While MSBP 
is a real phenomenon, and 
there have certainly been 
individuals similar to Patty 
Watts, Wrobel’s novel lacks 
an 
awareness 
that 
such 
individuals are still human, 
and should still be portrayed 
as such. 
Regardless of the morality of a character’s 
actions, they should still be sincere. Patty 
is jarring, not because of the audacity of 
her actions, but because of the lack of depth 
underlying them. Few people explicitly declare 
and acknowledge the intentions, biases and 
motivations behind their every thought. Wrobel 
hamfistedly pushes the narrative that Patty 
Watts is one-dimensionally bitter, vengeful and 
hateful. Every other page, Patty pats herself 

on the back for pissing off the reader with her 
willful obstinance. All this being said, I had no 
problem with Patty’s actions themselves. Her 
character would have been better served by 
subtlety and humanity. She should have been 
a character who the reader wants to hate, but 
can’t quite hate because the reader understands 
her on some level.
In contrast to this, the 
eponymous character, Rose 
Gold, does add an intriguing 
level of depth to Wrobel’s 
debut. 
Ironically, 
Wrobel 
stated 
that 
her 
biggest 
difficulty in writing the 
novel was “getting Rose 
Gold’s voice right.” While 
Rose 
Gold 
suffers 
from 
some of the artless one-
dimensionality Patty does, 
her character arc throughout 
the novel is both engaging 
and realistic. For the most 
part, satisfactory character 
development is hindered by the time spent on 
her mother’s character, and if more time were 
to be invested in her character (and less in her 
mother’s), the novel would be considerably 
better. Regardless of these caveats, Rose Gold 
effectively inspires pity and dread as the reader 
witnesses her embark on an increasingly toxic 
trajectory. Her struggle to break free from 
Patty’s legacy, even as Rose Gold is haunted by 
similarities she shares with her mother, is tragic 

and sobering. Though a few of the similarities 
Rose Gold begins to show are somewhat 
incongruent with the rest of her established 
character, she remains a grim reminder of how 
children of abuse struggle to break free long 
after they escape the abuser. Thus, much of the 
suspense is built upon whether or not Rose Gold 
is able to mature before her path is cemented.
One of “Darling Rose Gold’s” biggest strengths 
is the novelty of the premise. Though MSBP is 
commonly depicted in media, Wrobel portrays a 
stage of headline-making criminal cases that is 
often ignored: the aftermath. Her novel shows 
the unpleasant reality that, often, after justice 
is served, a happy ending isn’t a certainty, and 
recovery isn’t easy. The novel illustrates one of 
the many shortcomings of the punitive American 
criminal justice system, which often accounts 
for neither the victim’s nor the perpetrator’s 
welfare following the verdict. It’s a relevant 
issue to consider, and the intrigue of Rose Gold’s 
emotional transformation throughout the novel 
demonstrates the potential for such narratives. 
Though the novel’s third act was by far the 
strongest, with a page-turning climax and an 
unexpectedly somber ending, the same could 
have been accomplished if the novel had focused 
solely on Rose Gold’s recovery and struggles.
It’s unfortunate that so much of “Darling 
Rose Gold” was defined by what could have 
been, but the novel struggled to fully develop 
fruitful emotional connections with the reader, 
and what resulted was a so-so character study of 
a warring mother and daughter.

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
Friday, February 21, 2020 — 5

Coming out of the theatre after “Portrait of 
a Lady on Fire,” I felt a little disappointed. The 
plot had seemed right up my alley: in the late 
1700s, a painter (Noémie Merlant, “Heaven 
Will Wait”) and her subject (Adèle Haenel, 
“Suzanne”), an aristocratic woman about 
to be married to a stranger, fall in love. The 
performances were great from the start, which 
was a good sign. Both 
Marianne, the artist, and 
Héloïse, the aristocrat, 
are played wonderfully 
by Merland and Haenel. 
The 
cinematography 
is 
immaculate 
too, 
perfectly 
capturing 
a 
rustic French villa that 
lies next to a sparkling 
sea. Still, for most of the 
movie, I was bored out 
of my skull. 
We 
never 
learn 
much about the two 
characters, except that one is a painter and 
the other is an aristocrat who doesn’t want 
to get married. Certain questions that more 
conventional movies would address, such as 
what it’s like growing up LGBTQ+ in a hostile 
time, are thrown to the wayside for understated 
scenes where little is said. Mostly, characters 
spend time walking on the beach, painting, 
looking at paintings, and making out. I wasn’t 
sure what these women saw in one another, or 
what they got out of their relationship. It’s hard 
to care about them without knowing what’s at 
stake. 
The movie plays out like a long, hazy daydream 
about two 1700s-era women I knew little about. 

There are moments that blow past this subdued 
temporal distance, especially the titular scene: 
a black dress burns while the woman wearing 
it stares intently into the camera. In another, 
a maid discovers she is pregnant and frankly 
admits she wants an abortion, blowing through 
usual “period piece” stereotypes. These piercing 
scenes were few and far between, though, and 
mostly I was underwhelmed. This is a shame, 
because one of my favorite genres is LGBTQ+ 
cinema. 
Why 
didn’t 
“Portrait” 
affect 
me 
like 
“Moonlight,” “Call Me by 
Your Name” and “Love 
Simon” did? On my way 
home from the movie, 
I 
realized 
what 
was 
lacking: joy.
In “Moonlight,” Chiron 
discovers his sexuality 
through a moonlit kiss 
on a Californian beach. 
In “Call Me By Your 
Name,” Elio and Oliver 
first kiss in a whispering 
grass field under a shady 
tree. The kiss in “Love 
Simon” is atop a ferris wheel during a fireworks 
show, while an entire high school cheers the 
couple on. Even “The Favourite” had joyous 
(albeit deranged) love between Queen Anne and 
her female suitors.
The ending of “Portrait” has no crazy leap of 
faith, no unexpected, perfect lovers’ reunion 
and there’s no ferris wheel to be found. It ends 
sadly, and I wonder why these two women 
let things end without putting up any kind of 
fight. Yet is it realistic of me to ask for a happy 
ending for characters who lived in a time when 
LGBTQ+ identities were ignored, marginalized 
and directly attacked?
Perhaps I’ve been a tad spoiled by the 

recent flourishing of queer cinema. While 
essential, and utterly triumphant, the cinematic 
mainstream’s embrace of LGBTQ+ characters 
has been a tad one-dimensional. 
Take two recent examples from this past 
summer. In “Rocketman,” Elton John goes 
through a tumultuous journey of fame and self 

discovery that culminates with the perfect 
American husband and kids. In “Booksmart,” 

Amy’s first time ends with her puking on the 
girl, but she still somehow gets her phone 
number by the movie’s end. 
Love is a spectrum, and queer cinema should 
reflect that. It can be sublime, but more often 
than not it has shades of frustration, confusion 
and, yes, boredom. Endings aren’t always happy, 
and beginnings aren’t either. Would it really be 
realistic for a film set in the 1700s to have two 
women find perfect, unrestrained happiness 
in a relationship deemed a mortal sin by their 
society? In that situation, I’d be hesitant too. 
While it’s been great to revel in the colorful, 
excited sense of romance in recent LGBTQ+ 
movies, more complex fare must be encouraged 
too. 
Other 
countries, 
time 
periods 
and 
experiences should be brought to the table, and 
every queer film is valid no matter the amount 
of fireworks.
In retrospect, I’m glad “Portrait of a Lady on 
Fire” took such a realistic approach, and look 
forward to seeing it again.

What ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ says about queer cinema

FILM REVIEW

‘Darling Rose Gold’ has a smart premise but falls flat

BOOK REVIEW

ANDREW WARRICK
Daily Arts Writer

NEON

Making DIY music work in Southeastern Michigan

DIY can be difficult. Finding venues for your 
band to play can be a nearly impossible task, 
especially when you’re trying to perform outside 
of your hometown. Frantically reaching out 
to strangers or friends that might be loosely 
connected to a scene can be very hit-or-miss, and 
pay-to-play venues rarely work out in your favor. 
However, for bands looking to play Southeastern 
Michigan, it might be easier than you think.
Outta This World Booking is a group that aims 
to help smaller, self-run bands find shows around 
Michigan. 
“I’ve been playing shows since the end of high 
school, and I grew up going to shows,” Pat Ray, 
the founder of the booking group, said in a phone 
interview with The Daily. “I was booking shows 
regularly for a couple years, sort of as a one-off 
thing where I would help out a friend or someone 
would message me and say that they could return 
the favor of booking my band.”
“But since graduating college, and working and 
being more quote unquote adult, I felt like I could 
make this all a bit more organized than the way I 
was doing it. And then, about a year ago, in the spur 
of the moment, I just decided to make a Facebook 
page and come up with a name that I can use as a 
banner to promote shows.” 
From there, Ray recruited some friends and 
started Outta This World Booking, with the 
mission of helping out the local music community.
For many groups without a manager or a record 

label, touring can be a daunting task. 
He added,“It’s hard to be like, ‘I just started this 
band. I want to play a show in New York. I don’t 
know anyone in New York … how the hell do I do 
that?’ And most of the time, you just have to take a 
couple shots in the dark.” 
But Ray hopes to make this process easier for 
bands traveling through Southeastern Michigan. 
“Touring is always hit or miss — sometimes it’s 

a Tuesday night and there’s like, ten people there,” 
Ray said. “The difference I try to make is that 
when these bands come through, I want to make 
sure they feel welcome, and that they’re getting a 
worthwhile experience.”
Since its founding, Outta This World has 
expanded into a team of eight or nine individuals, 
taking more of a do-it-together approach. 
“I don’t really think of it as mine anymore,” Ray 
said. “I have a team of wonderful people that … 

more than pull their weight.” 
Ray said that in the future, they’re hoping to 
expand their base with more like-minded and 
passionate people, and bring more consistency to 
their shows. 
The group is also trying to branch out with new 
events and festivals. 
“We’re also trying to do some more cool 
projects,” Ray told me. “We recently did a new 
event called New Year, New Music, where we had 
a bunch of artists submit demos to us, and then 
we picked the top ten of these artists to perform 
at the Loving Touch. We recorded all of these 
performances, and will be releasing them later on 
this year.” 
Setting up a show can be pretty chaotic. The 
process consists of “a lot of frantic messaging,” 
according to Ray. Bands constantly reach out to 
the group in an effort to find a show in the area. 
After checking out their music, Ray said the group 
will also make sure that the band doesn’t have any 
history of unfriendly behavior. 
“A big part of DIY is the ethical and moral 
beliefs that are inherent to this community,” Ray 
said. “We don’t really think that bands with drastic 
differences in those areas would fit very well in our 
community.” 
Once the booking group has a band they’re 
excited about, they need to find a venue and local 
support for the band. Since a good chunk of the 
members on the team have played frequently at 
venues in the area, the group is at the point now 
where they can find a venue or house show contact 
point quickly in order to get the show set up. The 
next step is reaching out to artists to play along 

with the touring band. 
“Something that I, and I think every booker 
could be better at is … when you’re setting up a bill, 
making sure that it’s not just an all-white-dude 
show, you know?” Ray said. “We want to make 
sure we’re giving a voice to the more marginalized 
communities.”
From there, the group is responsible for 
promoting the show with fliers and Facebook 
events and making sure the show runs smoothly 
the day of. 
Since being exposed to DIY in southeastern 
Michigan almost four years ago (at a show Ray was 
playing, no less), I’ve really been fortunate enough 
to see it grow as much as it has because of people 
that care as much as Ray does. 
“It’s really just a very inspiring community,” 
Ray told me. “I’ve become friends with people all 
throughout the country because of this community. 
And it’s awesome.”

Upcoming DIY Shows:

Harvey Waters
Dearly Somber
Labour Day Weekend
Dogsneeze 
at Buttom & Bella’s Music Box in Ypsilanti on Feb. 22

Deau Eyes
Jackamo
Craig Garwood
at PJ’s Lager House in Detroit on Mar. 1

RYAN COX
Daily DIY Columnist

TATE LAFRENIER
Daily Arts Writer

DAILY DIY COLUMN

I wasn’t sure what these 
women saw in one another, 
or what they got out of their 
relationship. It’s hard to care 
about about them without 
knowing what’s at stake.

Love is a spectrum, and 
queer cinema should reflect 
that.

“Darling Rose 

Gold”

Stephanie Wrobel

Berkley

March 17, 2020

It’s hard to be like, ‘I just 
started this band. I want to 
play a show in New York. I 
don’t know anyone in New 
York ... how the hell do I do 
that?’

