<p> A hilariously offbeat memoir about an adventurous young woman's escapades as she defies conventions and transforms an ordinary Los Angeles life into a star-studded, extraordinary miracle of self-discovery. </p> <p> <i>Queen of the Oddballs</i> forms a chronology of Hillary Carlip's habitual straying from roads more traveled -- from a wisecracking third-grader suspended from school for smoking (while imitating Holly Golightly) to a headline-making teen activist, juggler and fire eater, friend (NOT "fan") of Carly Simon and Carole King, grand prize-winning <i>Gong Show</i> contestant, cult rock star, and seeker of spiritual and romantic truths that definitely defy expectations. </p> <p> Illustrated with ephemera -- from diary entries and photographs to a handwritten letter from Carly Simon -- <i>Queen of the Oddballs</i> presents a virtual time capsule of pop culture's last four decades and celebrates a creative life lived to the hilt. </p>