What I did for my college degree

Everyone knows that an Ivy League education is expensive. Besides a lucky few, many must resort to other methods of financing their educations. Loans, second mortgages, and intense involvement with financial aid offices become intricate parts of students' lives. Few take advantage of a particular job that can bring in tremendous amounts of money....

Ivy League Stripper

Ever since I read a magazine review of Ivy League Stripper, it has been on my "books to read whenever I get the chance" list. It was quite amusing to see the responses of my parents and friends when they asked if I'd read any good books lately: "You're reading what?" they'd say. Beyond the attention-grabbing name, however, Heidi Mattson's Ivy League Stripper, just out in paperback, provides a detailed account of Mattson's experiences while struggling to pay her way through Brown University.

Beginning with a prologue entitled "Foxy Lady: Every Man's Fantasy," in which Mattson describes in detail her experiences as a topless dancer, the story returns to her early acceptance to Brown and the beginning of her college years. Aware that her parents can in no way afford her tuition--$14,000 in addition to the $8,000 awarded by Brown--Mattson is always on the lookout for a job. She experiments with several different forms of employment--she works as a waitress, cleans houses, and paints, none of which bring in nearly enough money to pay the bills. Mattson also weathers one trauma after another, including a lumpectomy to combat breast cancer and the unwanted sexual gestures of an elderly man. All of the above happen before Mattson even considers stripping. Before she spends her first night at the Foxy Lady, the reader is already stunned by the resilience and emotional strength of this woman.

Mattson's vivid descriptions gently guide the reader through her introduction into the world of the topless dancer. Anecdotal bits of other strippers' personal stories aid the reader in believing this seemingly unlikely tale. The book is narrated in the first person--her mental processes revealed through italicized somments she makes to herself like, "Well, Heidi, you did it! You actually called a strip joint."

Mattson begins by working in the Knockout Sport Saloon, and her entrance into the unfamiliar world of the topless dancer is accompanied by an emotional transformation as well. Mattson does not ignore the commonly held feminist viewpoint that by stripping she perpetuates the objectifying tradition of men ogling women and making disparaging comments. She confronts this issue head-on. She does not view herself as a decorative object in a male-dominated world, but rather as an empowered female. She is using men, hitting them at their weak spot--their lust and libido--and draining them of their money. Mattson's newfound powerful status is most clearly seen through her role as the "kinky cop." Each dancer has a role she can play while dancing, and Mattson's comes equipped with black leather and handcuffs. Mattson yells at and cuffs her customers, all the while profiting from their bodily infatuations. Mattson's experience does seem to be one of female power in the extreme: she takes advantage of men to get exactly what she needs.

The book concentrates a lot on Mattson's first-hand stripping experiences, but the end leaves the reader questioning society's values. Without spoiling it, the main gist of the reading is the importance of not stereotyping people just because of where they live or what they do. It's an extremely effective ending to a book that analyzes how society's judgment affects people's behavior.

Ivy League Stripper is great light reading. Though the writing is more vernacular than elegant prose, it is the engaging story itself that is central to the book's value. At times it can feel slightly drawn out as Mattson trudges through one ordeal after another, yet once one remembers that this book is in fact based on a true story, any hint of irritation gives way to a feeling of awe.