Celebrating Bouffant, Coco Mary’s Beat Fairytale
- Diana Mathur
- Jan 6
- 2 min read
Coco Mary is known for putting magic on the page, stage and screen —enchanting all who are fortunate enough to fall within her orbit. Her work frames tales through whimsical, wise collages and spare, lyrical verse, drawing our attention to beauty, curiosity, and whimsy all around.
Her latest œuvre, Bouffant, is as luscious and thought-provoking as the rest of her canon.
Coco is a visual maximalist in the best sense: she layers beauty upon charm, inspiration upon grace, compassion upon humor. Texture matters in her work. So does levity, and reverence—for stories, for people, for inheritance.
Many of her collaborators hail from Topanga Canyon, which adds a particular delight for local readers and lends her books a strong sense of place and community.
One personal favorite is Mademoiselle Puss in Provence (2009), featuring Georgia Saroj as Puss—a perfect example of Coco’s ability to marry classic narrative with playful reinvention.
Bouffant: A Beatnik Fairytale, set in Bay Area beat stomping grounds, launched recently at The Last Bookstore in Studio City amid much love from Coco Mary’s followers.
Beyond being a visual delight, the book serves as a tribute to her late mother, Maureen, and to the Beat Generation itself.
The accompanying playlist and list of Beat authors deepen the experience, inviting readers into a wider cultural conversation.
A true indie, Coco creates original, soulful work on her own terms.
These intimate, handmade books don’t just charm—they help us find our way in the world.
I was pleased to have a small hand in the editing of Bouffant, and to watch this soulful project come to life. Thank you, Coco.
Bouffant and the others are available at flowerchildbooks.world.
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