Troia

In this newly rediscovered memoir, Bonnie Bremser, ex-wife of Beat-poet Ray Bremser, chronicles her life on the run from the law in the early Sixties. When Ray fled to Mexico in 1961 to avoid imprisonment for armed robbery, a crime he claimed he did not commit, Bonnie followed with their baby daughter, Rachel. In a foreign country with no money and little knowledge of the language, Bonnie was forced into a life of prostitution to support her family and their drug habit. Just twenty-three years old, Bonnie was young and inexperienced, but very much in love with her husband; indeed, she was ready to go to any lengths in an attempt to keep their small family alive and together, even if it meant becoming une troia.

Brenda Frazer (a.k.a. Bonnie Bremser) (1939- ) is one of the relatively few female Beat writers. Frazer married Beat-poet Ray Bremser in 1959 when he introduced her into the Beat movement and lifestyle. After leaving Ray following their stint in Mexico, Brenda moved to upstate New York to stay at Allen Ginsberg’s farm. While there, she developed a great interest in agriculture and eventually earned a Master’s degree in this field.

She now lives in Michigan, working as a consultant for the Department of Agriculture. Frazer has been published in several Beat journals and is currently working on the prequel and sequel to Troia: Mexican Memoirs.