Dirtbag Queen

By: Andy Corren

Narrated by: Andy Corren

In this "utterly unhinged, hilarious" memoir, a son pays tribute to his larger than life 'zaftig good time gal' mother and his unusual childhood (Jenny Lawson, New York Times bestselling author).

“Because she was my mother, the death of zaftig good-time gal Renay Corren is newsworthy to me, and I treat it with the same respect and reverence she had for, well, nothing. A more disrespectful, trash talking woman was not to be found.”

So began Andy Corren's unforgettable obituary for his mother, Renay Mandel Corren, in her hometown paper The Fayetteville Observer, a tribute that went on to touch the hearts of millions around the globe. In his brief telling of the life and legend that was Renay, a “loud, filthy‑minded (and filthy‑mouthed) Jewish lady redneck who birthed six kids,” Andy captured only a slice of his loving and fabulously unconventional mother.

His obituary for Renay was just the tip of the iceberg. In this uproariously funny, deeply moving family portrait, readers meet the rest of his absurd clan: his brothers, affectionately nicknamed Asshole (whose terrible attitude permeates every room he enters), Twin (held back a year and constantly mistaken for Andy despite the fact that they look nothing alike), and Rabbi (the only one who had a Bar Mitzvah); his one-eyed pirate queen of a sister, Cathy Sue (a teen bride who lost an eye to a Pepsi bottle); and then there’s the mysterious Bonus, who Andy isn’t aware of until later in life since this mysterious oldest brother grew up at the Green Valley School for Emotionally Disturbed and Delinquent Children.

A story of love and forgiveness, as well as a celebration of a woman who “didn't cook, didn't clean, and was lousy with money” but was “great at dyeing her red roots, weekly manicures, filthy jokes, pier fishing, rolling joints and buying dirty magazines," Dirtbag Queen is an entertaining and poignant portrayal of the complex and heartfelt humanity that unites us all—especially family.

©2025 Andy Corren (P)2025 Grand Central Publishing

Critic reviews

"Here's something I can say with perfect certainty: Andy Corren has written the best scene I know of involving Donny Osmond, a standard poodle named Licorice, and a young man's sexual awakening. And lucky for us, he's written a whole lot more. Dirtbag Queen is an irreverent, laugh-out-loud look back at an outrageous childhood. It's also an exquisite love letter to a woman who broke every rule of motherhood and taught her children how to live."—Grant Ginder, author of The People We Hate at the Wedding

“Dirtbag Queen is told with the kind of unyielding honesty, devastating humor and above all tender familial pride that makes a seemingly eccentric upbringing feel universal. You will not regret a moment you spend with this family—nor will you ever forget them.”—Steven Rowley, New York Times Bestselling author of The Guncle

“Dirtbag Queen is so funny, smart and original that while I was reading Andy Corren's fantastic memoir I had to keep reminding myself that I didn't write it."—Alan Zweibel, Original SNL writer and Thurber Prize winning author of Laugh Lines: My Life Helping Funny People Be Funnier

A great tribute to a mother who was troubled

Truly an enjoyable listen. Excellent biography of Child/Adult and his mother. Well, worth the price and the time. I have recommended it to friends.

Oh, Mama!

Scathingly, madly hilarious. The ultimate tribute to a flawed mother (is there any other kind?), an exemplar against which all other mother-loving memoirs will strive to measure up.

A Tornado of Meaningful Hilarity

The audiobook takes this amazing story to another level, with author Andy Corren's rubbery mellifluousness making his excellent sentences explosively funny.

Fantastic listen!

I enjoyed listening to this book so much. It was hilarious. The author did a spectacular job of reading the book. His descriptions of everything were fantastic. I highly recommend listening to it.

Truly lol

At a time when I really needed laughter, this book brought it. It could have been written as tragedy but the author finds the humor in even the most dire situations. He is also a fantastic narrator, bringing all the characters to vivid life.

Perseverance

Great book.I enjoyed it very much and I would have loved to be Renay and Andy’s friend.

Hilariously sweet and Trashy Memoir

Amazing Narration especially for a first book!! Andy did an amazing job. I wish we were friends.

Loved the hilarious review of his family!!

If you can’t laugh at your family and your life it is all in Vain. No one is perfect but we all have value.

Hilarious!

Totally unexpectedly funny audiobook. if you're from a poor southern dysfunctional family I suspect you will enjoy this book as read by the author.

Loved it!

I couldn’t have loved this audiobook more. It made me laugh, cry, and completely fall in love with the story. I’m now emotionally attached and suddenly craving a trip to a boo-fea - just like Andy says.