So my reading kick continues -- you'd be surprised how many books you can tackle when you stop watching five hours of "Dateline NBC," "48 Hours," "Snapped" et al. a day week.
Recently I polished off Truman Capote's "Answered Prayers," which I'd actually purchased at that darling bookstore in the Marais when I was in Paris months before 9/11. Turns out I was wise to not bother all these years -- it’s a long-winded and tedious mess, and the graphic gay material sounds as embarrassing today as I'm sure it did when it was first published.
To wash the taste out of my mouth, I finally read "Breakfast at Tiffany's," which I knew was very different from the film -- an all-time favorite -- and enjoyed finding out how. (Now that's good writing.) Damian and I are keeping our Valentine's Day classic movie tradition alive, going to see Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly on the 14th at the Metrograph.
I also devoured my friend Ellen Jovin's "Rebel With a Clause," which it turns out is largely a print version of the hilarious documentary I've seen a couple times, only with additional local color. I informed her that I especially liked the discussion of the use of possessive pronouns before a gerund, which besides tennis is probably the thing that bonds Damian and me the most.
And then I read a friend's memoir that he is trying to shop around. Whether anybody who is not famous can sell one of these in a post-"Housewives" era is anyone's guess. But he's about a decade older than I am, which is enough for him to have experienced some things that need to be documented as part of the LGBTQ canon, so I hope it finds an audience.
Since I still seem to be in the zone, I'm now about to attempt to knock off a couple books from friends that I'm embarrassed to say I never got around to reading -- Jeff Copeland's "I Love You Madly, Holly Woodlawn" and Tim Anderson's "Tune In Tokyo" (his "Sweet Tooth" is a fave!) -- plus one that was a gift (Betty Hutton's "Backstage, You Can Have").
But right now I'm knee-deep in "Cybil Disobedience," which I ordered just after we finished watching Ms. Shepherd's titular CBS sitcom and heard that she'd trashed all her co-stars in it -- she does!!!
Let me know what you're reading in the comments.
5 comments:
I recently discovered Michael McDowell (screenwriter of Beetlejuice), who was a prolific screenwriter and novelist, who wrote mostly commercial horror tales. Apparently he also wrote some crime thrillers under a bunch of pseudonyms like Axel Young, Nathan Aldyne, Mike McCray and Preston MacAdam. Included were three novels that were homage to screwball comedies of early decades. I just finished the three Jack & Susan novels written in the mid-1980s. They're fun, quick, and snarky. I'm not sure why I've never read him until this year.
Some older celebrity books you might enjoy (based on knowing you and your tastes a little bit):
Ronnie Spector - Be My Baby - you know how much I loved my friend Ronnie. (btw Rosie Perez did the audiobook). And the NYPL has both book and audio versions. It's being made into a movie, last I heard Zendaya was going to star as Ronnie, which Ronnie approved before she passed.
Liz Renay - My Face for the World to See - Liz is certainly best known now as a John Waters star (Desperate Living), but this memoir is maybe the campiest, most over the top book you will ever read. Might be hard to find but worth it!
Peggy Caserta - Going Down with Janis AND I Ran into Some Trouble. Peggy Caserta was actually a big part of the Haight-Ashbury hippie movement, especially in fashion, but is most famous for being the sort-of girlfriend of Janis Joplin. Going Down with Janis has the dirtiest opening sentence of any book I have ever read, is kind of gross and exploitive throughout, and Peggy said in her later book I Ran into Some Trouble that she was strung out on heroin when she "wrote" it with a ghost writer and signed away the rights. Her later book tries to make amends, but still details a hard, druggy life (and an insane Mexican jailbreak she participated in, among other nightmarish stories). I think NYPL has the print and audio of the later book.
Just some thoughts!
I just finished Capote’s “In cold blood”. I got it in my head that I had to read something of his and so loved the movies about the book, “am I the only one here who appreciates a shawl?” Ongoingly obtuse, I started reading and then was like, OMG yes, this is about a brutal slaughter of an innocent family. I hate all that true crime crap! And don’t want to put that in my subconscious. As I am not allowed to quit reading a book, I finished it.
I don’t think it’s fair to critique the first of something through latter-day eyes when it has been stolen too death such that we no longer see it for what it was. But just to say, very underwhelmed by the writing - just a serial account of the various involved parties, nothing which elevated to art.
Still I’d like to read “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and that it is a short story helps. My husband has been saying for years that the movie is desperate for a (more faithful) remake.
Now reading Gooch’s biography of Haring. It’s long but well detailed so it’s a good record. Had to go from art opening to art opening for a long while without much insight to context and now that we’re getting closer to his death, I am getting so sad. So it is moving and I’m glad I’m reading it.
Buckeye by Patrick Ryan has grown on me... took me FOREVER to get through the beginning, but there's a gay subplot and I finally am caring about the characters. I recommend it (when you have finished whatever you're reading now)
Kenneth, thank you so much for mentioning LOVE YOU MADLY, HOLLY WOODLAWN. So kind of you! I'm in the middle of reading WITH LOVE, MOMMIE DEAREST by A. Ashley Hoff. It's all about the making of the film "Mommie Dearest." Very well written and researched, and quite fascinating. I highly recommend.
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