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My Son Divine
This remarkable biography-written by Divine's mother, Frances Milstead, with Kevin Heffernan and Steve Yeager, the award-winning filmmakers whose documentary film on John Waters won the Filmmakers Trophy at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival-reveals a never-before-seen side of the internationally renowned actor and drag performer. Following him as he grows from angelic choirboy to troubled teen to flamboyant adult, this account reveals for the first time the legendary star's humanity as it is lovingly and movingly revealed through words and heretofore unpublished photos.
177 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 28, 2015
This loving, photo-filled tribute to the 350-pound female impersonator/disco chanteuse/ character actor Divine (born Harris Glenn Milstead) offers cult movie fans an intimate biography of the star of PINK FLAMINGOS, FEMALE TROUBLE, POLYESTER, LUST IN THE DUST and other films, and stands as an excellent companion to John Waters's SHOCK VALUE.
Thanks to an ideal matching of coauthors, there is a satisfying balance between "Glenny at home" anecdotes from Divine's mother and detailed coverage of his career from coauthors Heffernan and Yeager (writer and director, respectively, of Divine Trash, the award-winning documentary about the early films of Waters and Divine). Born to doting parents, Glenn was a complicated child: he struggled with his weight, and with his social life; he could be moody and occasionally demanding. His habit of charging purchases to his parents' credit cards eventually led to a nine-year estrangement. During that time, Waters rechristened Glenn "Divine" and created a midnight matinee star. "I wanted him to be the Godzilla of drag queens," said Waters, who, along with costars and friends, is extensively interviewed throughout.
Later, happily reunited with his family, Divine found mainstream success with 1988's HAIRSPRAY a few weeks later, at 42, he died of cardiac arrest. Many quoted within this volume decry the negativity of NOT SIMPLY DIVINE, the lively 1993 memoir by Divine's manager Bernard Jay. But the portraits resemble one another, in that each is a warts-and-all biography of an artist who was larger than life in both talent and temperament.
Thanks to an ideal matching of coauthors, there is a satisfying balance between "Glenny at home" anecdotes from Divine's mother and detailed coverage of his career from coauthors Heffernan and Yeager (writer and director, respectively, of Divine Trash, the award-winning documentary about the early films of Waters and Divine). Born to doting parents, Glenn was a complicated child: he struggled with his weight, and with his social life; he could be moody and occasionally demanding. His habit of charging purchases to his parents' credit cards eventually led to a nine-year estrangement. During that time, Waters rechristened Glenn "Divine" and created a midnight matinee star. "I wanted him to be the Godzilla of drag queens," said Waters, who, along with costars and friends, is extensively interviewed throughout.
Later, happily reunited with his family, Divine found mainstream success with 1988's HAIRSPRAY a few weeks later, at 42, he died of cardiac arrest. Many quoted within this volume decry the negativity of NOT SIMPLY DIVINE, the lively 1993 memoir by Divine's manager Bernard Jay. But the portraits resemble one another, in that each is a warts-and-all biography of an artist who was larger than life in both talent and temperament.
January 19, 2026
If you are a Divine fan, this is a must for your library ❤️
January 21, 2024
I didn’t know anything about divine before receiving this book from my mom. I’m now very interested in watching all of his films! It was a little hard to tell who was speaking at times.
May 22, 2008
Could've had more text/meat but there were some nice pictures. It's clear she really lover her boy no matter what though I was surprised to read they didn't speak for 9 years!
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March 25, 2026Written by his mother, this book shared a lot about Divine's early life. Some of his quotes were hilarious! Such a larger than life personality, gone too soon.
July 28, 2015
So much better than the dreadful and mean Divine Not Simply.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews