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The Men in My Life: A Memoir of Love and Art in 1950s Manhattan
Acclaimed biographer Patricia Bosworth recalls her emotional coming of age in The Men in My A Memoir of Love and Art in 1950s Manhattan.‘‘Deliciously vivid.’’ —New York Times Book ReviewProfound and powerful, this is Patricia Bosworth’s story of family, marriage, tragedy, Broadway, and art, featuring a rich cast of well-known literary and theatrical figures. Delivered in a series of vivid confessions about her remarkable journey into womanhood, she reveals how she defied repressive 1950s conventions while being shaped by the notable men in her life.Born into privilege in San Francisco as the children of famous attorney Bartley Crum and novelist Gertrude, Patricia and her brother Bart Jr. lead charmed lives until their father’s career is ruined when he defends the Hollywood Ten. The family moves to New York, suffering greater tragedy when Bart Jr. kills himself. However, his loving spirit continues to influence Patricia as she fights to succeed as an actress and writer.Married and divorced from an abusive husband before she’s twenty, she joins the famed Actors Studio. She takes classes with Lee Strasberg alongside Marilyn Monroe, Paul Newman, and others; she works on Broadway opposite Paul Muni, Helen Hayes, and Elaine Stritch; Gore Vidal and Elia Kazan become her mentors. Her anecdotes of theatre’s Golden Age have never been told before. At the zenith of her career, about to film The Nun’s Story with Audrey Hepburn, Patricia faces a decision that changes her forever.The Men in My Life is about survival, achieving your goals, and learning to love. It’s also the story of America’s most culturally pivotal era, told through the lens of one insider’s extraordinary life.
413 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 31, 2017
82 people are currently reading
1311 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Bosworth
14 books51 followersPatricia Bosworth was an American journalist and biographer. She modeled while in college and then became an actress before turning to writing. She chronicled the lives of celebrities in magazines and books. She also wrote about her own privileged family. She was a faculty member of the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
June 24, 2024
It's time for La Bos to give her family bio a rest. How many times must we have it recycled...? (This is the 2d).... Nettled w suggestive Hollywood-Bwy gossip (o my!), she's at heart a cornball gossipeuse -- an easily shocked groupie.
April 11, 2017
I had no idea who Patricia Boswell was when I picked up this book but I was drawn to the cover and the promise of reading about 1950s Manhattan. Initially, it was an engaging memoir, especially when Bosworth talked about her relationship with her brother and her marriage to Jason Bean. Thanks to be attractive, having plenty of money, and family connections Bosworth launched herself into modeling and acting and her stories along the way, of having fallen easily into the Actors Studio and meeting celebrities like Marilyn Monroe made for interesting stories but as the book progressed I started to feel like she was going out of her way to name drop. By the time she got to Nora Ephron, later in the book, it was just plan schmarmy because it, like many of the friendships she discussed, lacked substance. Other than Nora's father being an alcoholic which Bosworth "longed to ask her about" what the hell was the connection in this friendship?
Her relationship with her abusive first husband, as young rebellious teen in college, was interesting and she wrote about it with the most passion. I got a real sense of who she was at the time and what she was going through and I could sympathize with the stupidity of an impulsive, rebellious teenager who is realizes too late she messed up and is too scared and too proud to admit it. Bosworth was implying that as she grew into herself she chose partners that were better for her. I thought her relationship with what her father called "an old geezer" Pepi was, well, gross. And she was never without the company of a man. She may not have been exclusive of "tied down" but she was never truly on her own either.
By the time she develops her relationship with Mel her writing goes down the toilet. "It was the story of his Italian immigrant family in San Francisco of of a brother lost to him. I was moved because my brother was also lost and I reminded Mel of that (and her readers who already know damn well she lost her brother as it is a focal point of the book--duh!) Only then did he take me in his arms, his big strong body pulsing with energy as her covered me with passionate kisses." I'd expect that from a seventeen year old and not from a woman in her eighties who is supposedly a serious writer. Barf. As the book progresses one sees that her relationship with Mel is nearly as ridiculous as her relationships with many of her past lovers. Mel seems rather much like an arse, hounding her for the details of her sexual past which she does not wish to divulge nor does she feel comfortable telling him she once had an abortion. She remained a hot mess and didn't see it then and apparently doesn't see it now and for the reader it gets flat out tiresome!
One could also do without her listing of platitudes from Mel. When confiding her relief that her father passed and she would no longer be struggling to save him and to be worried about him Mel "applauded" her and said "Yes, you will still grieve, but you can go on with your life." Maybe Mel write scripts but he doesn't come across as terribly profound in this book, but then again Bosworth's writing feels like she is trudging through a checklist, having wanted to stick a fork in
this memoir long ago but she is forced to add more pages.
One part of the book that stood out was her relationship with her brother and her "conversations" with him after he passed. They were by far the deepest part of the book. He was her conscience, her other voice which was a strong voice, a logical voice and although lacking the answers for his suicide, her conversations with him obviously told her what she already knew deep down. Her relationship with him and her parents give a great deal of insight into who she is.
Overall, I enjoyed the book until I reached Part 4 when I got bored and Bosworth obviously did as well, as evidence by her cheesy, vacuous writing.
Her relationship with her abusive first husband, as young rebellious teen in college, was interesting and she wrote about it with the most passion. I got a real sense of who she was at the time and what she was going through and I could sympathize with the stupidity of an impulsive, rebellious teenager who is realizes too late she messed up and is too scared and too proud to admit it. Bosworth was implying that as she grew into herself she chose partners that were better for her. I thought her relationship with what her father called "an old geezer" Pepi was, well, gross. And she was never without the company of a man. She may not have been exclusive of "tied down" but she was never truly on her own either.
By the time she develops her relationship with Mel her writing goes down the toilet. "It was the story of his Italian immigrant family in San Francisco of of a brother lost to him. I was moved because my brother was also lost and I reminded Mel of that (and her readers who already know damn well she lost her brother as it is a focal point of the book--duh!) Only then did he take me in his arms, his big strong body pulsing with energy as her covered me with passionate kisses." I'd expect that from a seventeen year old and not from a woman in her eighties who is supposedly a serious writer. Barf. As the book progresses one sees that her relationship with Mel is nearly as ridiculous as her relationships with many of her past lovers. Mel seems rather much like an arse, hounding her for the details of her sexual past which she does not wish to divulge nor does she feel comfortable telling him she once had an abortion. She remained a hot mess and didn't see it then and apparently doesn't see it now and for the reader it gets flat out tiresome!
One could also do without her listing of platitudes from Mel. When confiding her relief that her father passed and she would no longer be struggling to save him and to be worried about him Mel "applauded" her and said "Yes, you will still grieve, but you can go on with your life." Maybe Mel write scripts but he doesn't come across as terribly profound in this book, but then again Bosworth's writing feels like she is trudging through a checklist, having wanted to stick a fork in
this memoir long ago but she is forced to add more pages.
One part of the book that stood out was her relationship with her brother and her "conversations" with him after he passed. They were by far the deepest part of the book. He was her conscience, her other voice which was a strong voice, a logical voice and although lacking the answers for his suicide, her conversations with him obviously told her what she already knew deep down. Her relationship with him and her parents give a great deal of insight into who she is.
Overall, I enjoyed the book until I reached Part 4 when I got bored and Bosworth obviously did as well, as evidence by her cheesy, vacuous writing.
June 29, 2017
For the same reasons I enjoyed reading her biography Montgomery Clift years ago, I sucked down Patricia Bosworth’s memoir of her own life. She is not afraid to search out and write the truth of any situation and do it with dignity and empathy for involved parties. Because for about a decade she is an actor, she becomes acquainted with Montgomery Clift personally, and she approaches her subject with honesty and a certain kindness. The same can be said for her book: all of the members of her family are loved ones, but they are also, at times, bad actors who undermine her life. Her father is a narcissistic alcoholic attorney, a closeted homosexual (according to her mother) whose love is not entirely unconditional; he profoundly affects Patricia’s life when he commits suicide. Her mother is a published novelist (Strumpet Wind) whose career stalls and becomes an ambitious stage mother who plays on all Patricia’s insecurities: Patricia’s actions and achievements are never good enough. The relationship that affects Bosworth the most, perhaps, is her brother, Bart.
When they are young they establish a special bond, with even their own form of Pig Latin which their parents cannot understand; they share that language for many years until Bart ceases to think it appropriate. A particularly effective tool peppered throughout the book are her continued conversations with Bart’s ghost. Eerie how she makes it seem as if he’s still alive as he advises her. In his teens, her brother is attracted to males and has sex with a couple of them, including a friend at an exclusive boys’ boarding school. There, after they are discovered together, the friend commits suicide, an act from which Bart never recovers. He, too, eventually kills himself before reaching the age of twenty-one. Bosworth’s father and brother are not the only men she writes about in her page-turner; she outlines in detail her love (and sexual) relationships with several different men, including two husbands.
She reminisces about her acting career in which she appears on Broadway with the likes of Daniel Massey and Elaine Stritch. The highlight of this period may be when she appears with Audrey Hepburn in a film, The Nun’s Story. Nonetheless, in spite of Bosworth’s success on the stage, she comes to the realization that she can no longer bare her soul in that manner but must establish a writing career instead. And glad we are that she does. Bosworth’s book—taken from her diaries, her notes, but most of all her remembrances—is a stunning read.
[I’m still amazed in this day and age how a book produced by one of the top companies in the country can make it through all that scrutiny with a typo:
How many copyeditors overlooked this error and how many times? How many times did the author or her staff herself read the galleys? Amazing.]
When they are young they establish a special bond, with even their own form of Pig Latin which their parents cannot understand; they share that language for many years until Bart ceases to think it appropriate. A particularly effective tool peppered throughout the book are her continued conversations with Bart’s ghost. Eerie how she makes it seem as if he’s still alive as he advises her. In his teens, her brother is attracted to males and has sex with a couple of them, including a friend at an exclusive boys’ boarding school. There, after they are discovered together, the friend commits suicide, an act from which Bart never recovers. He, too, eventually kills himself before reaching the age of twenty-one. Bosworth’s father and brother are not the only men she writes about in her page-turner; she outlines in detail her love (and sexual) relationships with several different men, including two husbands.
She reminisces about her acting career in which she appears on Broadway with the likes of Daniel Massey and Elaine Stritch. The highlight of this period may be when she appears with Audrey Hepburn in a film, The Nun’s Story. Nonetheless, in spite of Bosworth’s success on the stage, she comes to the realization that she can no longer bare her soul in that manner but must establish a writing career instead. And glad we are that she does. Bosworth’s book—taken from her diaries, her notes, but most of all her remembrances—is a stunning read.
[I’m still amazed in this day and age how a book produced by one of the top companies in the country can make it through all that scrutiny with a typo:
“I was able to slip into the wings just as Bobby begain [sic] belting out ‘I Believe in You,’ the signature number” (350).
How many copyeditors overlooked this error and how many times? How many times did the author or her staff herself read the galleys? Amazing.]
January 17, 2023
I always enjoy reading about the lifestyles of the rich and famous, or in Bosworth’s case, simply privileged. She’s very unpretentious even when name-dropping and I found it fascinating to read about an actress who faced so many discouragements after 10 years in the business, she pursued another career. And her feminist life in an age of repressed women is fascinating. Really enjoyed this book
April 25, 2017
Somewhat disappointing. I guess I expected more cultural context about 1950s NYC. Sad story in many ways, but Bosworth is a survivor.
March 24, 2017
3.5 A fun look at Bosworth's life in Manhattan during the '50s. I was more interested in her literary life than her theatrical background, but it was all an interesting look at that time.
February 14, 2017
Patricia Bosworth's moving and raw THE MEN IN MY LIFE is a riveting memoir of family dysfunction, comparable to Jeannette Walls's THE GLASS CASTLE and Brooke Hayward's HAYWRIRE.
This unsparing and superbly written follow-up to Bosworth's 1997 memoir, ANYTHING YOUR LITTLE HEART DESIRES, focuses on the years 1953 to 1964. At 20, she marries the first man she bedded--a volatile and physically abusive painter who distances her from her family and erodes her self-esteem. When her gay younger brother commits suicide, her family splinters further. "We remained a family full of terrible silences," she writes. Her lawyer father's escalating alcoholism and prescription drug addiction leads to several suicide attempts and unsuccessful rehabs stints before he also kills himself. Adrift from her family and reeling from grief, Bosworth focuses her attention on an acting career and is accepted into Lee Strasberg's Actors Studio. She channels her suppressed emotions and forges friendships with Marlon Brando, Jane Fonda, Elaine Stritch and others.
Her bad romantic choices in men (including a married actor four years her father's senior), and a near-deadly abortion days before flying to Rome to film THE NUN'S STORY opposite Audrey Hepburn, finally bring an epiphany. Although she had appeared in several Broadway productions, she realizes her true passion is writing. Her friendships with Tennessee Williams and Gore Vidal point her toward this calling. Bosworth's memoir excels as both a searing and tragic family portrait and fascinating look at a budding stage career in the 1950s.
Patricia Bosworth's THE MEN IN MY LIFE dissects how the suicides of her brother and father propelled her toward bad relationships and a career on stage.
This unsparing and superbly written follow-up to Bosworth's 1997 memoir, ANYTHING YOUR LITTLE HEART DESIRES, focuses on the years 1953 to 1964. At 20, she marries the first man she bedded--a volatile and physically abusive painter who distances her from her family and erodes her self-esteem. When her gay younger brother commits suicide, her family splinters further. "We remained a family full of terrible silences," she writes. Her lawyer father's escalating alcoholism and prescription drug addiction leads to several suicide attempts and unsuccessful rehabs stints before he also kills himself. Adrift from her family and reeling from grief, Bosworth focuses her attention on an acting career and is accepted into Lee Strasberg's Actors Studio. She channels her suppressed emotions and forges friendships with Marlon Brando, Jane Fonda, Elaine Stritch and others.
Her bad romantic choices in men (including a married actor four years her father's senior), and a near-deadly abortion days before flying to Rome to film THE NUN'S STORY opposite Audrey Hepburn, finally bring an epiphany. Although she had appeared in several Broadway productions, she realizes her true passion is writing. Her friendships with Tennessee Williams and Gore Vidal point her toward this calling. Bosworth's memoir excels as both a searing and tragic family portrait and fascinating look at a budding stage career in the 1950s.
Patricia Bosworth's THE MEN IN MY LIFE dissects how the suicides of her brother and father propelled her toward bad relationships and a career on stage.
February 19, 2017
Patricia Bosworth was born into a life of privilege, and forged a stage career as well as starring alongside Audrey Hepburn in The Nun’s Story. As a member of the Actors Studio, she brushed shoulders with theatrical heavyweights Lee Strasberg and Elia Kazan, and stars like Marilyn Monroe. However, her impeccable connections couldn’t save her from family tragedy (her brother and father both committed suicide), and an abusive marriage. The 1950s, as Bosworth observes, was a staid, even repressive decade – but the creativity and rebellion of the 60s was already fermenting.
September 6, 2018
This book was not an honest depiction of the authors life. I felt she picked and chose what event of her life ti share and what to hide. She was a spoiled and self centered girl who achieved everything in her life with help of others. She used other people to achieve what she wanted.
I do not recommend this book. You will not be better off for reading this.
I do not recommend this book. You will not be better off for reading this.
July 1, 2022
This memoir reminds me of a nonfiction version of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, we have a very captivating and honest narrator sharing her story of becoming an actress and the hardships she faces from being a woman in the 50s. We follow Patricia Bosworth as she becomes a member of the famous Actors Studio. She rubs elbows with celebrities like Tennessee Williams, Montgomery Clift, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and many more.
The story is more than just an entertaining read. It’s a thoughtful exploration of female sexuality, women’s rights, and the human condition. I honestly can’t think of a memoir I’ve read that has been as honest as Bosworth’s. Memoirs are from the author’s perspective and unintentionally and/or intentionally, the narrative often slants to show the author in a more flattering light. But Bosworth’s journalist background is clear; she approaches the young woman she used to be as a subject that still needs to be researched and explored. It results in a very honest, well-rounded narrative.
One of the highlights for me was her relationship with her brilliant yet troubled family. I think at a different time, they would have thrived. But 1950s culture and its rules of decorum corrode the very thing that makes her progressive parents and closeted brother unique.
The average rating on Goodreads for The Men in My Life may be a 3.73, but for me it’s most definitely a 5. It’s up there as one of the best memoirs I’ve read. I’ll definitely be adding her bestselling biographies on Montgomery Clift and Marlon Brando to my Goodreads list.
The story is more than just an entertaining read. It’s a thoughtful exploration of female sexuality, women’s rights, and the human condition. I honestly can’t think of a memoir I’ve read that has been as honest as Bosworth’s. Memoirs are from the author’s perspective and unintentionally and/or intentionally, the narrative often slants to show the author in a more flattering light. But Bosworth’s journalist background is clear; she approaches the young woman she used to be as a subject that still needs to be researched and explored. It results in a very honest, well-rounded narrative.
One of the highlights for me was her relationship with her brilliant yet troubled family. I think at a different time, they would have thrived. But 1950s culture and its rules of decorum corrode the very thing that makes her progressive parents and closeted brother unique.
The average rating on Goodreads for The Men in My Life may be a 3.73, but for me it’s most definitely a 5. It’s up there as one of the best memoirs I’ve read. I’ll definitely be adding her bestselling biographies on Montgomery Clift and Marlon Brando to my Goodreads list.
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May 12, 2020I only wish my father was still alive so that I could ask him questions since this was during the time he was trying to be a playwright. I'm almost positive that he crossed paths with Patricia Bosworth or was close to her circle.
I liked this book, especially since it brought my father to mind. I also knew a lot of the people she referenced and therefore it was interesting to me but not sure if someone who isn't familiar with NYC in the 1950's/1960's and the theatre world would appreciate this.
I liked this book, especially since it brought my father to mind. I also knew a lot of the people she referenced and therefore it was interesting to me but not sure if someone who isn't familiar with NYC in the 1950's/1960's and the theatre world would appreciate this.
August 30, 2020
I enjoyed this book a lot. I've been writing a memoir so I've been immersing myself in memoirs. I'm also an actress who lives and works in NYC and have always been fascinated by the Actor Studio during the 50s when it was in it's hay day. Patricia had an amazing life but also a very difficult family life. A lot of loss. But I kept rooting for her an her family and it held my interest.
February 6, 2017
I received an uncorrected proof copy of this book from HarperCollins.
In this memoir, biographer Patricia Bosworth turns the lens on her own life and recounts her coming of age in 1950s New York. Patricia grew up the daughter of the famous attorney Bartley Crum and novelist Gertrude. Although on the surface their family seemed privileged, her parents' marriage seems to have been troubled and her father had a tumultuous career and suffered from alcoholism. Patricia was exceedingly fond of her reclusive younger brother Bart Jr. and was shattered when he killed himself while she was in college. Patricia's early adult years were also rattled by an abusive first marriage and her father's later suicide. Through it all, Patricia continued to hone her acting ability and joined the famed Actors Studio, which brought her into the same circle as Marilyn Monroe, Paul Newman, Elaine Stritch, and Audrey Hepburn.
Patricia tells her story is prose that swiftly unfolds her story, delving quickly into the traumatic suicide of her brother within the opening pages. On learning that her brother has shot himself, Patricia recounts back to one of the last times she was home with her brother, "I kept thinking of Bart at target practice. [...] The incessant crack of gunfire was so unnerving I'd run into the woods a quarter of a mile from the house and beg him to stop. He would be standing there in jeans and a T-shirt, emaciated, his head shave. He would glare at me, take aim at his target, and fire" (2). Only after his death did Patricia learn full details of the grief and shame that caused Bart's final retreat into his own misery and his eventual death. However, despite claiming repeatedly that Bart is the person that she loves best in the world, the siblings come across as close in Patricia's recollections and Bart remains a tortured enigma who eclipsed from his sister's life far too soon.
The author spares no details, offering explicit details of her sex life, particularly that with her first husband. She also details the abuse she suffered in her first marriage, such as recounting a scene where she was trapped in the back of a cab while her husband continued to scream and hit her: "Throughout I was screaming at the cabdriver to stop the cab, but Jason ordered him to drive on. I kept sobbing and pleading with the driver to let me out. He refused. 'He's the boss, lady,' he told me, nodding at my husband" (90). Later, she describes in detail her decision to have an abortion, largely because she didn't want to marry or be with the father and so that she would be able to star in a movie alongside Audrey Hepburn.
The random appearance of famous individuals peppered throughout this memoir gave it a surreal quality. The author casually references her father working with Bobby Kennedy and later describes meeting Nora Ephron. Although Bosworth comes across as a struggling actress just trying to support herself and her deadbeat husband, the star names she drops belie this image. For instance, Patricia accepts a ride home from an actors' party, only to find Marilyn Monroe in the seat beside her. Other encounters seem even more difficult to believe. For instance, when she finally flees her abusive husband and travels upstate to try to track down her therapist, she ends up crying out her story to a kind stranger, who just so happens to be making a documentary on Robert Frost. Patricia conveniently gets to meet and chat with the aging poet: "The great poet had soft white hair and a ruddy, heavily lined face. He was then seventy-eight years old and had won four Pulitzers for poetry that defined rural life in America" (95). Had this scene been in a novel I probably would have had a hard time believing it.
Patricia's story is a coming of age tale during a pivotal time culturally. Despite her mother's urging that she marry and settle down, Patricia found a different path, one that was ultimately immensely successful. Although on the surface her life in the 1950s likely appeared glamorous and star-studded, her memoir reveals the inner turmoil and grief that marked those years and courageously and honestly examines this early period in her career.
In this memoir, biographer Patricia Bosworth turns the lens on her own life and recounts her coming of age in 1950s New York. Patricia grew up the daughter of the famous attorney Bartley Crum and novelist Gertrude. Although on the surface their family seemed privileged, her parents' marriage seems to have been troubled and her father had a tumultuous career and suffered from alcoholism. Patricia was exceedingly fond of her reclusive younger brother Bart Jr. and was shattered when he killed himself while she was in college. Patricia's early adult years were also rattled by an abusive first marriage and her father's later suicide. Through it all, Patricia continued to hone her acting ability and joined the famed Actors Studio, which brought her into the same circle as Marilyn Monroe, Paul Newman, Elaine Stritch, and Audrey Hepburn.
Patricia tells her story is prose that swiftly unfolds her story, delving quickly into the traumatic suicide of her brother within the opening pages. On learning that her brother has shot himself, Patricia recounts back to one of the last times she was home with her brother, "I kept thinking of Bart at target practice. [...] The incessant crack of gunfire was so unnerving I'd run into the woods a quarter of a mile from the house and beg him to stop. He would be standing there in jeans and a T-shirt, emaciated, his head shave. He would glare at me, take aim at his target, and fire" (2). Only after his death did Patricia learn full details of the grief and shame that caused Bart's final retreat into his own misery and his eventual death. However, despite claiming repeatedly that Bart is the person that she loves best in the world, the siblings come across as close in Patricia's recollections and Bart remains a tortured enigma who eclipsed from his sister's life far too soon.
The author spares no details, offering explicit details of her sex life, particularly that with her first husband. She also details the abuse she suffered in her first marriage, such as recounting a scene where she was trapped in the back of a cab while her husband continued to scream and hit her: "Throughout I was screaming at the cabdriver to stop the cab, but Jason ordered him to drive on. I kept sobbing and pleading with the driver to let me out. He refused. 'He's the boss, lady,' he told me, nodding at my husband" (90). Later, she describes in detail her decision to have an abortion, largely because she didn't want to marry or be with the father and so that she would be able to star in a movie alongside Audrey Hepburn.
The random appearance of famous individuals peppered throughout this memoir gave it a surreal quality. The author casually references her father working with Bobby Kennedy and later describes meeting Nora Ephron. Although Bosworth comes across as a struggling actress just trying to support herself and her deadbeat husband, the star names she drops belie this image. For instance, Patricia accepts a ride home from an actors' party, only to find Marilyn Monroe in the seat beside her. Other encounters seem even more difficult to believe. For instance, when she finally flees her abusive husband and travels upstate to try to track down her therapist, she ends up crying out her story to a kind stranger, who just so happens to be making a documentary on Robert Frost. Patricia conveniently gets to meet and chat with the aging poet: "The great poet had soft white hair and a ruddy, heavily lined face. He was then seventy-eight years old and had won four Pulitzers for poetry that defined rural life in America" (95). Had this scene been in a novel I probably would have had a hard time believing it.
Patricia's story is a coming of age tale during a pivotal time culturally. Despite her mother's urging that she marry and settle down, Patricia found a different path, one that was ultimately immensely successful. Although on the surface her life in the 1950s likely appeared glamorous and star-studded, her memoir reveals the inner turmoil and grief that marked those years and courageously and honestly examines this early period in her career.
June 16, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author writes from the heart, with vulnerability and intimacy. I was fascinated with the acting and writing culture of the 1950s and early 1960s the book portrays. It also made me think about the men in my life (although I think that part of the title is not the focus).
June 9, 2017
Patricia Bosworth has a very inclusive way of writing that let's you into the life of the characters (in this case being her) and is a wonderful storyteller with interesting acquaintances and friends. Loved revisiting that era in theatre and NYC...Also enjoyed her book Anything Your Heart Desires. She had a very interesting family ...
August 13, 2017
Bosworth's memoir is fun reading, about a privileged coming of age in NYC. Her acting career brought her into contact with Gore Vidal, Elia Kazan, Audrey Hepburn, Nora Ephron, Lillian Helman, and Lee Strasberg at the Actor's Studio. Her dad was the lawyer for the Hollywood Ten, whose career was destroyed for it. Both she and her brother attended the best private schools (Deerfield, Miss Porter's, etc.), but his homosexuality precipitated a scandal and he killed himself while she married young and unwisely, to an abusive lout.
The writing is mediocre, but the story itself is pretty fascinating as a history of women in American culture. During a fight with her husband when she was probably still under twenty years old, he beat her in a taxi cab. The driver refused to stop and let her out, explaining to her that her husband was her boss. She was one of the woman, along with Steinam, who signed that document declaring she'd had an abortion for Ms. Magazine. This was botched. It was assumed women would be paid less and do more. It was assumed they'd be expected to sleep with their bosses. This wasn't so long ago. Another ten years of Trump and we'll be right back there.
The writing is mediocre, but the story itself is pretty fascinating as a history of women in American culture. During a fight with her husband when she was probably still under twenty years old, he beat her in a taxi cab. The driver refused to stop and let her out, explaining to her that her husband was her boss. She was one of the woman, along with Steinam, who signed that document declaring she'd had an abortion for Ms. Magazine. This was botched. It was assumed women would be paid less and do more. It was assumed they'd be expected to sleep with their bosses. This wasn't so long ago. Another ten years of Trump and we'll be right back there.
June 23, 2017
Although I was intrigued by Ms. Bosworth's life and her tangential relationships with many important cultural and artistic influences, the book mostly fell flat for me. The content was overtly reflective, and I felt insulted as a reader that she felt she needed to spell out the meanings of metaphors and symbols so plainly. There was far too much of "but I didn't know it at the time..." and "it would take me many years before I would discover...." Patricia was very conscious of her emotions, but described them in such sanitary and detached ways. The writing often felt apologetic, explanatory, and haunted by hindsight. Ultimately, I am glad to have read it, and I appreciated the unique perspective of the 1950s through the 79s, but there was much to be desired. I will say, though, that I have been inspired by Bosworth's optimism and perseverance through incredible tragedy after tragedy.
March 2, 2017
This book was spectacular. It was a slow read for me, but definitely worth it! I felt like I really learned who Patricia Bosworth is...I became her friend and confidant. It read both as a memoir and as a diary, she let the reader see inside both her mind and her heart. And for that, I thank her.
July 11, 2017
Fascinating look at the literati in the 50's.
August 1, 2017
Only read half...not impressed
April 18, 2018
This book is an interesting reflection on the mores of the 1950s, seen through the eyes of one young woman. Patricia Bosworth was the daughter of a famous left-wing lawyer whose professional life pretty much went to pieces after McCarthy. Finding solace in drink, he was nevertheless convinced that his daughter and son were destined for great things. The son, Bart Jr, committed suicide at the age of 18 and it seems that his sister never got over it. So she went and married the first man she slept with (Catholic guilt), a disastrous marriage that forced her to split her life between her college education, her work as a model, and the squalor and disharmony of her husband's grandmother's flat. After a couple of false starts, she managed to leave that marriage and return to the parental nest. Having gotten her start in acting almost by fluke, she auditioned for the Actors' Studio and was accepted, to her own amazement. So there she was, hanging out with the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Steve McQueen. There were a couple of acting roles, including a small role in The Nun's Story with Audrey Hepburn, but eventually she got stuck as a perpetual understudy in a long-running play. Eventually she decided to make the switch to writing (she eventually became a biographer of show business personalities).
So the book was an interesting slice-of-life of a particular subculture (the acting community) in New York in the 1950s. The most interesting part of the book, for me, was the unsentimental dissection of her first marriage to an unbelievably unpleasant wannabe artist. Why do women DO these things? The other aspect of the book that came through loud and clear was the author's attachment to her brother and her devastation when he committed suicide. It's tempting to speculate on the reasons for this tragedy - was he borderline autistic? Could he not handle his homosexual feelings for a classmate? Was it lingering guilt when that classmate committed suicide after being caught in a compromising position? Was it an unremitting depression? The author does not want to engage in easy diagnostic games and I respect that. What did get a bit irritating, were the imaginary dialogues that she kept conducting with her dead brother. Even from these fictional interchanges he sounded like a surly character, and I really didn't see the point.
The one thing that keeps this book from being a 4 star memoir, is that it was never clear to me what the author wanted out of her life. Did she really want to be an actress? She mentions somewhere that she didn't really like performing. So the book left me a little unsatisfied - there were a lot of anecdotes involving famous people, but despite the honesty with regards to her first marriage, I felt that there was much that was left unexplored.
So the book was an interesting slice-of-life of a particular subculture (the acting community) in New York in the 1950s. The most interesting part of the book, for me, was the unsentimental dissection of her first marriage to an unbelievably unpleasant wannabe artist. Why do women DO these things? The other aspect of the book that came through loud and clear was the author's attachment to her brother and her devastation when he committed suicide. It's tempting to speculate on the reasons for this tragedy - was he borderline autistic? Could he not handle his homosexual feelings for a classmate? Was it lingering guilt when that classmate committed suicide after being caught in a compromising position? Was it an unremitting depression? The author does not want to engage in easy diagnostic games and I respect that. What did get a bit irritating, were the imaginary dialogues that she kept conducting with her dead brother. Even from these fictional interchanges he sounded like a surly character, and I really didn't see the point.
The one thing that keeps this book from being a 4 star memoir, is that it was never clear to me what the author wanted out of her life. Did she really want to be an actress? She mentions somewhere that she didn't really like performing. So the book left me a little unsatisfied - there were a lot of anecdotes involving famous people, but despite the honesty with regards to her first marriage, I felt that there was much that was left unexplored.
June 13, 2020
I wish this were more "woke," but it is what it is. This is a simultaneously interesting, not super well-written, in-the-end disappointing time capsule of the New York theater world in the 1950's (not art as in visual art, by the way; the title is purposefully misleading).
Interesting in that I didn't know anything about this world previously, so it's eye-opening to read about one (very immature) woman's experience trying to break into an acting career at that time. By far the most engaging part of the book concerns the author's early life and her troubled family - which concludes about halfway through and precedes the entire acting bit. It then feels like a lengthy and repetitive hodgepodge about plays she was in or celebrities she encountered.
Ultimately I found the reflection quite limited, so it became both progressively dull and exasperatingly shallow to read. Bosworth acknowledges her luck growing up in a very white, very wealthy, very famous family, but never seems to connect that the opportunities in her life stemmed from her father's connections. She never bothered to take a single acting class, and is suddenly, of her own merit, is sitting beside Marlon Brando in elite acting workshops? That didn't seem surprising or possibly unearned to her? It's hard not to feel grossed out by her entitlement, as well as her lazy judgement of not just the gross, abusive men in her life but women of her time.
She lumps predators like Richard Adler, who outright demanded she sleep with him, alongside women - "His proposition sounded like a variation on the casting couch, a phrase used to describe lecherous casting directors and actresses willing to trade sexual favors in return for roles. I knew this kind of thing went on all the time in show business, and it was disgusting." Patricia, GIRL! Bless your heart; you surely wrote this before MeToo but c'mon. You seriously still think those actresses were willing? You think, had you not had daddy's fame, you wouldn't have easily been the victim who so disgusts you?
The title is a marketing gimmick designed to make you think she'll have something wise and profound to say about the many abusive, predatory and controlling men she met and their corrosive effect on the women who stood by them. But no.
Needless to say, this kind of simplistic thinking is rife in this book. I landed on two stars considering - it's a one star in terms of writing quality, but three stars in terms of being an interesting and semi-eventful life that was recorded for others to peek into.
Interesting in that I didn't know anything about this world previously, so it's eye-opening to read about one (very immature) woman's experience trying to break into an acting career at that time. By far the most engaging part of the book concerns the author's early life and her troubled family - which concludes about halfway through and precedes the entire acting bit. It then feels like a lengthy and repetitive hodgepodge about plays she was in or celebrities she encountered.
Ultimately I found the reflection quite limited, so it became both progressively dull and exasperatingly shallow to read. Bosworth acknowledges her luck growing up in a very white, very wealthy, very famous family, but never seems to connect that the opportunities in her life stemmed from her father's connections. She never bothered to take a single acting class, and is suddenly, of her own merit, is sitting beside Marlon Brando in elite acting workshops? That didn't seem surprising or possibly unearned to her? It's hard not to feel grossed out by her entitlement, as well as her lazy judgement of not just the gross, abusive men in her life but women of her time.
She lumps predators like Richard Adler, who outright demanded she sleep with him, alongside women - "His proposition sounded like a variation on the casting couch, a phrase used to describe lecherous casting directors and actresses willing to trade sexual favors in return for roles. I knew this kind of thing went on all the time in show business, and it was disgusting." Patricia, GIRL! Bless your heart; you surely wrote this before MeToo but c'mon. You seriously still think those actresses were willing? You think, had you not had daddy's fame, you wouldn't have easily been the victim who so disgusts you?
The title is a marketing gimmick designed to make you think she'll have something wise and profound to say about the many abusive, predatory and controlling men she met and their corrosive effect on the women who stood by them. But no.
Needless to say, this kind of simplistic thinking is rife in this book. I landed on two stars considering - it's a one star in terms of writing quality, but three stars in terms of being an interesting and semi-eventful life that was recorded for others to peek into.
February 21, 2021
I couldn't even remember where I saw mention of this book (The New Yorker? Vanity Fair? But it was fairly recent, despite the book being published four years ago. What intrigued me was that period of time in Manhattan history of the 1950's where plays-working on stage, music (jazz) and writing all exploded into newer configurations. Unfortunately, the book focused on the author's family (alcoholic parents) and bad choices in men and an acting career that spurted and fizzled along without ever really catching fire.
In Patricia Bosworth’s THE MEN IN MY LIFE: A MEMOIR OF LOVE AND ART IN 1950s MANHATTAN, the author depicts, through her childhood and young adult life, the story of what it was like growing up as the daughter of a very successful but aloof father, one whom she was always seeking his attention and approval but never seemed to get. She also had a brother, whom she was close in age, whom she had a very cherished relationship with as young children, but they grew apart, not because of anything that she did, but because he was simply unhappy. While her parents loved her, they could not give her the love that she needed. Her father’s career faltered and the life she grew accustomed to, went along with it. She got involved in a series of bad relationships, her first was abusive. Ultimately, she survived and went on to achieve many of her goals, working as an actress in the theatre, in films, and then as a writer, her true calling. But there was much sadness that she had to work her way through. She lost her brother to suicide when he was in college. Then came the devastating news that her father had taken his life only six years later, after many previous attempts.
Can you imagine the two people whom you admired and needed your whole life, not just dying but committing suicide and still finding a way to go on with your life? This is a tragedy that nobody should have to endure. I admire her ability to write about how it affected her and to simply write. To put herself out there.
What was really interesting about this memoir was learning about how a woman navigated this time in history, the 1950s. What the world was like for women at that time – to liberate yourself from your family life, if you had grown up in a cocoon, what it was like to make a career of her own in a male-dominated world, and to date while maintaining your integrity. Lots of name dropping, but none of it "news" or even that interesting.
In Patricia Bosworth’s THE MEN IN MY LIFE: A MEMOIR OF LOVE AND ART IN 1950s MANHATTAN, the author depicts, through her childhood and young adult life, the story of what it was like growing up as the daughter of a very successful but aloof father, one whom she was always seeking his attention and approval but never seemed to get. She also had a brother, whom she was close in age, whom she had a very cherished relationship with as young children, but they grew apart, not because of anything that she did, but because he was simply unhappy. While her parents loved her, they could not give her the love that she needed. Her father’s career faltered and the life she grew accustomed to, went along with it. She got involved in a series of bad relationships, her first was abusive. Ultimately, she survived and went on to achieve many of her goals, working as an actress in the theatre, in films, and then as a writer, her true calling. But there was much sadness that she had to work her way through. She lost her brother to suicide when he was in college. Then came the devastating news that her father had taken his life only six years later, after many previous attempts.
Can you imagine the two people whom you admired and needed your whole life, not just dying but committing suicide and still finding a way to go on with your life? This is a tragedy that nobody should have to endure. I admire her ability to write about how it affected her and to simply write. To put herself out there.
What was really interesting about this memoir was learning about how a woman navigated this time in history, the 1950s. What the world was like for women at that time – to liberate yourself from your family life, if you had grown up in a cocoon, what it was like to make a career of her own in a male-dominated world, and to date while maintaining your integrity. Lots of name dropping, but none of it "news" or even that interesting.
June 17, 2020
When I read Bosworth's obituary last April, I was intrigued. I'd already remembered her as the acclaimed biographer of Montgomery Clift, Marlon Brando, Jane Fonda and Diane Arbus. But I had no idea that first her beloved younger brother--and a few years later, her equally beloved father--both committed suicide.
I thought, how does someone get through that? So I had to read the book.
As she says, she got through it, as many survivors of loved ones' suicides do, by constantly working on something outside her inner self. In her case, her career: she was an aspiring Broadway actress who had some success before finally giving it up and becoming a much more successful writer. In other words, by keeping constantly career-focused, she didn't have to confront her deep grief.
She married, and had affairs with, men who did her little good. And in one case--her first marriage--she married someone who treated her brutally. Yet she kept going back to him, at least for a while.
Along the way, she had continual communication with her dead brother, who kept telling her to shape up. Not in a very warm way, but to me much too smugly. His tone makes him sound wise beyond his years (he died at 17) while his adoring sister was just plain dumb. (The question is, was it really him she was hearing, or her own negative feelings about herself, mixed in with some inner wisdom?)
I actually grew up in 1950's Manhattan and through my adolescent eyes I thought everyone who was successful in the arts was living a wonderful life, and one I would have loved to have too: creativity, fame, sophistication and money! What's not to love?
Bosworth shows here how screwed up so many of these people really were. If you're a fan of Elaine Stritch, you'll be particularly interested in Bosworth's many encounters with her. (Stritch would readily admit that she *was* screwed up. In fact, she made a career out of admitting it.)
And even Bosworth's very well-off parents were somewhat, if not totally, dysfunctional. When their finances turned precarious, they still dined at 21, even though they should now have been eating at the Automat.
A fascinating read on New York in the 1950's, Broadway, alcoholism, suicide, marrying or having affairs with in-your-face-problematic men, financial idiocy--and somehow getting through all of it and into a high achieving career.
BTW, I couldn't help noticing that just about every man Bosworth associated with--whether as a romantic partner, a friend or a family member--all died relatively young. Kind of eerie. (Bosworth herself lived to be 86 and died, sadly, of Covid.)
Fun Fact: Elaine Stritch has the same birthday as Ayn Rand. Ha ha ha ha ha.
I thought, how does someone get through that? So I had to read the book.
As she says, she got through it, as many survivors of loved ones' suicides do, by constantly working on something outside her inner self. In her case, her career: she was an aspiring Broadway actress who had some success before finally giving it up and becoming a much more successful writer. In other words, by keeping constantly career-focused, she didn't have to confront her deep grief.
She married, and had affairs with, men who did her little good. And in one case--her first marriage--she married someone who treated her brutally. Yet she kept going back to him, at least for a while.
Along the way, she had continual communication with her dead brother, who kept telling her to shape up. Not in a very warm way, but to me much too smugly. His tone makes him sound wise beyond his years (he died at 17) while his adoring sister was just plain dumb. (The question is, was it really him she was hearing, or her own negative feelings about herself, mixed in with some inner wisdom?)
I actually grew up in 1950's Manhattan and through my adolescent eyes I thought everyone who was successful in the arts was living a wonderful life, and one I would have loved to have too: creativity, fame, sophistication and money! What's not to love?
Bosworth shows here how screwed up so many of these people really were. If you're a fan of Elaine Stritch, you'll be particularly interested in Bosworth's many encounters with her. (Stritch would readily admit that she *was* screwed up. In fact, she made a career out of admitting it.)
And even Bosworth's very well-off parents were somewhat, if not totally, dysfunctional. When their finances turned precarious, they still dined at 21, even though they should now have been eating at the Automat.
A fascinating read on New York in the 1950's, Broadway, alcoholism, suicide, marrying or having affairs with in-your-face-problematic men, financial idiocy--and somehow getting through all of it and into a high achieving career.
BTW, I couldn't help noticing that just about every man Bosworth associated with--whether as a romantic partner, a friend or a family member--all died relatively young. Kind of eerie. (Bosworth herself lived to be 86 and died, sadly, of Covid.)
Fun Fact: Elaine Stritch has the same birthday as Ayn Rand. Ha ha ha ha ha.
December 6, 2023
Patricia Bosworth's "The Men in My Life" is a captivating memoir that seamlessly weaves personal anecdotes, introspection, and a rich tapestry of the author's relationships with influential men. Bosworth's writing is poignant and candid, offering readers an intimate glimpse into her life, marked by encounters with luminaries such as Marlon Brando, Paul Newman, and Norman Mailer.
The strength of this memoir lies in Bosworth's ability to reflect on her experiences with a discerning and empathetic lens. Her vivid storytelling transports readers to Hollywood and literature's glamorous yet complex worlds. The author's honesty in navigating the complexities of her personal and professional relationships adds authenticity to the narrative.
Bosworth's prose is elegant and evocative, capturing the essence of each era she recounts. Her reflections on love, loss, and the pursuit of identity are timeless and universal. The memoir's pacing is well-balanced, ensuring that each chapter unfolds with anticipation, keeping the reader engaged from start to finish.
While the title suggests focusing on the men in Bosworth's life, the memoir transcends a mere catalog of relationships. Instead, it becomes a nuanced exploration of self-discovery, resilience, and the evolution of a woman navigating the intricate landscapes of the 20th century. The author's ability to intertwine personal anecdotes with broader social and cultural commentary elevates the narrative, making it a memoir and reflecting on the shifting dynamics of gender roles and expectations.
In "The Men in My Life," Patricia Bosworth has crafted a compelling and insightful memoir that goes beyond the allure of celebrity encounters, delving into the depths of personal growth and the complexities of human connections. With its eloquent prose and introspective depth, this memoir stands as a testament to the enduring power of storytelling and the resilience of the human spirit.
The strength of this memoir lies in Bosworth's ability to reflect on her experiences with a discerning and empathetic lens. Her vivid storytelling transports readers to Hollywood and literature's glamorous yet complex worlds. The author's honesty in navigating the complexities of her personal and professional relationships adds authenticity to the narrative.
Bosworth's prose is elegant and evocative, capturing the essence of each era she recounts. Her reflections on love, loss, and the pursuit of identity are timeless and universal. The memoir's pacing is well-balanced, ensuring that each chapter unfolds with anticipation, keeping the reader engaged from start to finish.
While the title suggests focusing on the men in Bosworth's life, the memoir transcends a mere catalog of relationships. Instead, it becomes a nuanced exploration of self-discovery, resilience, and the evolution of a woman navigating the intricate landscapes of the 20th century. The author's ability to intertwine personal anecdotes with broader social and cultural commentary elevates the narrative, making it a memoir and reflecting on the shifting dynamics of gender roles and expectations.
In "The Men in My Life," Patricia Bosworth has crafted a compelling and insightful memoir that goes beyond the allure of celebrity encounters, delving into the depths of personal growth and the complexities of human connections. With its eloquent prose and introspective depth, this memoir stands as a testament to the enduring power of storytelling and the resilience of the human spirit.
Read
February 23, 2023Reknowned biographer Bosworth is known for her books on Montgomery Clift, Jane Fonda, and Diane Arbus, for her work as an actress in the 50s and 60s, and for her father, a famous civil rights lawyer who stood (mostly) firm against McCarthyism. This memoir covers her young adulthood up until she segued from theater to journalism. Some stretches of this book bare a frightening resemblance to the dialogue of Debette Goldry— the character played by Kate McKinnon on SNL that sits on panels about Hollywood’s golden days (and rattles off appalling stories that would constitute criminal sexism by any other standards).
Bosworth narrates the audiobook, and sounds very much like Grace and Frankie-era Fonda, which mostly works. I’d recommend this book to fans of mid-century Manhattan memoirs— Bosworth has brushes and friendships with many luminaries of that era. I’d recommend it to those who have survived the suicide of loved ones, as it’s how Bosworth lost both her brother and father. She hesitates to reveal some details that will be obvious to readers early on; tragically, both her brother and father struggled with their own homosexuality, and that anguish ultimately killed them, six years apart. The book-length story of those two men and the impact of their deaths is a constant in the book, and it’s told sensitively. The rest, for the most part, sees Bosworth involved with many lousy art-world moochers, and subjecting herself to a lot of misery in both love and work due to virulent strains of sexism that were a lot more ubiquitous at the time. The acting world never really cleared a space for her. It’s easy to imagine her thriving better in this era, though it’s encouraging to know that she didn’t let any hard-wired circumstances determine the enduring purpose she found soon after the part of her life covered here.
Bosworth narrates the audiobook, and sounds very much like Grace and Frankie-era Fonda, which mostly works. I’d recommend this book to fans of mid-century Manhattan memoirs— Bosworth has brushes and friendships with many luminaries of that era. I’d recommend it to those who have survived the suicide of loved ones, as it’s how Bosworth lost both her brother and father. She hesitates to reveal some details that will be obvious to readers early on; tragically, both her brother and father struggled with their own homosexuality, and that anguish ultimately killed them, six years apart. The book-length story of those two men and the impact of their deaths is a constant in the book, and it’s told sensitively. The rest, for the most part, sees Bosworth involved with many lousy art-world moochers, and subjecting herself to a lot of misery in both love and work due to virulent strains of sexism that were a lot more ubiquitous at the time. The acting world never really cleared a space for her. It’s easy to imagine her thriving better in this era, though it’s encouraging to know that she didn’t let any hard-wired circumstances determine the enduring purpose she found soon after the part of her life covered here.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2025
I avoided reading this memoir for the longest time and now after reading it know that was a mistake.
This is an easy read but can be at times depressing due to her telling of her beloved brother and father. At first the book starts off with them and I thought, are these the only men in her life? No, not at all. Lots of men and women especially in the theater in New York City.
She writes of her early first marriage and its failure then later her second, which was much more satisfying. Also her rise as an actress from the Actors Studio and when she tired of auditions and disappointments in acting she was leaning more and more toward writing which eventually became her career.
I was a bit sad to see the book end, unlike so many other memoirs I have read. Don't be put off by the cover photo, it is no reflection of the contents. I can't say I would read this again but that's not a knock on the book. Very few books do I read again.
Judy Collins, the celebrity folk singer of the sixties, was a friend of Patricia and wrote a glowing review of the book at the end. Lots of photos at the end as well. A great look into life in the fifties and
early sixties, especially the theater but also her personal life and trials. Admits sleeping with a lot of men but doesn't go into detail much about the experience. Still, a good read for sure.
This is an easy read but can be at times depressing due to her telling of her beloved brother and father. At first the book starts off with them and I thought, are these the only men in her life? No, not at all. Lots of men and women especially in the theater in New York City.
She writes of her early first marriage and its failure then later her second, which was much more satisfying. Also her rise as an actress from the Actors Studio and when she tired of auditions and disappointments in acting she was leaning more and more toward writing which eventually became her career.
I was a bit sad to see the book end, unlike so many other memoirs I have read. Don't be put off by the cover photo, it is no reflection of the contents. I can't say I would read this again but that's not a knock on the book. Very few books do I read again.
Judy Collins, the celebrity folk singer of the sixties, was a friend of Patricia and wrote a glowing review of the book at the end. Lots of photos at the end as well. A great look into life in the fifties and
early sixties, especially the theater but also her personal life and trials. Admits sleeping with a lot of men but doesn't go into detail much about the experience. Still, a good read for sure.
November 15, 2022
Apropos of a former actress, writer Patricia Bosworth’s life was one of drama masks. Her famous father, “Hollywood 10” attorney Bartley Crum, gave her access to bold face names, but his alcoholism and pill addiction ruined family life. Her beloved younger brother, Bart Jr., commited suicide while attending college.
Patricia was accepted as a member of the famed Actor’s Studio on her first attempt, no small feat. She acted and attended parties with Paul Newman, Marilyn Monroe, Harry Belafonte, as well as many writers.
On the day she left her abusive husband, she bolted to Vermont to find her vacationing therapist. The therapist shut the door in her face, causing Bosworth to hike to a lodge. At the lodge, a documentary filmmaker took pity on her, bringing her along to the home of his subject, the poet Robert Frost. The filmmaker tasked her with keeping Frost company between set-ups. Robert Frost! Ms. Bosworth’s life was indeed charmed in many ways.
This book is a wonder. It is both a Zelig-like gossipy tell-all, and a raw and honest account of a woman coming of age in the 1950s, trying to figure out life and her place in the world.
It is poignant to listen to Ms. Bosworth’s narration, knowing she died not so long ago, senselessly, of COVID 19.
Patricia was accepted as a member of the famed Actor’s Studio on her first attempt, no small feat. She acted and attended parties with Paul Newman, Marilyn Monroe, Harry Belafonte, as well as many writers.
On the day she left her abusive husband, she bolted to Vermont to find her vacationing therapist. The therapist shut the door in her face, causing Bosworth to hike to a lodge. At the lodge, a documentary filmmaker took pity on her, bringing her along to the home of his subject, the poet Robert Frost. The filmmaker tasked her with keeping Frost company between set-ups. Robert Frost! Ms. Bosworth’s life was indeed charmed in many ways.
This book is a wonder. It is both a Zelig-like gossipy tell-all, and a raw and honest account of a woman coming of age in the 1950s, trying to figure out life and her place in the world.
It is poignant to listen to Ms. Bosworth’s narration, knowing she died not so long ago, senselessly, of COVID 19.
July 21, 2020
What a fascinating memoir. The period of time Bosworth covers, the ‘50s, was an evolving time. She was in her twenties trying to pursue her dream of being an actor and author. She writes candidly about her bad choices in men and her meandering career. She has much tragedy to deal with including her beloved brother’s and father’s suicides six years apart and is honest about how deeply it affected her. She’s accepted into the Actor’s Studio in NY, which was legendary for training most well-known actors of that time such as Marilyn Monroe, Jane Fonda, Al Pacino, Marlon Brando. There are so many celebrities she crossed paths with, it’s hard to keep track but it’s interesting to read about all these burgeoning legends. She also writes about the experience of being female in this period of time and the issues women dealt with. My one complaint is that the ending felt abrupt and, as she sums up in the Afterword, she doesn’t mention that her second husband died and she married again. I had to look that up online and also saw that she passed away in April 2020 from complications due to COVID. Sad. Make sure you get to the photos at the end of the book.
May 18, 2020
This was an interesting theatrical memoir of Patricia Bosworth’s early life, and the tragedy of her brother’s suicide, and her struggle to become an actress in New York. Accepted at the Actor’s Studio, she struggled to make a place for herself. Along the way she encountered many people, famous, about to be famous, and those who never made a place for themselves. It seems to take her a very long time to come to terms with herself, and to make sensible, self-interested choices in her life. Eventually she made the decision to give up acting and make the transition to writing, which had intrigued her all her life.
Lots of interesting stories and anecdotes about the famous and near-famous, but in a down-to-earth non-breathless style that is very entertaining. It’s sad that she succumbed to complications of Covid-19 in April of a 2020, before she could write about her life as a writer and journalist.
Very enjoyable read.
Lots of interesting stories and anecdotes about the famous and near-famous, but in a down-to-earth non-breathless style that is very entertaining. It’s sad that she succumbed to complications of Covid-19 in April of a 2020, before she could write about her life as a writer and journalist.
Very enjoyable read.
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