Biography, Autobiography, Memoir discussion
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March 2019 Challenge
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Eek am drawing a blank here as I went through a phase of reading so many movie related bios (mostly actors and actresses) that I just cant think of any new ones I want to read.Whats on your list Koren?
maybe theres one on Walt Disney that could be interesting...?
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I'm open to either maybe I'll find something when I go to the library next. The last one I read was the one about Morgan Freeman. Morgan Freeman: A Biography. It was ok. I found out a lot I didn't know and of course I haven't seen all of his films just a few he's best known for. I will try and think of a few that I've read thats been really good. I think I may have read the Barbara Walters one a few years ago. It's a big one right? It was interesting about how driven she was to succeed but a bit sad about her daughter...Audition: A Memoir.
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Shhh. Dont tell me about the daughter. Yes, that is the one I'm reading.
I have made an executive decision. For the March challenge you may read a bio, autobio, or memoir by or about someone in television and/or movies.
Ok I'm settling on this one The Life and Times of a Brown Paper Bag by Kevin Milne
Fair Go is a long running tv series in NZ thats deals with people wanting a 'fair go' so people write into the show and ask journalists to investigate any consumer scams and rip offs, or councils not answering, doing their job, etc. Then they go and find out even confront the people and get them to fess up or make things right. They also do and annual poll of NZ's favourite tv commercials. Kevin Milne is one of the presenters so would be interested in finding out more about him and what it's like working in TV as a journalist for many years. I think he's still on the show! Although I haven't watched it in ages...I don't really watch much tv now. Too busy...reading books!
The show if you interested- I don't know if other countries have shows like this. https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/fair-go
Koren wrote: "I have made an executive decision. For the March challenge you may read a bio, autobio, or memoir by or about someone in television and/or movies."You have cruelly forced me to finally order a used copy of Auto Focus.
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You have cruelly forced me to fina..."
I'm sorry. I know that must have been hard to do!
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4 stars
Well, Barbara has certainly led an interesting life. She has met kings and queens, every president since Richard Nixon, and hundreds of the most famous actors and actresses. The beginning of the book talks about her early life and after she gets into the news business she talks about many of her experiences meeting famous and infamous people. The book is well-organized. Most of the time it is chronilogical but sometimes it is organized into the type of people she interviewed, such as grouping the presidents together and the criminals together. I found this book very interesting, but at times thought it could have been a bit shorter, but then I dont know what she could have left out. I found it to be honest, she readily admits mistakes she made both personally and professionally. It is amazing that she so often says that the people she has met have become life-long friends, but there are a few she didnt get along with. The book is long but worth the read.
Just wondering has Diane Sawyer or Oprah Winfrey written a memoir?
Selina wrote: "Just wondering has Diane Sawyer or Oprah Winfrey written a memoir?"I don't see one by Sawyer but Oprah wrote a memoir of falling in love with Beloved and working towards adapting it for film, called Journey to Beloved. Making it another book about books!!!!
I tried to read Beloved years ago but couldnt really get into it, haven't seen the movie. I just remember it being depressing.
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I read Beloved but didnt get very far. Didnt understand it. Then I saw the movie. Then I went back and read the book and it all made sense and I loved the book! In the beginning of the book I didnt understand what they were talking about when they talked about the tree on his back but the movie explained that the scars on his back were in the shape of a tree.
Diana S wrote: "I'm going to read: 
[book:The Girl on the Balcony: Olivia Hussey Finds Life After Romeo and Juliet|36902..."Am going to see a Shakespeare play tonite at the pop up Globe - Measure for Measure.
I remember seeing this Romeo and Juliet film in high school as we were studying the play but then then the one with Claire Danes and Leonardo Di Caprio came out. I don't know how old they were at the time. I was 15/16 when we studied this play and our English teacher told us that Romeo and Juliet consummated their marriage and many of us had no idea what 'consummated' meant.
Our school did put on a production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' I was not starring but I did wardrobe.
Koren wrote: "Audition: A Memoir by Barbara Walters 4 stars
Well, Barbara has certainly led an interesting life. She has met kings and queens, every presid..."
Koren what do you think about her daughter...? If I recall she just adopted one. I don't remember Barbara actually having a husband but a few lovers.
The Life and Times of a Brown Paper Bag by Kevin MilneI learned a bit more about this TV presenter, who's been with broadcasting/journalism about 40 years since the days of black and white tv. He seems fairly ordinary and shares about his family and some of the memorable Fair Go episodes, as well as other work - he got asked to do some travel shows for TV which is a pretty cushy job! Get paid to stay in hotels and resorts. I'm surprised that journalism as a job does not require any academic prerequisites - Kevin pretty much failed his School Certificate and didn't even have the marks to get into University. He got trained in TV through polytechnic institute and it seems like he knows lots of people, name drops quite a bit but for a reader who doesn't officially work in broadcast media many of these names don't mean much to me.
He got an honor from the Queen for his services to broadcasting. I found the book an interesting insight into how TV gets made in NZ. He's getting on a bit, this book was written in 2010 and he's not up with the changes with social media/internet etc. When he started TV only had 2 channels and now there's over 80.
One other thing he mentions is that he's got four children, three sons and a daughter, one son told him he was gay at 21 but he wrote he and his wife kind of knew when he was in primary school but I'm wondering how could they tell? He wrote it was cos he was sensitive and had different ambitions and the company he kept. They were accepting.
I'm reading The Curse of Beauty by James Bone.Its about Audrey Munson America's First Supermodel and the first Leading Lady to appear nude a Motion Picture.
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4 stars
Well, Barbara has certainly led an interesting life. She has met kings and queens..."
Barbara adopted one daughter. The daughter had a pretty tough adolescence, got into drugs and ended up spending quite a while in a juvenile home but thankfully she overcame it and went on to have a close and loving relationship with her mother. Barbara was married 3 times and had many offers but decided three strikes and she was out. She had some relationships after her marriages but has no desire to be married again.
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I am reading Don't Mind If I Do by George Hamilton. I'll bet the young'uns dont know who he is. I remember him best in Where The Boys Are. I've seen that movie several times.
Koren wrote: "I am reading Don't Mind If I Do by George Hamilton. I'll bet the young'uns dont know who he is. I remember him best in Where The Boys Are. I've ..."No idea Koren!
Erin wrote: "I'm reading The Curse of Beauty by James Bone.Its about Audrey Munson America's First Supermodel and the first Leading Lady to appear nude a Motion Picture."
I wonder who really was America's first supermodel? I have also heard Gia Carangi described that way -- the book about her is called Thing of Beauty and she was supposed to be the earliest model to be super in the era when they were actually using the term "supermodel" -- AND Evelyn Nesbit, who predated Munson. (See American Eve: Evelyn Nesbit, Stanford White, the Birth of the "It" Girl and the Crime of the Century.)
Koren wrote: "Selina wrote: "Koren wrote: "Audition: A Memoir by Barbara Walters 4 stars
Well, Barbara has certainly led an interesting life. She has met k..."
I just remember her daughter running away and got the impression Barbara was too busy working to see the signs. But apparently its common amongst many adopted children to do a runner.
I've come across many mothers whos children rebel and get into drugs etc and wondering where the dads are to discipline them, keep them in check or protect them. In almost all cases the dads are absent.
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3 stars
I didnt know a lot about George Hamilton, except one of my favorite movies is Where the Boys Are, so I was disappointed that he didnt go into the movie very much and mostly thought it was fluff. His childhood was interesting and something I dont think you would see today. His mother somehow inserted herself into wealthy society looking for the next rich husband and dragging her 3 boys around the country in search of high society, even though she herself didnt have a lot of money. But he adores his mother and brothers. He decides he likes the lifestyle of the rich and famous and is lucky enough to find minor movie roles and makes money here and there. In the meantime, he meets many women, almost always rich and/or famous, and always beatiful. I was surprised that he dated Linda Byrd Johnson, Elizabeth Taylor and Danielle Steele. This book seemed to be the ultimate name-dropper autobiography. He has met many famous people and a lot of the time he didnt have much to say about them except to say he met them. It was fun to see some of the old names but I felt this book didnt have a lot of substance.
Fishface wrote: "Erin wrote: "I'm reading The Curse of Beauty by James Bone.Its about Audrey Munson America's First Supermodel and the first Leading Lady to appear nude a Motion Picture."
I wonder who really was..."
I thought it was Cindy Crawford, and then Linda Evangelista and Kate Moss. And Naomi Campbell that were the quartet of first supermodels. I recall one famously said they dont get out of bed for less than $xxxxx a day.
Back in the 90s were they just appeared on cover after cover of magazines, and did nothing really but pose and endorse cosmetics.
Now, I remember reading -- probably in Thing of Beauty -- that Cindy Crawford was simply the replacement for Gia Carangi. They certainly have some visual qualities in common.
Nikki Taylor seemed like the next CIndy Crawford, she made the news when her sister died many years ago from a heart attack. I think maybe model agencies just get replacement models that look like whoever worked for them. Like Tyra Banks was the next top model after Naomi Campbell. Rachel Hunter was NZ's answer to aussie's Elle Macpherson. And Kate Moss was the new Twiggy. Heidi Klum is the new Claudia Schiffer, who was the new Bardot, and on it goes.
The Murder of Bob Crane, Robert Graysmith2 solid stars
A well-written, convincing account of Bob Crane's inexplicable murder. Illustrated by the author. They didn't get into the biography od Bob Crane until pretty late in the book, but it was there are fairly satisfying despite that fact that a lot of people involved in his life -- his wives, most of his kids -- didn't contribute a word. I felt a little queasy reading about so much evidence from a case that was still waiting to be prosecuted. Is it really wise to share this much with the public? There were also a couple of times I had to ask how the police could be so dense. But none of that explains why this case just sat there unprosecuted for all these decades...
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5 stars
When I started this book I didnt think it would fit the challenge. I only knew Tennessee Ernie Ford from the song Sixteen Tons and thought he was a one hit wonder. Turns out in the 1950's and 60's he was one of the top entertainers of the day. I would have been 2 or 3 months old when he began his television show that ran for 5 years, so I dont remember watching it.
This biography is written by his son. At first I thought it was going to be a moaning and groaning book about how his dad's second wife took everything and left the kids with nothing, but once you get past that first chapter it is very interesting. It is more about the loving relationship his mother and father had, that was not without its ups and downs. His mother did not like the life of the rich and famous and became an alcoholic. His father could not deal with fading fame and also became an alcoholic. In the end alcohol contributed to both of their deaths. They ended up being married for over 30 years. She was barely in the ground and he married a woman he had only known for a few months and only lived 2 more years after they were married but this greedy woman wanted everything and the kids got nothing, not even keepsakes, and they ended up in litigation for years. You can tell the son loves his parents even though at times their relationship was rocky. Even though I was not really a fan, I loved this memoir and hope his son's future is a lot brighter.
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Selina wrote: "Diana S wrote: "I'm going to read: [book:The Girl on the Balcony: Olivia Hussey Finds Life After Romeo ..."For a librarian you have a lot of showbiz in your life!!!
Koren wrote: "So far only 3 people have posted reviews for the March challenge. Do we want to continue this challenge for April or do a new one? Or forget about it altogether?"New challenge Koren!
Sorry I only read/reviewed one book, I was just drawing a blank over books about movies and tv this month. I can review one more although I'd already read it ages ago and the show again is not shown in the US or on anymore. Keep this challenge open anyway cos some more books, recommendations might come along.
Mucking In: TVNZ by Jim Mora and Tony MurrellThis book is about the TV show Mucking In, which goes around making garden renovations for people that get nominated by their community, a whole team goes in for a week or so and they get sent away while the Mucking In people take over their section. Most of them have no garden to speak of its just lawn, or overgrown. They plant, and make patios, and playgrounds, bbqs, etc.
Each episoode is a different garden/person and they have a presenter and a designer who designs the garden, then all the people in the community 'muck in' to make it happen. They dont need to stick to a certain budget on this one. The book has photos and talks about the different people and what they do, many volunteer in the community, maybe social work, or feed the hungry or whatever, and many of course dont have time to do their garden.
It all makes great tv as everyone loves a makeover. Theres lists of plants and different styles of garden in the back should anyone want to copy these ideas.
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This book is about the TV show Mucking In, which goes around making garden renovations for people that get nominated by their communit..."
Sounds interesting. I wish they would come and makeover my garden.
Rebecca wrote: "Great idea! I’m a bit late for March but I’ve got both Osher Gundsburg and Magda Subanski’s books on my “want to read list” so one of those would be my first choice. I’m a TV fan so I don’t have an..."Is Magda the lass who played Sharon on Kath and Kim? I loved that show, hilarious.
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3 stars
Myron Leon "Mike" Wallace was an American journalist, game show host, actor, and media personality. He interviewed a wide range of prominent newsmakers during his seven-decade career. He was one of the original correspondents for CBS' 60 Minutes.
He died in 2012 at the age of 93. This book was published in 2005, so a bit outdated.
The author states at the beginning of the book that he previously published an autobiography so he does not rehash the parts of his life that are in that book. This book is more a memoir of people he has interviewed over the years, from political figures, historical figures, and movie and tv stars. Each chapter is fairly short and ends up being more of a history of that person than the actual interview. There will usually be a couple of paragraphs or pages of interview. I was actually a little bored with this book, hence the 3 star rating.
One last book about tv, this was a quick read for me Springfield Confidential: Jokes, Secrets, and Outright Lies from a Lifetime Writing for The Simpsons by Mike ReissMike Reiss is one of the head writers for the Simpsons tv show. He was there from the beginning and they never thought the show would last as long as it has. He's a comedian and comes up with jokes and gags with a team of other writers for every episode. They have 22 episodes per season and 20 or so minutes of show time, so they pack in as many jokes as they can, even down to the names of the businesses in Springfield and titles of books in the library.
For anyone who grew up or was a fan of the Simpsons, you'll learn a lot of trivia and how some of the funniest (and not so funny) plot lines and story arcs came about. Also included is a run down on how the show is put together and all that's involved in creating an episode, including the voices, guest stars, animation, fan responses.
The author left the show for a while to pursue his own projects, he created another cartoon show called 'Queer Duck' and one called 'The Critic' that bombed, wrote some childrens books, and consulted as comedy writer for other animated features. I think he comes across as someone who just can't help being funny, but honestly, it can get irritating at times when someone's constantly poking fun at every single thing, including himself being Jewish. Ok I get you are Jewish, you wrote that about ten times! For some reason, that's supposed to be funnier than any other group...?
Simpson fans who might have seen the series rerun every single night do recall fondly one of the best seasons (season 4) that are such classic episodes that everything else that came after would have been 'jumping the shark' or going downhill but as the author points out, in cartoon universe, the characters don't age and so they could carry on forever....
Still Growing: An Autobiography by Kirk CameronAh the 80's. Anyone who was alive then and had a TV might remember all those family sitcoms. Growing Pains, Charles in Charge, The Cosby Show, Roseanne, Family Ties, Full House etc.
Kirk Cameron was only 16 when he played the part of Mike Seaver on Growing Pains.
It was interesting getting to know his life as a child star in this autobiography - He started out in commercials and basically he was a typical teen that happened to land a huge part in a hit TV show.. he describes all the scary stuff that happens when you get famous - like having stalkers, crazy fans, paparazzi, star treatment and ego inflation, stage mothers, firing your mum who manages you, insane perks of the job and what it's like earning more in one week than your own dad can earn in a year.
And then moral dilemmas, such as becoming a Christian and then trying to have morals in a place like Hollywood. For fans of Growing Pains and those who want to know...what happened to Kirk Cameron? The story of his romance is sweet - he's a family man now and am glad he didn't go to extremes like his compatriots River Phoenix or Leonardo Di Caprio. One thing I didn't know...he and fellow TV star Michael J Fox had a rivalry going on. And possibly Full House star and sister Candace Cameron has her own memoirs? I don't know. Or maybe the Ollsen twins do.
Relive the 80s with Kirk Cameron. Over all he's one of the good guy, just real decent (even if a tad egotistical, but that why he needs Jesus) I think I needed to read this after reading through child star Mackenzie Phillips wild life. This was a guy who turned down an invite to Playboy Mansion..even when his Dad wanted him to go.
Biography, Autobiography, Memoir
Books mentioned in this topic
Still Growing: An Autobiography (other topics)Springfield Confidential: Jokes, Secrets, and Outright Lies from a Lifetime Writing for The Simpsons (other topics)
Between You and Me: A Memoir (other topics)
Mucking In: TVNZ (other topics)
Mucking In: TVNZ (other topics)
More...
So you can start deciding what you want to read in March...I will announce the topic for the March challenge....(drum roll)….
Read a bio, autobio, or memoir about someone in the business of making movies or television (actors, actresses, producers, directors, etc..) or even about a certain movie or tv show.