Hailed as an "endlessly fascinating biography of an extraordinary woman" (Daily Express) and "a page turner" (Independent), Noralee Frankel's lively biography illuminates the fascinating career of Gypsy Rose Lee, a woman who created and recreated her own identity to fit changing times. Placing the famed stripper's life in a refreshing new light, Frankel reveals that though Lee was not above using her femininity to full advantage, she aspired to much more than admiration for her physical beauty. Indeed, those who know Lee only from the beloved musical and film Gypsy!--which celebrates her unconventional rise to stardom--will be surprised to discover a woman who was not only a sex object, but also a best-selling writer, artist, political activist, and union leader. In addition to her highly successful strip-tease act and film career, Lee published two popular mystery novels and a memoir, wrote two plays, showed her original artwork in famed Modern Art-impresario Peggy Guggenheim's gallery, and gained notoriety for her participation in liberal politics.

About the Author
Noralee Frankel is the Assistant Director, Women, Minorities, and Teaching at the American Historical Association. She lives near Washington, D.C.

Reviews
full of fascinating details * Rochdale Observer *
"...careful and candid...Frankel's critical distance does nothing to detract from just how extraordinary Louise Hovick - the name Gypsy was born with - really was. From her beginnings in burlesque in the 1930s to her death in 1970 when she had become a brand as well as a legend, Gypsy received more media coverage than almost any other woman." -Times Literary Supplement



Book Information
ISBN 9780199754335
Author Noralee Frankel
Format Paperback
Page Count 320
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 490g
Dimensions(mm) 234mm * 158mm * 22mm