Buy west of eden by jean stein from waterstones today. Kevin starr, former california state librarian and author of california. Lauren bacall, arthur miller, dennis hopper, frank gehry, ring lardner, joan didion, stephen sondheim all interviewed by jean stein, who grew up in the forties in a fairytale mansion in. Oral historian and author jean stein tells the stories of five families who shaped our city in her new book, west of eden, including her own family, the steins. American girl, about andy warhols muse, and the hollywood insiders tale west of eden. Feb 04, 2016 west of eden is the definitive story of hollywood, told, in their own words, by the people on the inside. Jean stein, who chronicled wealth, fame and influence. Jean stein an upper east side, manhattan, nyc acclaimed author has died after leaping to her suicide death from her 15th floor apartment at 10 gracie square. Adam and eve are driven east out of the garden of eden. Joan didion in times past, in an effort to capture the edge and feel of hollywood during its golden age of glamour and noir, nathanael west, raymond chandler, carey mcwilliams, and joan didion stretched language and genre to their limits.
In west of eden, jean stein continues the project she began in edie, recording our nations trickster promise. The story continues in two sequels, winter in eden and return to eden. Lauren bacall, arthur miller, dennis hopper, frank gehry, ring lardner, joan didion, stephen sondheim all interviewed by jean stein, who grew up in the. Her father was jules stein, founder of the media giant mca in the 1920s. West of eden by jean stein penguin books australia.
In her long awaited follow up to edie, an american girl, stein again uses oral history to flesh out the stories of the dohenys, the warner family of warner bros. Jean stein, 83, died after jumping from the 15th floor of 10 gracie square at east end ave. Jean stein, upper east side woman who leaped to death, was. Lauren bacall, arthur miller, dennis hopper, frank gehry, ring lardner, joan didion. Read jennifer joness distraught letter to her husband about. So you can imagine that when i heard about west of eden my ears immediately perked up. The book takes us from the discovery of oil in the twenties with the story of.
Feb 04, 2016 chandlers ghost haunts jean steins west of eden. Click and collect from your local waterstones or get free uk delivery on orders over. The book might have been alternatively titled bad blood. Its an oral history of five iconicinfluential families whose experiences could be said to. West of eden on apple books apple books apple apple. As she did in edie, jean stein weaves together the personal recollections of an array of individuals to create an astonishing tapestry of a place like no other. The point that nathanael west made, of course, is that the masses ultimately want to kill and devour, to cannibalize their celebrity gods. Joan didion in times past, in an effort to capture the edge and feel of hollywood during its golden age of glamour and noir, nathanael west, raymond chandler, carey mcwilliams, and joan didion. An american place is told in the oral form tradition she used in her 1982 bestselling oral biography, edie.
It caters to our junk appetite for gossip about the. In many ways steins new book, west of eden, continues the larger project she began in edie. An american place random house, brings some of its biggest personalities to life. Jean stein, author of edie and west of eden, jumps to her death at. Its like being at an insiders cocktail party where the most delicious gossip about. Feb 15, 2017 west of eden is the definitive story of hollywood, told, in their own words, by the people on the inside. What i hadnt realized is that jean stein employs the oral history techniquewhich is to say, many voices with insider knowledge tell the story at the same time. Jean steins enthralling new oral history, west of eden. A history a compelling, occasionally gossipy, informative chronicle of the flamboyant personalities from a storybook hollywood era. Feb 02, 2016 jean stein transformed the art of oral history in her groundbreaking book edie.
In 2017, stein partnered with pen america to launch the penjean stein book award and the penjean stein grant for oral history to honor groundbreaking literature. Jean stein, the author best known for writing the oral histories edie. Advertisement stein landed on an eighthfloor balcony. May 03, 2017 last year, random house published steins book, west of eden. Her book, west of eden, is an oral history or, more correctly, an oral biography of a place that has been. American girl, an indelible portrait of andy warhol superstar edie sedgwick that was edited with george plimpton. Steins subjects are caucasian and inhabit a certain economic and. The times of robert kennedy, an oral history with interviews by stein and edited by george plimpton.
An american place random house, an oral history centered on five families, in including steins own, spanning from the. Lauren bacall, arthur miller, dennis hopper, frank gehry, ring lardner, joan didion, stephen sondheim all interviewed by jean stein, who grew up in the forties in a fairytale mansion in the hollywood hills the book takes us from the discovery of oil in the twenties with the story of. May 01, 2017 jean stein, the author best known for writing the oral histories edie. West of eden by jean stein overdrive rakuten overdrive. Now, in west of eden, stein turns her lens toward the city sedgwick came fromlos angelesand a mythic cast of. The pairs correspondence is recorded in jean steins west of eden. The 83 year old womans death came sunday morning circa 10.
In a new book called west of eden, oral historian and author jean stein tells the stories of five families who shaped our city, including her own. Lauren bacall, arthur miller, dennis hopper, frank gehry, ring lardner, joan didion, stephen sondheim all interviewed by jean stein, who grew up in the forties in a fairytale mansion in the hollywood hills. Feb 21, 2016 in west of eden, jean stein continues the project she began in edie, recording our nations trickster promise. Despite its provenance, west of eden is strangely unfocused, especially when compared with ms. Jean stein and west of eden belong in this companykevin starr, former california state librarian and author of california. It caters to our junk appetite for gossip about the rich and shameless, and leaves us curiously empty. Jean stein transformed the art of oral history in her groundbreaking book edie. Jean stein influenced the art of oral history in her groundbreaking book edie. American girl, edited with george plimpton, that gave oral history the particular shimmer that comes. American girl, an indelible portrait of andy warhol superstar edie sedgwick, which was edited with george plimpton. West of eden illuminates five aspiring individuals whose dreams were big and their american place is southern california, back in the day. Read jennifer joness distraught letter to her husband. The first section is dominated by the monstrous patriarch edward doheny, who bribed. The title can be seen as a reference to the book of genesis.
West of eden depicts the city that has projected its own image of america onto the world, in all its idealism and paradox. Five nonfiction stories about the seedy underbelly of old hollywood. West of eden is the definitive story of hollywood, told, in their own words, by the people on the inside. Their work was praised by norman mailer as the book of the sixties. Jean stein and west of eden belong in this company. Stein vividly captures a mythic cast of characters. American girl, an indelible portrait of andy warhol superstar edie sedgwick. American girl, about andy warhols muse, and the hollywood insiders tale west. The pacific sunset on the cover of steins book looks hellish, and the hollywood sign, seen from behind, might be starting to spell the word. Being west of eden, then, is a reference to the counterhistorical premise of the novel.
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