Delayed Rays of a Star | 
pickA really interesting exploration of 3 women photographed together in Weimar Republic Berlin. Lots about Hollywood, Nazis, diversity, feminism and more. Also found myself researching all 3 women separately as well. And, scored a line in #bookspinbingo 😁
Impulse read, as was this month's Books That Matter choice, so +31 for #MerryReaders #WinterGames
Feb 2020. Marlene dietrich, US Asian actress and nazi Germany film maker. Feminism, representation, power, fascism. Fun read. Interesting.
pickAh, Leni. So single minded, focused, competitive. Up against Dietrich for The Blue Angel...she went on to harness her ambition and made the spectacular Olympic documentary for Hitler. Everything had one purpose only: to make movies. Self delusion and selective blindness as to the immorality of many if her choices. But she shared the same drive as Wong and Dietrich. Unrepentant to the end.
pickAnna May Wong was always given exotic roles, and kept up the struggle to play a leading role-close to impossible and the devastation when the lead role in Pearl Buck‘s The Good Earth was given to a white actress. She was rumored to be in a relationship with Dietrich and this book springboards off that#queerlitsy. Sigh. Though Dietrich was a goddess, checkout the pair in Shanghai Express. Wong was the better actress. 🔥🔥🔥Yep, I‘m stanning!
pickIntertwined stories of three legendary women. There was a Saturday Movie show on Japanese TV when I was growing up that aired classic black and white films. OMG moment when I saw Dietrich in a man‘s tux sauntering in a nightclub in Morocco. I had no idea but somehow knew when she bent down to kiss a woman customer that it was transgressive and I was thrilled by her gentleman‘s code of honor in life as well as on screen. My first girl crush.
pickMagic in Berlin: can you just imagine the synchronicity involved for this party photo? Anna May Wong was in town to promote a movie, Dietrich was still struggling for parts in movies, and Riefenstahl was struggling to direct a movie, and the photographer was Eisenstaedt who was making a living as a party photographer. This photo inspired the author to write this book which is just stupendous; one of my favorites this year!
Today on #read99women, Melanie Benjamin recommends a novel inspired by this photograph: http://www.greermacallister.com/blog/2020/1/29/read99women-melanie-benjamin
Starting this book tonight. This will be my #weekendread. #currentlyreading #delayedraysofastar
Not being so active for months. Sorry for that. I‘m active on bookstagram. But i miss here too. Currently reading Delayed Rays of a Star by Amanda Lee Koe. What are you guys reading?
