Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Is anyone here from San Francisco?

If so. . .

One of my favorite book stores is hosting this tomorrow. I'm working on childcare and hope I can make it myself.



CAROLYN BURKE will discuss
No Regrets: The Life of Edith Piaf
Thursday, May 5 at 7 PM at Bookshop West Portal, San Francisco


Join us for a fascinating evening with Carolyn Burke, who has written an enthralling and empathetic biography about the beloved French chanteuse, Edith Piaf. Burke, who has chronicled the lives of photographer Lee Miller and poet Mina Loy, captures Piaf's charismatic appeal, along with the time and place that gave rise to her remarkable international career.

As a child, Piaf grew up in a Normandy brothel run by her grandmother, then led a vagabond life, touring as a singer with her father's acrobatic performances. Burke had access to previously untapped Piaf documents, and highlights aspects of the artist that are rarely mentioned, such as Piaf's aiding Jews during World War II. The author demonstrates how, with her courage, her incomparable art, and her universal appeal, "the little sparrow" endures as a symbol of France and a source of inspiration to entertainers worldwide.
"Burke's terrific biography of Edith Piaf shucks the simplistic arc of self-destructive urchin to a more complex portrait that includes the singer's heroics in the French Resistance and roles as mentor, lyricist, and enduring icon." — Kimberly Cutter, Marie Claire  

2 comments:

  1. I live close enough to attend, but unfortunately unavailable this Thursday.

    This book sounds fascinating. I rented a DVD from Netflix a few years back about Piaf. It was a documentary featuring reels of a few of her performances and of course, the story of her interesting and too short life. I would like to read what Burke's book tells us about her that hasn't already been covered.

    I adore "the little sparrow" and listen to her songs frequently. Last October, my husband and I visited her gravesite at Pere Lachaise. We went there specifically to see her site.

    If you do attend, I hope you will tell us all about it.

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  2. I didn't go, but I love her too. I'm surprised to realize this, but I've still not seen the bio film that came out a few years ago. I should; she's gotten me through more than one failed love affair but I know very little about her beyond what everyone knows.

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