Book Chapters

  A word from Alan Cumming

A word from Atom Egoyan

Prologue

MARLON BRANDO stops by for a barbecue
ELLA FITZGERALD likes my mom’s kibbe
ELIZABETH TAYLOR tries on my pearls
KATHARINE HEPBURN turns me down
JESSYE NORMAN makes a pact with me
Eggs Benedict with TENNESSEE WILLIAMS
ELIZABETH MONTGOMERY bewitches, bothers, and bewilders

ARETHA FRANKLIN doesn’t disappoint
EARTHA KITT is not for sale
ORSON WELLES gives a master class
PHYLLIS DILLER’s business plan
PRINCESS MARGARET lights my cigarette
DIAHANN CARROLL makes me break into song
DORIS DAY, my secret love
PAUL NEWMAN and JOANNE WOODWARD: inseparable, incomparable

PRINCESS DIANA shows how it’s done
ANDRÉ LEON TALLEY makes an entrance
BETTE DAVIS towers over us all
SACHEEN LITTLEFEATHER takes a stand
DONALD SUTHERLAND: a touch of caviar
CESAR CHAVEZ teaches me a lesson
NORMAN JEWISON tells a story or three
GINGER ROGERS makes a pit stop
Wooing GREGORY PECK
STEPHEN SONDHEIM: anyone can whistle

CÉLINE DION doesn’t make the cut

HARVEY MILK sets me free 

BEN VEREEN sings me a song 

SEAN CONNERY takes it on the chest 

JIMMY STEWART writes me a letter 

MARY TYLER MOORE shoots up with me

MUHAMMAD ALI tells it like it is 

LIBERACE touches me—a lot 

MIA FARROW: a flight of grace 

TALLULAH BANKHEAD, dahling 

PATRICIA NEAL: you really, really would have loved her

BRIAN BEDFORD teaches me stuff 

PIERRE TRUDEAU has a file on me 

CHRISTOPHER REEVE: sometimes a kiss is just a kiss

MARLENE DIETRICH: we’ll always have Paris

DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS JR.: a class act 

JOHN HUSTON dashes my Ireland fantasy

CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER is eager to leave 

EDWARD ALBEE: no topic off the table 

JOAN RIVERS: Can we really talk? 

VAN JOHNSON learns to fly 

CELESTE HOLM joins us for an Uncle Vanya

MARGARET ATWOOD is for the birds, literally 

MARY WILSON, always supreme Finding 

OMAR SHARIF after a sandstorm 

LIZA MINNELLI comes through 

KEITH HARING does New York A

NDY WARHOL: your signature is just as good as mine

k.d. lang sings at our wedding