The Men in My Life: A Memoir of Love and Art in 1950s Manhattan

New York: Harper; HarperCollinsPublishers, 2017. xvi, 377 pages, illustrations; 24 cm. Near fine. Tight, clean copy. Age toning. Stated First Edition. Dust jacket, with light edgewear, protected in a mylar book cover. "Acclaimed biographer Patricia Bosworth delivers a tale of family, marriage, tragedy, Broadway, and art, featuring a rich cast of well-known literary and theatrical figures from a golden era--New York in the 1950s. Bosworth and her soulmate, her brother, Bart Jr.--born into privilege in San Francisco as the children of famous attorney Bartley Crum and novelist Gertrude Bosworth Crum--lead charmed lives until their father's career is ruined when he defends the Hollywood Ten. The family moves to New York, where they entertain literary luminaries and the greatest artists of the day, but Bosworth's father finds it difficult to get work and his alcoholism worsens, while her mother lives in total denial. The family suffers even greater tragedy when Bart Jr. commits suicide. In the wake of her brother's death, Bosworth, a student at Sarah Lawrence, makes a life for herself in the glamorous art world of New York City. Married and divorced from an abusive husband before she's twenty, Bosworth joins the famed Actors Studio where she takes classes with Lee Strasberg alongside Marilyn Monroe, Paul Newman, and others. She works on Broadway opposite Paul Muni, Helen Hayes, and Elaine Stritch; Gore Vidal and Elia Kazan become her mentors. At the zenith of her career, about to film The Nun's Story with Audrey Hepburn, Bosworth faces a decision that will change her life forever. Full of fascinating, never-before-told tales and deep insight, The Men in My Life is a beautifully rendered and utterly engaging account by an insider who defied repressive 1950s conventions while being shaped by the notable men in her life--a story about survival, achieving your goals, and learning to love." - Publisher.. 1st. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. 8vo. Collectible.