Editorial Content for Her Again: Becoming Meryl Streep
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
New Yorker contributor Michael Schulman takes readers on a journey through a decade that shaped Meryl Streep's career: the beginning of the ’70s when she graduated from high school, where she was the homecoming queen; to her enrollment at the Yale School of Drama, where she survived four years of grueling training; to the beginning of the ’80s at the Academy Awards when she won her first Oscar. (As of the printing of this book, she has been nominated for 19 Oscars and won three.) In just 10 short years, Streep went from just another unknown actress to a force to be reckoned with.
"Schulman clearly did his homework. Twenty-four pages of 'Notes' are included at the end of the book showing the research done to make the contents authentic..."
Streep starred in three major films during that time period --- The Deer Hunter, Manhattan and Kramer vs. Kramer --- in addition to the dozens of productions she was cast in that included Shakespeare, comedy, drama, live theater and movies. She was exposed to the idea of "method acting" at the Yale School of Drama, but prefers drawing from her own life experiences and observations, and using her imagination to immerse herself in her roles.
In addition to making a name for herself as an actress during this decade, Streep also suffered a major loss when the first love of her life, John Cazale, died of lung cancer. A few months later, she married the second love of her life, Don Gummer, a man to whom she is still devoted.
Schulman clearly did his homework. Twenty-four pages of "Notes" are included at the end of the book showing the research done to make the contents authentic, which enables him to give readers insight into what makes Streep tick. But the book is not written as an academic thesis; rather, he writes with a lively style that is easy to read. In fact, the story almost reads like a novel instead of a biography.
My only complaint is the lack of pictures; only eight pages are devoted to them. While I realize that the focus of the book is on one decade, I think more photos could have been included from that time period. I, for one, would have enjoyed seeing more of them.
I have long been a fan of Meryl Streep, who I think is an incredible actress. By reading HER AGAIN, I learned that she is accomplished in many pursuits: She can sing, dance, paint, cook, knit, write, play the guitar, do perfect voice imitations, and even do gymnastics. And, oh yeah, she can act. Boy, can she act!
Teaser
In HER AGAIN, an intimate look at the artistic coming-of-age of the greatest actress of her generation, New Yorker contributor Michael Schulman brings into focus Meryl Streep’s heady rise to stardom on the New York stage; her passionate, tragically short-lived love affair with fellow actor John Cazale; her marriage to sculptor Don Gummer; and her evolution as a young woman of the 1970s wrestling with changing ideas of feminism, marriage, love and sacrifice.
Promo
In HER AGAIN, an intimate look at the artistic coming-of-age of the greatest actress of her generation, New Yorker contributor Michael Schulman brings into focus Meryl Streep’s heady rise to stardom on the New York stage; her passionate, tragically short-lived love affair with fellow actor John Cazale; her marriage to sculptor Don Gummer; and her evolution as a young woman of the 1970s wrestling with changing ideas of feminism, marriage, love and sacrifice.
About the Book
A portrait of a woman, an era and a profession: the first thoroughly researched biography of Meryl Streep --- the “Iron Lady” of acting, nominated for 19 Oscars and winner of three --- that explores her beginnings as a young woman of the 1970s grappling with love, feminism and her astonishing talent.
In 1975 Meryl Streep, a promising young graduate of the Yale School of Drama, was finding her place in the New York theater scene. Burning with talent and ambition, she was like dozens of aspiring actors of the time --- a twenty-something beauty who rode her bike everywhere, kept a diary, napped before performances and stayed out late “talking about acting with actors in actors’ bars.” Yet Meryl stood apart from her peers. In her first season in New York, she won attention-getting parts in back-to-back Broadway plays, a Tony Award nomination and two roles in Shakespeare in the Park productions. Even then, people said, “Her. Again.”
HER AGAIN is an intimate look at the artistic coming-of-age of the greatest actress of her generation, from the homecoming float at her suburban New Jersey high school, through her early days on the stage at Vassar College and the Yale School of Drama during its golden years, to her star-making roles in The Deer Hunter, Manhattan and Kramer vs. Kramer. New Yorker contributor Michael Schulman brings into focus Meryl’s heady rise to stardom on the New York stage; her passionate, tragically short-lived love affair with fellow actor John Cazale; her marriage to sculptor Don Gummer; and her evolution as a young woman of the 1970s wrestling with changing ideas of feminism, marriage, love and sacrifice.
Featuring eight pages of black-and-white photos, this captivating story of the making of one of the most revered artistic careers of our time reveals a gifted young woman coming into her extraordinary talents at a time of immense transformation, offering a rare glimpse into the life of the actress long before she became an icon.
Audiobook available, read by Eliza Foss
