Queen Meryl: The Iconic Roles, Heroic Deeds, and Legendary Life of Meryl Streep

Description

Meryl Streep is the most celebrated actress of our time. She's a chameleon who disappears fully into each character she plays. She never tackles the same role twice. Instead, she leverages her rarified platform to channel a range of tough, complicated women--Margaret Thatcher, Karen Silkwood, the Anna Wintour avatar Miranda Priestly--rather than limit herself to marginal roles for which other actresses must settle: Supportive Wife. Supportive Mother. Supportive Yet Utterly Disposable Love Interest to the Leading Man. Streep will have none of that. The once-awkward, frizzy-haired suburban teen blossomed into a rising ingenue who quickly made a name on stage at Vassar College and the Yale School of Drama, where she pursued prestigious theater degrees. She came of age during the women's movement of the Sixties and Seventies, and has worn her activism on her sleeve even when it was unfashionable. When she reached 40, the age when many leading ladies in Hollywood fully transition to those "supportive" roles, Streep plunged forward, taking her pick of parts that interested her and winning a pile of awards along the way. She's broken records with 21 Oscar nominations, winning Best Actress twice for SOPHIE'S CHOICE and THE IRON LADY and Best Supporting Actress for KRAMER VS. KRAMER. Meanwhile, she remained an unlikely box-office draw, her clout even managing to grow with age: THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, starring Streep as a brilliant and sadistic magazine editrix, scored $125 million worldwide. Her next film, MARY POPPINS RETURNS, with Emily Blunt and Lin Manuel Miranda, is poised for bigger success. QUEEN MERYL will pay tribute to the fearless icon, documenting all of her accents, Oscars, highs, lows, friendships, and feuds. It will also explore her "off-brand" forays into action-adventure (THE RIVER WILD) and musicals (MAMMA MIA!), and how she managed to do a lot with a little, and sneak her feminism into each character. In the spirit of NOTORIOUS RBG and THE TAO OF BILL MURRAY, two bestsellers as nontraditional as Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Bill Murray, QUEEN MERYL will transmit joy in homage to its allegedly serious subject.

Erin Carlson is the author of I'll Have What She's Having: How Nora Ephron's Three Iconic Films Saved the Romantic Comedy and has covered the entertainment industry for The Hollywood Reporter and the Associated Press. Her work has appeared in Glamour, Fortune, and the Los Angeles Times, and she holds a masters in journalism from Northwestern.

A vibrant celebration of one of Hollywood's most iconic figures.--Bustle.com All hail!--People, Best New Books of the Week An enthusiastic homage to a legend.--Kirkus Review An utterly compelling ride through the rise of one of our most beloved and impactful artists. Carlson deftly dissects the evolution of a self-made icon, and the fascinating stories behind her many, many unforgettable roles. This is a book for film aficionados, Hollywood history fans, and anyone who's ever wondered how Meryl Streep came to be Meryl F*cking Streep.--Kelsey Miller, author of I'll Be There for You: TheOne About Friends Erin Carlson sheds a new light on one of the most beloved actresses of our times. As she charts Meryl's career and personal life, Carlson manages to make her seem not just regal, but deeply human. Readers will come away with a new appreciation for Queen Meryl and a desire to revisit so many of her greatest roles.--Jennifer Wright, author of It Ended Badly Fans should be delighted by the juicy details of life on various sets andtales of Streep's good-humored devotion to her craft.--Booklist Generously supplemented with gossipy sidebars and lists and with fashion magazine-like brush-and-ink drawings, Carlson's latest will be embraced by Streep-struck fans.--Publishers Weekly The world doesn't deserve Meryl Streep -- luckily, she graces us with her talents anyway. Erin Carlson's delightful book captures the inexorable rise of a benevolent genius. Long live the queen!--Gavin Edwards, New York Times bestsellingauthor of The Tao of Bill Murray With great research and enthusiasm, Carlson writes of Streep's trailblazing roles, activism and impact on pop culture. If you're a fan, you'll want to add this to your pile.--Huffington Post, Books to Read This Fall You absolutely must read [this] homage to another female force to be reckoned with.--Women.com, Books of the Month