Although readers may quibble over how "legendary" a few of these subjects are or the greatness of some of their literary portrayers, this glossy tome deserves readers' attention. Brief, punchy text is paired with arresting black-and-white photos of a melange of remarkable women, such as Frida Kahlo, Aung San Suu Kyi, Rachel Carson, Margaret Thatcher, Golda Meir, Marilyn Monroe, and Josephine Baker. The result is an unholy, but thoroughly enjoyable, jostling throng where sex symbols rub elbows with world leaders and artists spill drinks on reformers.

Alma Guillermoprieto emblazons the later years of mercurial modern dance pioneer Martha Graham's life. Once a dance student at Graham's vaunted studio, she remembers that "as Martha wove through our ranks she would snarl, and pinch and slap us, evidently enraged by our sloppy posture, our dishevelment, our general lack of presence." Camille Paglia talks of what Amelia Earhart meant to her as an American teenager in the early 1960s, railing against restrictive sex roles while "marooned in a desert of perky blondes." Cynthia Ozick takes aim at Gertrude Stein, Joan Didion at Georgia O'Keefe, and Diane Ackerman at Beryl Markham. Margeretta Mitchell recalls photographer Imogen Cunningham striding San Francisco in her beaded cap and white bangs, proclaiming by her acts "that it was possible to grow old working; to maintain interest in life; to be wholly oneself." Far from being fluff, many of these excerpts from longer writings are as provocative and engaging as the legends they embellish. --Francesca Coltrera


From Publishers Weekly
With such noted writers as Joan Didion, Mary Jo Salter, Alice Walker and Gloria Steinem, this compilation of images and words commemorating some of the world's most powerful women is invaluable. Legends: Women Who Have Changed the World Through the Eyes of Great Women Writers, edited by John Miller, celebrates eminent women like Anna Pavlova, Jane Goodall, Mother Theresa, Oprah, Frida Kahlo and Virginia Woolf from the perspectives of other women luminaries. Brief biographies of the 50 women featured are provided at the end. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


Book Description
Rendered by women artists and writers, these portraits illuminate the most influential women of our time. Liv Ullman marvels at Anne Frank's faith in the face of atrocity. Claudia Roth Pierpont explores how Virginia Woolf's atypical persona informed literature for the next hundred years. Camille Paglia champions Amelia Earhart as a pioneer who invaded the male world. The book also celebrates the fire of Angela Davis, the courage of Aung San Suu Kyi, the brains of Eleanor Roosevelt, and the brio of Ella Fitzgerald. The essays are accompanied by striking duotone photographs by such photographers as Alfred Stieglitz, Man Ray, and Cecil Beaton. Pairings include Joan Didion on Georgia O'Keeffe, Terry Tempest Williams on Rachel Carson, and Gloria Steinem on Marilyn Monroe.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

This provocative salute to both the accomplishments and imperfections of 50 courageous pioneers is a beautiful volume that spans the 20th century and all the flavors of American culture. Penned by women artists and writers influential in their own right, these intimate essays reveal both writer and subject in 50 inspired pairings. Among them, Terry Tempest Williams writes about Rachel Carson, Gloria Steinem profiles Marilyn Monroe, and Francine du Plessix Gray remembers the shy grace of Princess Diana.

Each of these personal essays is accompanied by a striking duotone photograph produced by an eminent photographer. The portraits illuminate their subjects and help to capture the rich texture of their extraordinary lives.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly