Patricia Bosworth's THE MEN IN MY LIFE: Light Across the Water

Almost all good things that have come to me in my life were produced by my walking up to someone and confessing admiration or asking for help. This happened in 2004, when I saw Molly Haskell in Gracious Foods, and we quickly became friends. Molly's husband, the film critic Andrew Sarris, and I shared a birthday--Halloween--and in 2006, Molly wanted to host a joint birthday party. She asked what I wanted for my birthday.

I told her I wanted Patricia Bosworth, and Molly produced her for me that evening.

Why? 

Through the years, as I worked on my memoir about meeting Tennessee Williams, as well as my memoir about growing up and finding release from abuse in imagination and what Tennessee called bright and beautiful words thrown in the sky, I had been inspired to return to the blank page by the feats of Bosworth, particularly her biography of Diane Arbus, and her devastating, succinct, and perfect memoir Anything Your Little Heart Desires, which will leave you changed in various and unique ways.

Over the years, Patti opened her apartment and her heart to me, feeding me in various ways, and introducing me to people who continued to help me as a writer, as a friend. I'm thinking right now of Norris Mailer, who decided to love me because both Patti Bosworth and David Ebershoff said it was safe.

And now Bosworth has written a new memoir--The Men in My Life--and the hallmarks of her work  are fully on display: pure honesty; clarity of tone; fearlessness in telling the story of her life at a time in New York that is magical to many of us.

I cannot be objective about Patricia Bosworth. We've been through too much and known too many of the same people. But I can tell you that her books--all of her books--are necessary for those who love acting and actors; life and living.

I am grateful to her for this memoir, and for being a light across the water for so long.

The Men in My Life (HarperCollins) is now available as an audio book as well, so it travels well.