Can anyone recommend which Jayne books/biographies to start with to learn more about her? Would Raymond Strait's book be a good place to start? He seems to talk very fondly of her in documentaries I've seen on Jayne. I've been a fan of hers for years but now is the time for me to read what people have written about her. Last thing I want to do is read a book about her life that is full of written inconsistencies. Ok, lies on behalf of the author!
shareI would recommend PINK GODDESS by Michael Feeney Callahan. It's excellent with some great photos. I wouldn't start with Ray Strait's. Ray has gone on record saying he embellished a few things to make the book more scandalous. They're good fun...but probably about 60% accurate.
http://www.amazon.com/Pink-Goddess-Jayne-Mansfield-Story/dp/0863791646
Dammit Carol Sue, where is the vodka?!
While there are probably more thorough studies of Mansfield's life that have come since, Martha Saxton's Jayne Mansfield and the American Fifties (1975), is definitely an interesting read, particularly as an overview and study of her status as a pop culture icon. Again, if your looking for a literal biography, this may not be the book for you, but Saxton comes to some very interesting conclusions. Its just a great evaluation of her career as a "blonde bombshell" and her ultimate demise. At one point she assesses her relevance within the context of the public lives of Emma Goldman and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, which isn't something you read every day, lol.
shareThe Saxton book was written at the height of the Gloria Steinem movement. So there's a lot of women's lib type things in that book.
Dammit Carol Sue, where is the vodka?!
The writing itself is beautiful, at times almost poetic. But, it does come off as somewhat lacking in terms of the details of Jayne's life. At times it seems less about her than it is about what she represented. Its a fun read, but I don't doubt that there are more substantive pieces that have come since; although I appreciated how Saxton repositioned her as an empowered figure as opposed to an outright victim who couldn't think for herself.
shareI actually found Saxton to be very sarcastic towards Jayne and especially Jayne's parents.
Dammit Carol Sue, where is the vodka?!
I'll have to reread it, its been a while, and it was the first biography of Mansfield I had read, so my opinion may have been biased from the start.
shareThe May Mann book is a fun read...now, there's a lot of afterlife stuff in it...if you can get past that you'll enjoy it.
Dammit Carol Sue, where is the vodka?!