In this Book

summary
From Elizabeth Taylor, Bette Midler, and Diana Ross to Queen Elizabeth I, Julia Child, and Princess Leia, these divas have been sister, alter ego, fairy godmother, or model for survival to gay men and the closeted boys they once were. And anyone—straight or gay, young or old, male or female—who ever needed a muse, or found one, will see their own longing mirrored here as well.
    These witty and poignant short essays explore reasons for diva-worship as diverse as the writers themselves. My Diva offers both depth and glamour as it pays tribute with joy, intelligence, and fierce, fierce love.
 
 
Finalist, Lambda Book Award for LGBT Anthology, Lambda Literary Foundation

Table of Contents

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  1. Cover
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  1. Frontmatter
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  1. Contents
  2. pp. vii-xiv
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  1. Acknowledgments
  2. pp. xv-xvi
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  1. Introduction: Diva Complex
  2. pp. 3-10
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  1. Sappho (630 BC): Love, I Implore You in Polyester Lapels
  2. pp. 11-14
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  1. Queen Elizabeth I (1533): Heart of a King
  2. pp. 15-18
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  1. Virginia Woolf (1882): This Perpetual Revision of Thought
  2. pp. 19-23
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  1. Margaret Dumont (1882): Duchess of Dignity
  2. pp. 24-27
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  1. Bessie Smith (1892): Empty Bed Blues
  2. pp. 28-32
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  1. Claude Cahun (1894): Masks, Makeup, Meaning
  2. pp. 33-36
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  1. Gracie Allen (1895): Comic Muse
  2. pp. 37-39
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  1. Lotte Lenya (1898): Divine Weltschmerz
  2. pp. 40-42
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  1. Gloria Swanson (1899): Sunset Boulevard
  2. pp. 43-46
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  1. Marlene Dietrich (1901): Falling in Love Again
  2. pp. 47-50
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  1. Joan Crawford (1905) versus Bette Davis (1908): “But ya AHHH, Blanche!”
  2. pp. 51-54
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  1. Lucille Ball (1911): Flaming Redhead
  2. pp. 55-58
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  1. Mahalia Jackson (1911): Divine One
  2. pp. 59-61
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  1. Julia Child (1912): Life’s Ingredients
  2. pp. 62-64
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  1. Billie Holiday (1915): Lady Day
  2. pp. 65-68
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  1. Edith Piaf (1915): A Share of Pain
  2. pp. 69-72
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  1. Evita Per
  2. pp. 73-75
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  1. Grace Paley (1922): O Stone! O Steel!
  2. pp. 76-79
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  1. Ava Gardner (1922): Small-Town Girl
  2. pp. 80-84
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  1. Aurora de Albornoz (1926): T
  2. pp. 85-90
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  1. Joan Sutherland (1926): Dame Joan and I
  2. pp. 91-93
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  1. Eartha Kitt (1927): Purrrfectly Detached
  2. pp. 94-98
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  1. Betty Berzon (1928): Dinners with the Diminutive Diva
  2. pp. 99-102
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  1. Jeanne Moreau (1928): Living Dangerously with Jeanne
  2. pp. 103-106
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  1. Jennifer Paterson [“Two Fat Ladies”] (1928): Cocktails with Jennifer
  2. pp. 107-110
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  1. Audrey Hepburn (1929): Adoration and the Icon
  2. pp. 111-115
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  1. Ms. Kiki Durane (Depression Era): Her Sound and Fury
  2. pp. 116-118
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  1. Elizabeth Taylor (1932): The
  2. pp. 119-124
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  1. Anna Moffo (1932): Her Funeral
  2. pp. 125-130
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  1. Nina Simone (1933): I Got It Bad for Bangles and Diamonds
  2. pp. 131-133
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  1. Julie Andrews (1935): My First Maria
  2. pp. 134-138
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  1. Tina Turner (1939): Tina and I
  2. pp. 139-142
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  1. Karen Black (1939): Diva of the Deranged
  2. pp. 143-146
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  1. Raquel Welch (1940): As My Mother
  2. pp. 147-151
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  1. Julie Christie (1941): The Cocteau Girl
  2. pp. 152-154
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  1. Helen Reddy (1941): Before Anarchy
  2. pp. 155-159
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  1. Wonder Woman (1941): Exploring the Amazon
  2. pp. 160-166
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  1. Diana Ross (1944): How to Reign Supreme
  2. pp. 167-171
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  1. Roc
  2. pp. 172-175
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  1. Bette Midler (1945): First Loves
  2. pp. 176-179
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  1. Jessye Norman (1945): Als Ob Ich S
  2. pp. 180-182
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  1. Liza Minnelli (1946): Everybody Loves a Winner
  2. pp. 183-187
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  1. Cher (1946): History (1987–2000)
  2. pp. 188-192
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  1. Laura Nyro (1947): All She Asked of Living
  2. pp. 193-196
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  1. Stevie Nicks (1948): “And Wouldn’t You Love to Love Her?”
  2. pp. 197-202
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  1. Jessica Lange (1949): Isn’t It a Laugh?
  2. pp. 203-207
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  1. Patti LuPone (1949): Patti’s Turn, In the Key of Diva
  2. pp. 208-213
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  1. Wendy Waldman (1950): Seeds and Orphans
  2. pp. 214-217
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  1. Cyndi Lauper (1953): The Sadness in Her Rasp
  2. pp. 218-221
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  1. Rickie Lee Jones (1954): The Duchess of Coolsville
  2. pp. 222-224
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  1. Annie Lennox (1954): Desire, Despair, Desire
  2. pp. 225-228
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  1. Siouxsie Sioux (1957): Black Eyeliner and Dark Dreams
  2. pp. 229-233
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  1. Auntie Mame (1958): “I’m Going to Open Doors for You, Doors You Never Even Dreamed Existed”
  2. pp. 234-238
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  1. Kate Bush (1958): The Invisible Diva
  2. pp. 239-242
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  1. Jamie Lee Curtis (1958): When the Artist Met His Muse
  2. pp. 243-247
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  1. Sade (1959): The Other Material Girl
  2. pp. 248-251
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  1. Taylor Dayne (1962): “Tell It to My Heart”
  2. pp. 252-254
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  1. Endora [“Bewitched”] (1964): Afternoons as Endora
  2. pp. 255-257
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  1. Bj
  2. pp. 258-261
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  1. Kristin Hersh (1966): “Is Sticky Ever Blue?”
  2. pp. 262-266
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  1. C
  2. pp. 267-270
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  1. Parker Posey (1968): A Pocket Full of Posey
  2. pp. 271-275
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  1. Margaret Cho (1968): How to Break Every Oriental Stereotype in the Book
  2. pp. 276-280
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  1. Mary J. Blige (1971): I Take Shallowness Seriously
  2. pp. 281-284
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  1. Princess Leia (1977): Leia’s Kiss
  2. pp. 285-288
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  1. Contributors
  2. pp. 289-304
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