In which I learn a thing or two

Yesterday's fruitless search for the Julio Iglesias biography I misplaced turned up another book. I have not yet read it, but based on the first sentence ("I just love myself in black velvet and mink, and I know diamonds suit me") I am going to state that it is clearly the best autobiography ever written. Previously, I had given that title to "Me, Alice," by Alice Cooper, which includes sordid details of fucking jelly donuts (repeatedly)(different donuts) and then giving them to his sister.

This book is called Fire In My Blood, and rather than describe the cover, I will show it to you (see illustration):

ILLUSTRATION
Currently reading

I mean, really: You can clearly see just from that painting that the fire in her blood can be contained by no man! Or whatever! Look at her laugh--society cannot contain her and her flaming hair! Chapter one is largely devoted to the coy description of the many fabulous gifts she, Denisa, Lady Newborough, has received from great and famous men. These gifts include:

  • A "massive" gold cigarette case from Alfonso of Spain;

  • A "collection" of fox furs, from same;

  • Five hundred sheep from Sheikh ben Ghana (traded for jewels in a transaction she does not detail);

  • Jewels "brought home from Saigon," donor unrecalled, etc., etc.

I sense, even from my brief reading of this first chapter, that I can learn a lot from Denisa, Lady Newborough, who by page 6 (the second page in the book) has gotten around to mentioning a certain German F�hrer in a strictly social context. Well, I mean to say that I can learn about things other than Knotsies.

Here are a couple of highlights:

Still, [Mussolini] was fun to be with, which is more than Hitler ever was.

I have been many things, wire-walker, night club girl, nude dancer, pilot...

The only really vulgar thing in this world is to look at your money before you part with it.

Etc., etc., etc.

It is a mystery to me why this book is not listed on Goodreads. It will be up for grabs once I've finished it, so holler if you'd like it next.



Star of the day. . .Denisa, bien sur!
posted @ 12:19 p.m. on December 10, 2008 before | after

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She lay awake all night,

zzzzzzzzzzz......