The wall of life Pictures and stories from this marvelous lifetime

A worldly life journey candidly reflected in photos and captions. Throughout her illustrious career, from her 1950s star-making Broadway debut as an understudy inPajama Game to leading roles in acclaimed films likeSome Came Running andThe Apartment, Shirley MacLaine has diligently chronicled her life's journey. Her bestselling memoirs, beginning withDon't Fall Off the Mountain (1970) and includingOut on a Limb (1983), have documented her professional ascent and approach to living a fully independent, well-traveled life as a modern woman. Now in her 90s, MacLaine revisits her experiences through a collection of personal photographs and extended captions, serving as a visual narrative thread. In mostly laudatory terms, her memoir showcases MacLaine's connections with luminaries from various spheres of her personal, political, spiritual, and show business life. Such reflections include her long, unconventional marriage to businessman Steve Parker, her Rat Pack associations (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr.), and her encounters with U.S. presidents and controversial political figures like Nikita Khrushchev and Fidel Castro. Of the latter, she notes, "Castro and I had two days together. He was open, funny, and curious, especially about the Kennedys, and did not come on to me as Barbara Walters suggested he would." On the flip side, MacLaine occasionally dishes a few subtle asides: Jerry Lewis was "overpowering and controlling, and I didn't think he was funny," director Herbert Ross "was an arrogant guy, very full of himself," and of herTerms of Endearment co-star she simply comments, "I did not enjoy Debra Winger." MacLaine's images and captions cumulatively reflect an enviable, well-lived existence, offering glimpses into her world travels, family, friends, and various love affairs. An engaging but lightly written exploration, the scant narrative may appeal primarily to her devoted fans. A glossy retrospective of MacLaine's remarkable life and career, visually captivating yet offering more breadth than depth. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Introduction About forty-­five years ago, I put ten or so framed photographs of friends and family and people I've worked with all grouped together on a living room wall in my Malibu home. Everyone who came over loved to look at this montage, and so the "Wall of Life" was born. Over time, I added more until there were scores and scores of images pretty much covering the space, similar to the collection of photographs on the first and last few pages of this book. I even created a Wall of Life at my ranch in the New Mexico mountains and, until fairly recently, there was also a giant one at my home of almost twenty years in Santa Fe. But this collection really wasn't about me as much as it was about all the people around me. In this magical and enchanting life of mine, I've known so many women and men who were interesting--­extraordinary, really--and whom I was truly fond of and lucky to know. This wall helps me to remember them and respect them and keep them a part of my life. And there are photographs of people and friends from not only film and television but dance and theater, as well as government and politics, my spiritual journey, and, of course, my family. This is really the only book I've written that includes all the different worlds I've traveled through and been so fascinated by. Today, I am still shocked and surprised when, after looking at the wall, my memories surface and I realize who is still with me and who is not. The Wall of Life has been a stage for asking questions, and not just for visitors to ask me things, but for me to ask myself to get at a deeper truth, and to ask my visitors to understand them more. I've been reminded that I'm not someone who eagerly engages in small talk and I am known to ask some rather probing questions. Most of the time people are fine with it, and these questions somehow help me know the human race better and understand what is wrong with us. Or what is right with us. Or what is still unknown about who we are. Human identity and human nature are what I love to study, and if nothing else, I want to be remembered for my curiosity and trying to see and know as much as possible. I worry, though, that I haven't done enough, documented enough, or asked enough questions, so for now, I continue to add and subtract pictures on the Wall of Life--it's still an ongoing project. Excerpted from The Wall of Life: Pictures and Stories from This Marvelous Lifetime by Shirley MacLaine All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.