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Desperately Seeking Something: A Memoir About Movies, Mothers, and Material Girls Kindle Edition
The funny and insightful first-person story of the trailblazing movie director of the 80s and 90s whose fearless punk drama, “Smithereens” became the first American indie film to compete at Cannes, and smash hit "Desperately Seeking Susan" led to a four-decade career in film.
Starting out in the mid-70s, a time when few women were directing movies, Susan was determined to become a filmmaker. She longed to tell stories about the unrepresented characters she wanted to see on screen: unconventional women in unusual circumstances, needing to express themselves and maintain their autonomy.
Her genre-blending films reflect a passion for classic Hollywood storytelling, mixed with a playful New Wave spirit, informed by her years living in downtown NYC.
Seidelman continued to shape American pop culture well into the nineties, directing the pilot of the iconic TV series “Sex And The City,” focusing her sharp lens on the changing place of women in American society and helping to fundamentally reshape our self-image in ways that are still felt today.
BOOK DETAILS:
Raised in the safe cocoon of 1960s suburbia, Susan Seidelman wasn’t a misfit, an oddball, or an outlier. She was a “good-girl” with a little bit of “bad” hidden inside. A restless teenager, she dreamed of escape and reinvention, a theme that would play out in her films as well as in her own life. Because she loved stories, a high school guidance counselor suggested she become a librarian, but she had her sights set further afield. In 1973, she left the Philly suburbs, enrolled at NYU’s burgeoning graduate film school and moved to NYC’s Lower East Side. There, she found herself in the right place at the right time. New York City was falling apart, but out of that chaos came a burst of creative energy whose effects are still felt in American pop culture today. Downtown became a vibrant playground where film, music, performance and graffiti art cross-pollinated and where Seidelman chronicled the lives of the colorful misfits, oddballs, dreamers and schemers she met there.
It’s all in DESPERATELY SEEKING SOMETHING. Seidelman not only has a keen perspective on the times she’s lived through -- from her Twiggy-obsessed girlhood, through the Women’s Lib movement of the early 70s, the punk scene of the late 70s, Madonna-mania of the 80s, to the dot-com “greed is good” 90s, and beyond--she tells great stories.
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherSt. Martin's Press
- Publication dateJune 18, 2024
- File size45.2 MB
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Interwoven with fascinating behind-the-scenes detail, Seidelman vividly traces the evolution of her artistic vision, combining the strong, feisty heroines of classic screwball comedies with the playful, postmodern spirit of New Wave film. It’s an enthralling look at a trailblazing filmmaker’s perseverance and vision." - Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Seidelman offers a revealing peek into her four-decade career in Hollywood. The author delivers an unguarded portrait of her life, telling it her way. Seidelman’s films have always reflected her hopes for a more just society and a world that allows women to tell their stories; her book also demonstrates those themes." - Kirkus
"Susan Seidelman has directed and created some of the most iconic and audacious characters of our time―her new book is a dazzling encapsulation of them and of her life’s work. Part time capsule and part memoir―her gritty “I’ll show you” determination will inspire any woman who wants to make her mark on the world. 'Desperately Seeking Something' is a super-relatable, unputdownable tour de force. I just love this book!"--Marisa Acocella, New York Times bestselling author of CANCER VIXEN
"Susan Seidleman has long held my awe as a brilliant filmmaker. Now she's won my admiration as a superb memoirist by taking me in her footsteps and through her eyes into shared territories; 50s childhood, 60s mod girlhood, DIY punk culture, the earliest wild west days of American indie film, her riveting path through the ups and downs of this profession behind the camera, and her honest reveal of the struggle women artists face when balancing commitment to their work and to their families while still having fun with it all. This is the book we've been desperately seeking; you'll find bits of yourself in her exhilarating journey." - Allison Anders, filmmaker
"Susan Seidelman's riveting memoir is like one of her films ― engrossingly quirky, broadly entertaining, an invaluable document of an era in filmmaking, and frequently totally surprising. What a joy when one of your favorite filmmakers writes one of your new favorite books."–Matthew Rettemund, Encyclopedia Madonnica
About the Author
Product details
- ASIN : B0CG4M4P5K
- Publisher : St. Martin's Press (June 18, 2024)
- Publication date : June 18, 2024
- Language : English
- File size : 45.2 MB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 350 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #874,055 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #221 in Movie & Video Direction & Production
- #468 in Movie Director Biographies
- #845 in Video Direction & Production (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book an enjoyable read with a compelling story. They describe the author as honest, insightful, and thoughtful. The book provides a rare behind-the-scenes view of launching a career.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book a fun and insightful read. They say it's a must-read for independent film lovers.
"...No ghost writer here. Susan's voice comes through like a bell, at once funny and brutally honest, optimistic and ever-curious, and a helluva lot of..." Read more
"...Still, a really fun fascinating book that is a fast easy read. I HIGHLY recommend." Read more
"...enveloped with a warmth that radiates throughout the pages of this funny, honest, and insightful biography by film director Susan Seidelman...." Read more
"...This book is a must read." Read more
Customers find the story engaging and poignant. They appreciate the author's storytelling style and her life journey from childhood in Philadelphia to Hollywood. The book is described as a great memoir with whimsical anecdotes.
"...Top marks for a genuinely enjoyable and inspirational memoir from one of the great American independent filmmakers - JM" Read more
"...I love this quirky story! But let's face it, it isn't this famous without Madonna's participation and her great role...." Read more
"...Written entirely by Susan Seidelman, she takes the reader through her amazing life journey from childhood in Philadelphia to success in New York to..." Read more
"I loved every chapter of Desperately Seeking Something, Seidelman’s beautifully written memoir, and I learned a lot about the art and business of..." Read more
Customers appreciate the author's honesty. They find it humorous and insightful, offering a rare behind-the-scenes view of launching a career. The book is described as poignant, compelling, and whimsical.
"...Susan's voice comes through like a bell, at once funny and brutally honest, optimistic and ever-curious, and a helluva lot of fun to spend a couple..." Read more
"...with a warmth that radiates throughout the pages of this funny, honest, and insightful biography by film director Susan Seidelman...." Read more
"...It is poignant, compelling, and sprinkling with whimsical anecdotes just as her movies are...." Read more
"...This book sparkles with Seidelman’s wit and insights, her stick-to-it-ive-ness, the risks she takes, and her grit as an independent auteur...." Read more
Reviews with images
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A GREAT read about a groundbreaking filmaker!
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2024I knew I would like this book; I didn't expect that I would like it this much. As a lover of the American independent film of the 1980s, "Desperately Seeking Something" captures the energy, vitality, and joy of a movement in which Susan Seidelman was very much at the center.
Few may remember how "Smithereens" was like this gleeful punch in the eye to a studio system, landing itself in competition at Cannes alongside work by Herzog, Wenders, Antonioni, and the Tavianis. The little punk-tinged locomotive train from hell that could.
Following up with a hit like "Desperately Seeking Susan" was almost like taking a crowbar to the gates of Hollywood, declaring that independent film could be independent and a genuine box office hit at the same time. The film was certainly a breakthrough for Seidelman, but it also felt like a breakthrough for independent filmmakers in general.
I had the pleasure of working with Susan later in her career, and "Desperately Seeking Something" reminded me why I was so drawn to her as a filmmaker and an individual. As she walks us through the highs and challenges of her career, I am reminded of the quiet determination, thoughtful questioning, and unwavering focus she brought to underrated beauties like "A Cooler Climate," "Cookie," "Making Mr. Right," and, yep, the pilot episode of "Sex in the City."
In the end, all of Susan's films share a common theme: women carving a unique space for themselves outside of society's expectations. And to me, it kind of encapsulates what Susan's career is all about.
There is no question that this was a self-penned book. No ghost writer here. Susan's voice comes through like a bell, at once funny and brutally honest, optimistic and ever-curious, and a helluva lot of fun to spend a couple of days with. I learned a lot about Susan I didn't know, including how freaking tough it was to break into the "Hollywood Boy's Club" and to remain relatively unscathed with your humor still intake.
Top marks for a genuinely enjoyable and inspirational memoir from one of the great American independent filmmakers - JM
- Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2024You like movies? Like movies of the 80s/90s? Stop what you are doing and buy this book particularly if you have seen and like "Desperately Seeking Susan" or Madonna. After a typical but interesting buildup underachieving while growing up in Philadelphia, Susan enters the world of movies in NYC at Film School. That doesn't mean that much as it's still a difficult profession. But she picks out a unique story as her film project that amazingly makes it to a major film festival and now she's "hot" and financiers want her to make movies, every student film school participants dream. Finding the "Desperately Seeking Susan" story still doesn't lead to a success but finding an unknown singer right before she get's HOT, Hot like one of the top 3 stars in the WORLD, does improve your odds. I love this quirky story! But let's face it, it isn't this famous without Madonna's participation and her great role. She's "world famous" but not yet spoiled and has a great relationship with the author and while this is the majority of the book it's just a fun read.
But there is more: she has to lead a life, have kids and unfortunately select other movies to make and not all catch lightening in a bottle like her 1st two. Still, a really fun fascinating book that is a fast easy read. I HIGHLY recommend.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2024Whenever I start reading a book, I remove the dust cover. With "Desperately Seeking Something," I was immediately enveloped with a warmth that radiates throughout the pages of this funny, honest, and insightful biography by film director Susan Seidelman.
To enhance the experience, I asked Alexa to play the music corresponding to each chapter title, starting with "Season of the Witch" by Donovan to "Both Sides Now" by Joni Mitchell.
With the music playing softly in the background, I devoured the book, often pondering how optimism, whether from nature or nurture, is truly a gift.
As I read, I found many connections, especially when the book focused on Soho and the Lower East Side during the seventies and eighties. You don’t need to be a former NYC film student or industry member to enjoy this book, but if you were, certain chapters will transport you back to the empty, cobblestoned warehouse streets of Soho, cavernous artist lofts, the Carnegie Hall Cinema, and Bleecker Street Cinema where I saw countless films. The clubs, including the 21st Street Danceteria where I cleaned kitchen grease but also got to play in the video lounge, and stores like Love Saves The Day, which I frequently visited, especially after (or before) enjoying apple pancakes at Kiev or catching a movie at the St. Marks Cinema. The Brill Building, which I visited often while working at a 49th Street editing suite from 1984-88, also features prominently, and mutual friends throughout.
"Desperately Seeking Something" offers much more, particularly in illustrating Seidelman’s ability to succeed in a traditionally misogynistic industry while maintaining close bonds with family and friends.
The passage of time, filled with its ups and downs, is portrayed with an optimism that can only be described as glowing with the golden and amber hues of sunshine.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2024Seidelman's least-popular box-office failure of a film, Making Mister Right, is one of my favorite movies (partially due to the excellent cast), although I've not followed her career closely. Her films tend to be lighter, amusing, with the slightest brush of feminist gloss. Her memoir is much the same way. I greatly enjoyed reading it, though I'm unsure whether it would hold up as an historical biography for a reader who has not been familiar with her movies.
Top reviews from other countries
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Paloma BolligReviewed in Germany on August 19, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Memoir at its best !
Lesen - lesen - lesen !
- Anonymous....................Reviewed in Australia on August 29, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Its mindblowingly good
I am still reading and I love it!