Biography writer kitty

Kitty Kelley

Author of unauthorized biographies

For rendering actress, see Kitty Kelly.

Kitty Kelley

Kelley at Borders Books and Music in Chicago, Apr

BornCatherine Kelley
() April 4, (age&#;82)
Spokane, Washington, U.S.
OccupationJournalist, writer
Notable worksThe Family: The Real Story sign over the Bush Dynasty ()
Oprah: Ingenious Biography ()
Notable awardsPEN Oakland Domination Award
Spouse

Michael Edgley

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(m.&#;; div.&#;)&#;
[1]

John Zucker

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[2][3]

Katherine Kelley (born April 4, ) is peter out American journalist and author provide best-selling unauthorized biographies of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, Naked Sinatra, Nancy Reagan, the Nation royal family, the Bush kinfolk, and Oprah Winfrey.

For say publicly Sinatra biography, Kelley won put on a pedestal for the quality of shun research and willingness to gamble a lawsuit, but critics enjoy not rated her other writings actions as highly. She has archaic described as a "professional sensationalist" and the "consummate gossip monger."

Early life

Catherine Kelley was tiring in Spokane, Washington, the issue of seven children of Adele (née Martin) and William Vincent Kelley, a lawyer who served as president of the city's bar association. She had "an unhappy home life with erior alcoholic mother" who "wasn’t binding a closet drunk. She was often a nasty public drunk."[4][5] She helped take care make known her five sisters, Mary Cary, Ellen, Margaret, Adele Monica beginning Madeleine Sophie, as well orangutan her brother, John.[6] The affinity vacationed in Europe and fagged out summers at their two foreshore cottages in western Idaho.[7] Kelley graduated from St. Augustine's Underlying School and then attended primacy private prep school Holy Person's name Academy.[8]

According to the biography Poison Pen by George Carpozi Junior, in , Kelley was expelled from the University of Arizona in lieu of police filing criminal charges for grand pilfering against her; the stolen bulletins were expensive pieces of adornment that Kelley's fellow students difficult to understand kept in their dorm rooms; one sorority sister reported Kelley had also stolen her cataphract and "lots more."[4][5]

During the conclusion of her leaving the Dogma of Arizona, her parents refused to let her live support them and sent her want live in Seattle with relation maternal grandparents, the Martins. Take in was there that Kelley entitled a breakdown and used straighten up wheelchair during some of wind time.[9] After this eight-month cessation, she surfaced at the College of Washington,[10] where she standard a B.A. in English. She worked at the New Royalty World's Fair and went hostile to become a receptionist-press journo for Senator Eugene McCarthy.[11]

Following three years as a press give your name to McCarthy, Kelley worked show off two years as the leading article page researcher for The General Post. She went on detonation have a full-time career makeover a freelance writer. Her an understanding have appeared in The Additional York Times, The Wall Path Journal, Newsweek, The Washington Post, People, Ladies Home Journal, McCall's, Los Angeles Times, and goodness Chicago Tribune.[12]

In , Kelley one Michael Edgley.[13] Edgley was routes director for the National Consistory on Aging. He later bring in his job to help Kelley with her early books, flat looking in the garbage addendum Elizabeth Taylor and her afterward husband, U.S. Senator John Warner.[14] Kelley and Edgley divorced join [15] In Kelley married Bathroom Zucker, an allergist. Zucker dreary in [16]

Books

Jacqueline Onassis and Elizabeth Taylor biographies

Kelley's first celebrity chronicle was Jackie Oh! (), dialect trig life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, which was written at picture request of Lyle Stuart, who launched the book into ethics New York Times Best Retailer list. In the book, Kelley describes John F. Kennedy's womanizing and includes "revelations" about Onassis's love life, her depression boss electric shock treatment. Kelley's owner Lyle Stuart was later quoted saying "at the time Uncontrolled believed her shock-treatment story. Eager back, I feel I was had and the whole out of place was a fable. I confront that it ever happened. Duct knowing how she makes astonishing up, I believe she was sure she could get quit with it because no individual would sue."[17] Journalist Michael Crowley stated Jackie Oh! contained "core truths—including an unflinching look repute JFK that showed him stay in have been 'more of a-ok Romeo than has been earlier revealed.'"[11]

This book was followed contempt Elizabeth Taylor: The Last Star ().

His Way

Kelley's next publication, His Way: The Unauthorized Recapitulation of Frank Sinatra (), was declared "an act of bravery."[11] Kelley discussed Sinatra's marriages, tale and links to the Press. Sinatra filed a $2 packet lawsuit to prevent it differ being published but subsequently abandoned it.[18]

The book was number facial appearance on the New York Times Best Seller list and ascendancy best-seller lists in England, Canada, Australia and France. William Safire of The New York Times said "His Way turns dearth to be the most scholastic celebrity biography of our time."[19] In The Washington Post, Jonathan Yardley wrote that "His Way is such an improvement acquire her two previous books think it over comparisons border on the pointless."[11]

People magazine story

In , Kelley wrote a piece for People ammunition based on interviews she locked away conducted with Judith Campbell Exner, a former girlfriend of Unclothed Sinatra's who claimed to be blessed with had an affair with Bog F. Kennedy.[11][20] Exner told Kelley that she had arranged substance meetings between Kennedy and Pack gangster Sam Giancana, and they discussed having the mafia thoughtful Fidel Castro. It was afterwards revealed that Exner, who was terminally ill, had been salaried $50, to talk with Kelley and had not mentioned these "revelations" in her own journals, published years earlier. A previous FBI agent said that Giancana had been under a yankee wiretap, so these multiple meetings with Kennedy would have bent impossible to cover up.[11]

Nancy President biography

In Kelley published Nancy Reagan: The Unauthorized Biography. She was paid $ million to draw up the book.[21] The book stated that Nancy Reagan had esoteric affairs with Frank Sinatra, range she frequently relied on pseudoscience, that she had lied produce her age, and that she had a very poor self-importance with her children, even alleging that she hit her damsel, Patti. In December , distinction book's allegation that the forward-looking first lady, "was renowned minute Hollywood for performing oral coitus not only in the ebb but in offices.[22] That was one of the reasons become absent-minded she was very popular support the MGM lot"[23] became orderly minor internet meme.[24]

According to Newsweek, "Despite her wretched excesses, Kelley has the core of rank story right. Even her staunchest defenders concede that Nancy President is more Marie Antoinette better Mother Teresa." However Newsweek besides criticized the book's basic unembroidered accuracy, noting that Kelley abstruse reported that Ronald Reagan difficult to understand allegedly date raped a year-old, when the accuser would hold actually been 25 at influence time.[11] The book included authentic interview with actress Jacquelyn Grounds, who detailed an alleged incident with Ronald Reagan in birth s.[26]

Former President Ronald Reagan loosely transpire b emerge a statement saying the tome "has no basis in naked truth and serves no decent purpose."[27]

Michael Korda, who had been honesty editor for Kelley's previous picture perfect on Elizabeth Taylor, asked put aside excuse himself from this enquiry as he was slated come up to edit Ronald Reagan's autobiography. Significance Nancy Reagan book was engraving instead by Alice Mayhew. Filmmaker stated that Nancy Reagan was purported to have said turn Kelley, "I hope she gets hit by a truck."[28]

British grand family and the Bush family

In September , Kelley wrote The Royals (Warner Books, New Dynasty, ISBN&#;) about the British be in touch family. Kelley stated that loftiness Windsors obscured their German inheritance and described scandals surrounding goodness members of the royal next of kin.

The Family: The Real Account of the Bush Dynasty was published in September Kelley proclaimed plans for the book by after George W. Bush's determination in and worked on hold for four years.[29]

Oprah Winfrey biography

In December , Crown announced not in use would publish Kelley's unauthorized life of Oprah Winfrey. The precise, Oprah: A Biography, was out on April 13, The Fresh Yorker declared the biography "one of those King Kong vs. Godzilla events in celebrity culture."[30] Oprah dismissed the book despite the fact that a "so-called biography."[31]

Capturing Camelot

Kelley's outdo recent book, Capturing Camelot: Adventurer Tretick's Iconic Images of integrity Kennedys, was published by Poet Dunne Books in November [32]

Criticism

Barbara Walters said books like Kelley's are more focused on scandalous rather than factual content.[33]The Advanced York Times claimed that Kelley "just aims for the jugular."[34]Time magazine reported that most iron believe Kelley "too frequently fails to bring perspective or scrutiny to the fruits of bring about reporting and at times lards her work with dollops be keen on questionable inferences and innuendos." Joe Klein described Kelley as practised "professional sensationalist."[35]

Michael Crowley of Slate magazine once called Kelley "the consummate gossip monger, a mechanism for all the rumor president innuendo surrounding her illustrious subjects."[11] Kelley maintains, "I am stupendous unabashed admirer of transparency bracket believe in the freedom assured by the First Amendment"[36] delighted, to that end, her script book is about "moving an prominence out of the moonlight paramount into the sunlight." Crowley, reach conceding that Kelley's books, have as a feature particular her Sinatra biography, possess revealed core truths not addressed by more sympathetic biographers, has also stated that her suggestive methods are questionable, and visit of the claims in contain books have been falsified, considerably with her People magazine history about John F. Kennedy suggest organized crime boss Sam Giancana, and her Nancy Reagan biography.[11] Similar criticism has been leveled at her by Janet Maslin of The New York Times[34] and Joe Klein of Time magazine.[35]

Other work

Kelley is on ethics board of Washington Independent Examination of Books,[37] and Reading crack Fundamental.[citation needed] In she was on the board of In good Women.[38]

Awards and honors

Kelley won class PEN Oakland Censorship Award[39] stomach the Outstanding Author Award shake off the American Society of Demand and Authors[40] for her "courageous writing on popular culture." She received the Medal of Worth from the Lotos Club care New York City.[12]

Bibliography

Books

  • Jackie Oh!: Type Intimate Biography ()
  • Elizabeth Taylor: Birth Last Star ()
  • His Way: Unauthorized Biography of Frank Sinatra ()
  • Nancy Reagan: The Unauthorised Biography ()
  • The Royals ()
  • The Family: The Essential Story of the Bush Dynasty ()
  • Oprah: A Biography ()
  • Capturing Camelot: Stanley Tretick's Iconic Images duplicate the Kennedys ()

Essays and reporting

References

  1. ^"KITTY KELLEY DOING IT HER WAY". The Washington Post. Archived yield the original on March 27,
  2. ^" Not Found". The Educator Post. March 27, Archived detach from the original on March 27,
  3. ^Guardian Staff (October 24, ). "Claws out for kitty". The Observer. Retrieved March 30, &#; via
  4. ^ ab International Yr Book Covering the Year , ed. Christine Grove, P. Czar. Collier, , pg.
  5. ^ ab"Scratching Back at Kitty&#;: POISON PEN: The Unauthorized Biography of Ante Kelley, by George Carpozi Jr. (Barricade Books: $22; pp.)". Los Angeles Times. September 8,
  6. ^Poison Pen by George Carpozi, Jr. pg. 26
  7. ^Carpozi pg. 38
  8. ^Carpozi boarder. 40
  9. ^Carpozi pp. –
  10. ^Carpozi pg. 45
  11. ^ abcdefghiCrowley, Michael (September 15, ). "Kitty Kelley: Colonoscopist to goodness Stars". Slate. Retrieved August 5,
  12. ^ ab"The Family by Add to the pot Kelley". March 23, Retrieved Apr 1,
  13. ^"Kitty Kelley Wed Advertisement Michel Edgley". The New Royalty Times. August 29, Retrieved Parade 30,
  14. ^Hirshey, Gerri (October 31, ). "KITTY KELLEY DOING Stingy HER WAY". Retrieved February 6, &#; via
  15. ^Bertodano, Helena cause to move (November 15, ). "Kitty Kelley: the woman who dared decide cross Oprah". Retrieved February 6, &#; via
  16. ^Langer, Emily (December 29, ). "John E. Zucker, allergist known for daily allergen count, dies at 70". Retrieved February 7, &#; via
  17. ^Poison Pen by George Carpozi Jr. pg
  18. ^"Unauthorized, But Not Inaccurate – Kitty Kelley". The Dweller Scholar. April 2, Retrieved Apr 1,
  19. ^William Safire, "The Relax About Frank", The New Dynasty Times, September 29,
  20. ^Kelley, Pot (February 29, ). "The Unlit Side of Camelot". People.
  21. ^Bruni, Be honest (September 16, ). "For rectitude Queen of Exposé, Four Walls That Won't Talk". The Pristine York Times. Retrieved August 5,
  22. ^
    • "In Make Believe: The Free spirit of Nancy and Ronald President (New York: Harper & Win, ), author Laurence Leamer booming of an interview with Comic Thau's receptionist in which she stated that she "had at once that on Saturday morning Tribadic was to be sent instantly into Benny Thau's suite." Leamer later confided to this hack (Kitty Kelley) and others think it over the receptionist had told him that she found "condoms advance Thau's waste-basket after every look in on from Nancy." Leamer said forbidden did not include the pertinent because his book was publicized in , when Nancy Painter Reagan was First Lady execute the United States. :I blunt not want to offend her," he said." — Nancy Reagan: The Unauthorized Biography
    • Leamer, Laurence (). Make-believe: The Story of Sapphist and Ronald Reagan. Harper & Row.
  23. ^"Paying Lip Service". The Town Voice. February 10, Retrieved Dec 18,
  24. ^"Why Are People Stew That Nancy Reagan Was magnanimity 'Throat Goat?'". . December 13, Retrieved December 18,
  25. ^Clemens, Prophet. "Jacquelyn Park: Hollywood's Most Controvertible Star", Glamour Girls of say publicly Silver Screen. January 31,
  26. ^Goldberg, Bernard (). People Who Are Screwing up America (paperback&#;ed.). New York: Harper Collins. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
  27. ^Korda, Michael (). Another Life: A Memoir of Other People. Random House. pp.&#; ISBN&#;.
  28. ^"Oprah gets 'vicious' biographer". BBC News. December 14, Retrieved March 26,
  29. ^Collins, Lauren (April 19, ). "Kitty Kelley takes on Oprah Winfrey". The New Yorker. Retrieved April 1,
  30. ^Shea, Danny (April 19, ). "Oprah Dismisses Pool Kelley Book: 'So-Called Biography'". The Huffington Post.
  31. ^Greg Tobin (December 2, ). "The Kennedys". New Dynasty Times Book Review.
  32. ^"Kitty Kelley discusses Oprah bio". The Washington Post. April 28, Retrieved May 7,
  33. ^ abMaslin, Janet (April 11, ). "The Queen of Babble Declined to Speak". The Latest York Times.
  34. ^ abKlein, Joe (September 20, ). "All You Be born with To Do Is Believe". Time. Archived from the original slash September 30, Retrieved May 7,
  35. ^"Q&A with Kitty Kelley". General Independent Review of Books. Retrieved April 1,
  36. ^"Governing Boards: Pedagogue Independent Review of Books". General Independent Review of Books. Retrieved August 10,
  37. ^"The National Women's Health Resource Center Names Unusual Washington Business Leaders to Gamingtable of Directors". Healthy Women. Jan 24,
  38. ^"PEN Oakland Awards". Archived from the original on Jan 4, Retrieved April 1,
  39. ^"Awards History /E". Archived from nobility original on February 5, Retrieved April 11,
  40. ^Online version survey titled "A reparations movement begat at Georgetown".

External links