Pretty Things: The Last Generation of American Burlesque Queens

Pretty Things: The Last Generation of American Burlesque Queens
By Liz Goldwyn

WHAT: Paperback Launch Party, Reading, and Signing
WHEN: Wednesday, December 8, 7–9PM
WHERE: The powerHouse Arena · 37 Main Street (corner of Water & Main St.) DUMBO, Brooklyn

For more information, please call 718.666.3049
rsvp: rsvp@powerHouseArena.com

Training her journalist's eye on the glitter and glamour of American burlesque's greatest generation, Liz Goldwyn takes readers on an enthralling tour of the original queens of the striptease. Goldwyn's incisive exposé is a retrospective of the sights and spectacles of burlesque's golden age—and an intimate look at the women whose sexuality, ambition, and verve brought the cabaret stage to life. Join us for an exclusive reading and paperback launch party for what V Magazine calls "the most comprehensive study on the era of burlesque."

About the book:

Liz Goldwyn's lifelong fascination with the inimitable glamour of classic burlesque inspired her to spend the past eight years corresponding with, visiting, interviewing, receiving striptease lessons from, and forming close relationships with the last generation of the great American burlesque queens. Goldwyn invites us to step back into an era when the hourglass figure was in vogue and striptease was a true art form.

Pretty Things introduces readers to legendary burlesque icons including:

• Betty "Ball of Fire" Rowland, who was known for her flaming red hair and bump-and-grind routines. (It turns out she once sued the author's grandfather, Samuel Goldwyn Jr., for using her stage name and costume in his Hollywood picture, Ball of Fire.)
• Sherry Britton, who, with her long black hair and curvy, trim physique, was among the most stunning of the burlesque stars before Mayor LaGuardia outlawed burlesque in New York.
• Zorita, whose sexually explicit "Consummation of the Wedding of the Snake" dance (performed with a live snake) and other daring performances earned her legendary status.

With Pretty Things, Goldwyn draws back the curtain to reveal the personal journeys of yesteryear's icons of female sexuality and power, restoring their legacy to an age that has all but forgotten them—despite today's resurgence of burlesque. Drawing from hundreds of archival photographs, costume sketches, newspaper clippings, and mementos that Goldwyn has collected along the way, Pretty Things is at once a feast for the eyes, a history of the art of burlesque, and a lovingly documented story of stardom and self-discovery.

About the Author:

Liz Goldwyn has worked in fashion, art, and photography since the age of sixteen. She has produced major fashion shows and art installations, helped establish the fashion department at Sotheby's New York, and was a global consultant for Shiseido America. She writes feature articles for national magazines, and designs her own collection of jewelry. Her documentary film on burlesque queens, Pretty Things, premiered in July 2005 on HBO. Goldwyn lives in Los Angeles.