by Pam Grier
First published 2010
Pam Grier opens her life to readers in this personal memoir. She chronicles her rise from backup singer to blaxploitation star, becoming known for iconic roles as Foxy Brown, Coffy, Friday Foster, and Jackie Brown. Grier later found new audiences playing Kit Porter on The L Word. She details her romantic relationships with celebrities including Richard Pryor, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Freddie Prinze Sr. The actress confronts the harsh realities black women faced in Hollywood, sharing her candid perspective on the exploitation within blaxploitation cinema. She describes the painful contradiction of being called one of the world's most beautiful women while facing racial discrimination that prevented her from trying on clothes in department stores. Grier reveals her ongoing fight against cancer, transforming personal struggle into a source of strength. She moves between disappointments and victories with equal honesty, holding nothing back from readers. The book serves as both confession and instruction, as Grier aims to share life lessons drawn from her unique journey through fame, prejudice, and survival.
Genres: gender-studies, feminism, african-american, autobiography, memoir, non-fiction, biography-memoir, film
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: confession, personal-journey, rags-to-riches
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
288 pages · Hardcover · Grand Central Publishing
Content warnings: racism, sexism