by Michael Schulman - undifferentiated
First published 2016
Michael Schulman chronicles Meryl Streep's transformation from ambitious drama school graduate to acclaimed actress during the turbulent 1970s. The biography opens with Streep in 1975, fresh from Yale School of Drama, navigating New York's competitive theater world while riding her bike through the city and discussing craft in actors' bars. Schulman traces her journey from a New Jersey high school homecoming float through her formative years at Vassar College and Yale's prestigious drama program. The narrative follows her rapid ascent in New York theater, where she earned a Tony nomination and standout Shakespeare in the Park roles in her debut season. Schulman examines her passionate romance with actor John Cazale, cut short by his death, and her subsequent marriage to sculptor Don Gummer. The book captures Streep wrestling with 1970s feminism while building her career through breakthrough film roles in The Deer Hunter, Manhattan, and Kramer vs. Kramer. This intimate portrait reveals a gifted young woman discovering her extraordinary abilities during an era of social upheaval.
Genres: biography, drama, 20th-century, american, feminism, academic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: biographical, character-study, coming-of-age
Setting: New Jersey, New York, Vassar College, Yale School of Drama
Period: 1970s
336 pages · ebook · Harper