DAHLINGS –
You probably do not believe that your faithful correspondent is capable of Deep Thoughts. (Indeed, some have expressed that in this blog-thing quite loudly). However, 2011 and 2012 have found me with much on my mind. Which gives me terrible headaches.
My darling readers have probably been wondering, “What is that fabulous woman doing, that she is not here tending to our fashion and plus-size needs? Where is she when we need famous people dressing up criticized?”
You may
gasp in disbelief, but I have written a novel
, “The Abortionist’s Daughter.” Your faithful scrivener was tempted to say that it was written by someone else, but one has to stand by one’s principles (and admit that one is a truly amazing writer, as you all know).
As was said by another, “She who doth not toot her own horn, her horn shall not be tooted.” And of course I want my horn tooted.
As you can probably tell from my interests, the descriptions of the clothes are luscious, written by an author with an understanding of Fashion In The True Sense. Silks, satins, drool-worthy beribboned hats, robes with crystal pleating, cotton voile dresses. From my own experience as an actress,(something my dear darling Mama did her best to forget), the backstage scenes, populated with delightful characters, have been called “wonderfully entertaining.”
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| Ziegfeld Follies star Dolores, by Geisler |
The novel’s backstory is: in 1910, Dr. Horace Daniels is sent to prison for accidentally killing a woman while aborting her fourteenth child. Women had
no access to birth control
or knowledge about their
own bodies. The only contraception for women was refusing to have relations. It almost reads like a harbinger of today’s sexual politics and the steady stripping of the rights of women.
Medical technology has advanced light years, but the morality and small-mindedness of many have not.
Six years later, his rebellious daughter, Melanie was once the most eligible girl in the tiny Adirondack village. At 23 she faces the prospect of being an “old maid” and spending the rest of her life living with her disgraced parents. The alternative is marrying a younger boy who is infatuated with her.
In 1916, the notion that a woman could be independent was nearly unthinkable. When she meets James, a traveling salesman, she allows him to seduce her. (The scenes were a little graphic to write, but well, modern times and all that. Besides, I discovered the joys of writing smut.) Melanie agrees to run away with him to New York.
Once in New York, Melanie finds that James has other lovers, including a Broadway star, Gladys Dumbrille. James is not at all what he seems, in fact he is a great deal worse. Melanie is drawn into a web of intrigue and lies. She herself lies to get into a show,
”Almonds for Clarissa,” that Gladys is in. The world of the theater is glorious to Melanie, although most of the glamour is onstage. She becomes a “dress extra,” the term for actresses who wear their own clothes. Melanie befriends Mercedes La Fay (real name: Betty Ogden), a lively chorus girl who “shows her the ropes.”
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| Ann Pennington, dancer |
However, no matter what Melanie does or where she goes, she cannot escape her past as the doctor’s daughter. The tale is filled with tough choices, the personal politics of abortion, and yours truly paints a vivid portrait of the era.
Always wanting to present my very best for you, I researched this tome at the New-York Historical Society, the Adirondack Museum, and of course my own fashion archives.
It has received wonderful reviews on Amazon, where it is available for sale on Kindle.
Diary Of A Mad Fashionista 