When I was in New York, my aunt and I had a great time shredding Suze Rotolo’s account of her relationship with Bob Dylan, innocently titled A Freewheelin’ Time. Despite not wanting to be known as Dylan’s ex and being resistant to exploiting their four LSD and Joan Baez-pocked years together, she wrote a book about it, and it’s not good. But hey, I still read most of it. Gossip is cooler when it’s vintage.
Continuing my ride on the lady-in-shadow-of-the-great-man train, next on my booklist is Duchess of Palms, Nadine Eckhardt’s memoir of marriage to two different, “semi-famous” Texas men — first the writer Billy Lee Brammer, then the policitan Bob Eckhardt. According to Robert Leleux’s recent piece in the Texas Observer, Eckhardt’s basic life philosophy can be stated in in three words: “I’m over it.” Inspiring. She also said that every congressional wife should receive a pension.
I’m going to get around to reading American Wife one of these days, too, which should be the Cool Whip on the Jell-o of my winter booklist. I’m reading so much, I feel like a student again. Oh wait.