Mike Nichols Livres

"We all perform. It's what we do for each other all the time, deliberately or unintentionally. It's a way of telling about ourselves in the hope of being recognized as what we'd like to be."--Richard Avedon, 1974The preeminent stars and artists of the performing arts from the second half of the 20th century offered their greatest gifts―and, sometimes, their inner lives―to Richard Avedon. More than 200 are portrayed in Performance, many in photographs that have been rarely or never seen before. Of course, the great stars light the Hepburn and Chaplin, Monroe and Garland, Brando and Sinatra. But here too are the actors and comedians, pop stars and divas, musicians and dancers, artists in all mediums with public lives that were essentially performances, who stand at the pinnacle of our cultural achievement. The celebrated author and critic John Lahr offers an elegant assessment of Avedon’s achievement. Four supremely talented artists from the performing arts―Mike Nichols, André Gregory, Mitsuko Uchida, and Twyla Tharp―contribute lively and moving memoirs about their collaborations with Avedon.

Gay marriage is a pivotal issue in America, and the human story at its core is captured in a dual memoir by a gay male couple in a relationship spanning over 50 years. With prominent careers in entertainment, advertising, and art, the authors provide a timeline of the acceptance of gay relationships over the last half-century, sharing anecdotes involving icons like Marlon Brando, Katharine Hepburn, and Barbra Streisand. They reflect on growing up in a time when homosexuality was rarely discussed and the absence of resources for young people seeking understanding about same-sex love. Inspired by another couple who called them “an inspiration,” they felt compelled to share their experiences to demonstrate that their lives were not so different from those of heterosexual couples, advocating for equal rights under the Constitution. Alan Shayne, a former President of Warner Brothers Television, and Norman Sunshine, a successful magazine illustrator turned painter, recount their journey from the secrecy of their early relationship to a public declaration of love. They faced challenges in their careers due to societal norms and homophobia, often advised to hide their relationship. However, in 2004, they celebrated their marriage in Massachusetts, feeling liberated after years of concealment. This memoir is a poignant exploration of their partnership and the evolution of societal attitudes toward same-sex love, serving as a testament