A young reporter named Sam Clemens, ready to print a snarky review of a play and its famous actress, sat amidst a massive crowd in a tiny theatre. As the curtain was drawn, he--and everyone else--was instantly mesmerized by the beautiful creature on stage wearing her signature pink, flesh-colored tights (and little else). Although Sam Clemens rarely let anyone escape without a scathing review, even he was blown away by young Adah Isaacs Menken.
Walt Whitman likened his friend Adah to a meteor: a flash light that could brighten up even the darkest skies. He had no way of knowing that Adah's life faded just as quickly as a meteor, when she died inexplicably, impoverished, and virtually alone. She was the most notorious woman in the world. She scandalized the elite of London and the prudish Victorians of New York. She had five husbands and never bothered with divorce. When an unknown illness claimed her life one hot summer day, she was just thirty-three.
Reading about figures from the past who have all but disappeared has always fascinated me. Adah Isaacs Menken captured the world's attention and virtually created the persona of a dangerous celebrity femme fatale--a persona that would be emulated by Clara Bow, Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrichs and many other fabulous women from history. Even in a modern context, Adah's daring is astounding. She was part black (although "passed" as white, as did many men and women in the nineteenth century), bisexual, dressed frequently in men's clothes, and wore very little during her stage performances. A short review could never do Adah justice--her life is fascinating enough to fill volumes of books. The Fosters capture her life, succinctly and expertly weeding through the tall tales Adah often told to hide her past, in this biography.
Beth gives it four out of five carrots!
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