How—and why—do we obsess over movie stars? How does fame both reflect
and mask the person behind it? How have the image of stardom and our
stars’ images altered over a century of cultural and technological
change? Do we create celebrities, or do they create us?
Ty Burr, film critic for The Boston Globe,
answers these questions in a new book, Gods Like Us: On Movie Stardom and Modern Fame, a lively and fascinating anecdotal
history of stardom, with all its blessings and curses for star and
stargazer alike. From Florence Lawrence and Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin to Archie Leach
(a.k.a. Cary Grant) and Marion Morrison (a.k.a. John Wayne) and Julia Roberts to today's instant celebs famous for being famous, Burr takes us on an
insightful and entertaining journey through the modern fame game at its
flashiest, most indulgent, occasionally most tragic, and ultimately, its
most revealing. And yes, there is mention made of Louise Brooks.
Ty Burr will be discussing his new book on Saturday, September 29 at Book Passage in Corte Madera, California. Burr will be in conversation with Thomas Gladysz.