Synopses & Reviews
In a wise, warmhearted memoir that celebrates her extraordinary life and stellar career, Swoosie Kurtz welcomes readers into her world, sharing personal misadventures and showbiz lore and candidly reflecting on the intimate journey of caring for an aging parent. Told with intelligence and Swoosies hallmark comedic timing,
Part Swan, Part Goose makes a powerful statement about womanhood, work and family.
Swoosies is the kind of memoir that doesnt come without a fascinating back story: Enter the parents, Frank and Margo Kurtz. Frank, an Olympic diving medalist, later became one of the most decorated aviators in American history. He flew a record number of missions in a cobbled-together B-17D Flying Fortress called The Swoose,” now housed at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. Margo chronicled their early years together in her memoir, My Rival, the Sky, published by Putnam in 1945. The book ends with the young couple happily anticipating the birth of a baby to be named after the indomitable Swoose.
Today, Margo, who is approaching her hundredth birthday, lives with Swoosie. As Margos reality drifts freely between her morning coffee and a 1943 war bond tour, Swoosie struggles to stay ahead of her mothers increasing needs while navigating the pitfalls and pratfalls of the entertainment industry. This precarious moment in time is bittersweet and occasionally overwhelming, but every day is oxygenated with laughter and love. The careful weaving of Swoosies story with passages from My Rival, the Sky creates a vivid portrait of the invincible mother-daughter bond between the two women.
Part Swan, Part Goose is that rare Hollywood memoir that takes us behind the curtain but doesnt live there; its heart is solidly at home. It doesnt pretend to tell all, but what it does tell is deeply resonant for millions caring for aging parents, timely and topical for book clubs and entertaining as hell for readers in general.
Review
“
Part Swan, Part Goose is a brave and riveting book about family, fame, theater and life. It is witty, wise and irresistible. I loved it."
—Tom Brokaw
"I'm often asked, ‘What's Swoosie Kurtz really like? I say, warm, incredibly funny, grounded but spontaneous, irreverent but always kind, independent yet deeply rooted to her family. Swoosie has put her heart and her humor into these pages. Now when people ask, I can say, ‘Here, read this!”
—Melissa McCarthy
“Swoosie and her family have always been special to me. When you read this book, you will understand why.”
—Warren Buffett
“I laughed and cried (sometimes at the same time) reading this extraordinary story about Swoosie and her parents and her work and her loves. Swoosie has the beautiful gift of a seasoned story teller. Her observations about love and loss had me dog-earing several pages to re-read again and again. I feel blessed to know her.”
—Carol Burnett
"The Tony Award-winning actress certainly relates a lot of great anecdotes from her long career on the Broadway stage, in films and on such popular TV shows as “Sisters,” “Pushing Daisies” and her current hit, “Mike and Molly.” Yet, her book, co-authored by writer Joni Rodgers, is also a remarkable journal about Kurtzs extremely close relationship with her parents, and is a compelling saga about her recent journey as a loving caregiver for her mother as shes slipped into depths of dementia."
—Chicago Sun Times
“I thought Id browse (Part Swan, Part Goose) and write a quick column. I couldnt browse. Swoosie kept dragging me in with another anecdote, and she writes in a freewheeling style thats almost like free-associating at times. One topic leads to another, facts are told out of chronological order, and yet it all makes perfect sense. People talk this way, and her voice is in the telling.
“Ive always been a fan of Swoosie Kurtz the actress …Now Im a fan of Swoosie Kurtz the human being as well. Her streak of Midwestern work ethic is so familiar. And the piece of her heart left on the pages is impossible not to love.”
--Bob Fischbach, Omaha World-Herald
“Comedic timing always has been Kurtzs hallmark and in “Part Swan, Part Goose,” she proves she can write a line as humorously as she can deliver one. The book crackles with wit. The book lists Joni Rodgers as a co-author, but the candor, clever turns-of-phrase and hilarity seem very Kurtz-like.” - The Buffalo News
“Part Swan, Part Goose: An Uncommon Memoir of Womanhood, Work and Family is indeed uncommon. Unlike some show business memoirs, its neither a scandalous tell-all, nor an exercise in self-aggrandizement. Instead, its a candid, engaging look at Kurtzs life and work, and especially her relationship with the two most important people in her life: her parents, Frank and Margo Kurtz.”--Trudy Ring, SheWired
“Filled with entertaining stories, gut-wrenching experiences, and touching memories, actress Swoosie Kurtz thoughtful memoir, Part Swan, Part Goose: An Uncommon Memoir of Womanhood, Work and Family celebrates her loving parents while documenting the formative events that shaped her stellar acting career. In particular, the book also reveals Kurtzs seven-year struggle dealing with her mother Margos increasing dementia.” - Tolucan Times
“Don't miss this....book of collected praise for parents who had it all together. And never miss seeing Swoosie, with whom you will inevitably feel a kinship -- on stage, screen or TV. There is not a saccharine note in this delightful memoir.” - Liz Smith
Synopsis
In this frank and funny memoir, the Tony Award-winning star of stage and screen shares her journey from small-town Oklahoma to big-time Broadway.
Synopsis
A lively, laugh-out-loud journey from Oklahoma beauty queen to show biz sensation.
"Life's too short. I'm not."
You might know her as a Tony Award-winning Broadway star who originated the role of Galinda the Good Witch in the smash musical Wicked. Or you may recognize her from her starring roles on TV--The West Wing, Pushing Daisies, and Sesame Street. At four foot eleven, Kristin Chenoweth is an immense talent in a petite but powerful package. Through a combination of talent, hard work, and (she's quick to add) the grace of God, Kristin took Broadway and Hollywood by storm. But of course, into every storm, the occasional drizzle of disaster must fall, and Kristin reflects on how faith and family have kept her grounded, even in tough times.
Filled with wit, wisdom, and backstage insight, A Little Bit Wicked is long on love and short on sleep. It's essential reading for Kristin's legions of fans and an uplifting story for anyone seeking motivation to follow his or her dreams--over the rainbow and beyond.
Featuring Chenolicious recipes, Kristin's advice for young actors, and much more
Synopsis
A lively, laugh-out-loud journey from Oklahoma beauty queen to show biz sensation.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Lifeand#8217;s too short. Iand#8217;m not.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;You might know her as a Tony Awardand#8211;winning Broadway star who originated the role of Galinda the Good Witch in the smash musical andlt;iandgt;Wickedandlt;/iandgt;. Or you may recognize her from her starring roles on TVand#8212;andlt;iandgt;The West Wing, Pushing Daisies, andlt;/iandgt;and andlt;iandgt;Sesame Streetandlt;/iandgt;. At four foot eleven, Kristin Chenoweth is an immense talent in a petite but powerful package. Through a combination of talent, hard work, and (sheand#8217;s quick to add) the grace of God, Kristin took Broadway and Hollywood by storm. But of course, into every storm, the occasional drizzle of disaster must fall, and Kristin reflects on how faith and family have kept her grounded, even in tough times.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Filled with wit, wisdom, and backstage insight, andlt;iandgt;A Little Bit Wicked andlt;/iandgt;is long on love and short on sleep. Itand#8217;s essential reading for Kristinand#8217;s legions of fans and an uplifting story for anyone seeking motivation to follow his or her dreamsand#8212;over the rainbow and beyond.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Featuring Chenolicious recipes, Kristin's advice for young actors, and much more!
About the Author
A multiple Tony, Emmy, Obie and Drama Desk Award winner,
Swoosie Kurtz is a Broadway icon whose work also includes big screen blockbusters like
Liar, Liar, The World According to Garp and
Dangerous Liaisons, indie favorites like
Citizen Ruth,
True Stories and
Cruel Intentions and beloved TV hits
Sisters and
Pushing Daisies. She is currently starring in the CBS hit series
Mike and Molly.
Her distinctive name comes from The Swoose, the famed B-17 bomber flown by her father, Col. Frank Kurtz, the most decorated Air Force pilot of World War II. Swoosies mother, Margo Rogers Kurtz, for whom the actress currently cares in their shared California house, is the author of the home front memoir My Rival, the Sky (Putnam, 1945).