Send Yourself Roses: Thoughts on My Life, Love, and Leading Roles

by Kathleen Turner

Book Overview

From her film debut as the sultry schemer in Body Heat to her award-winning role as Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? , actress Kathleen Turner's unique blend of beauty, intelligence, and raw... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0446699950
• ISBN13: 9780446699952
• Release Date: February 2009
• Publisher: Springboard Press
• Length: 266 Pages
• Weight: 0.74 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.9" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Well written and inspiring

Turner has long been one of my favorite stars. I love her sultry voice. Readers will recognize her from such movies as Romancing the Stone, the Graduate and Body Heat. She is known for both her sexy roles and comedy roles. This account of her life is very upbeat focusing on the positive. Even when telling her battle with rheumatoid arthritis she stays positive. Send Yourself Roses is well written and inspiring.

TURNER AT HER BEST

SEND YOURSELF ROSES In collaboration with Gloria Feldt Kathleen Turner Springboard Press Hachette Book Group $14.99 - paperback 263 pages ISBN: 978-0-446-58112-7 Reviewer: Annie Slessman Like many others, I have seen several of Kathleen Turner's films. Whether it is a comedy or drama role, she holds her own and usually ends up owing the picture in general with her superb performances. SEND YOURSELF ROSES in collaboration with Gloria Feldt is no exception to that rule. I found myself disappointed that the book ended. I wanted to hear more. It was a surprise to me that Kathleen Turner has dealt with and continues to deal with RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis) and its debilitating effects. Like everything else that Turner takes on, she just takes on the task and comes out on the other side much stronger and wiser. She is a great voice for those who deal daily with this disease and I would think an inspiration to them as well. Turner reveals her bout with alcoholism, her struggles with her marriage and her absolute love of her daughter, Rachel. Unlike most celebrity books, she does not drone on and on about her exploits with fellow actors and mentions them only as a support cast of characters for this work. My impression of Turner, prior to reading this book, was that the three "B's" would aptly describe her - bawdy, brash and beautiful. The beautiful would be correct and even the brash works sometime, but bawdy...never. If you like reading biographies, you will enjoy this one. If you like getting to know the famous more intimately, this book will be insightful. If you want just a plain, good read, buy this book.

Great conversation with Kathleen.

This book was such an enjoyable read. I felt like I really got to know Kathleen Turner, almost as if she came into my living room for coffee and spilled it all (and I don't mean the coffee!). As a dramatic writer and actress, I really appreciate the insight into her approach to her roles that this book provides and I admire her obvious devotion to her craft. She is truly a great actress who can make the transition from film to stage and back again. I only wish I could have seen her as Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf. You can be sure that I'll do my best to see her next stage role after reading this book. Thank you, Kathleen.

Different type of memoir; not to be taken out of context

When the Kathleen Turner movie "War of the Roses" was released, the promotional trailer made it look like a madcap Marx Brothers movie with Turner & Douglas swinging from a chandelier to the tune of a rollicking orchestral fanfare (not even used in the actual film). Anyone who has see this movie knows that it is a dark comedy much richer for its nuances than its farce. Disliking it at first for the discrepancy, I came to appreciate it after repeated viewings and it has since become one of my favorite films. So it is with this book--much of the critique has centered around Turner's supposed trashings of her co-stars and her self-congratulatory tone. Having finished this book recently I found quite the opposite; Turner is extremely positive when speaking about the actors she has worked with when you read in entirety what she wrote. When taken out of context though, it is easy to see how these reviews can make their point. Even with Nicolas Cage, she manages to be positive about his growth as an actor, and is quick to point out the reasons for his juvenile behavior on the set of "Peggy Sue Got Married." Her comments on Steve Martin have also been taken out of context, and it is a shame as most likely this is what the book will be remembered for. If you are expecting a traditional memoir or autobiography, you will not find it here. Although she does a follow somewhat of a chronological format, Turner bounces around a bit, but she always comes back to front and center, which is her career and growth as an actress. This book is a must-read for those in the acting profession; one of the most intriguing parts of her memoir is finding out how she finds a character and her own method of acting. Turner is a true professional and artist, and although she has made a few questionable choices ("V.I. Warshawski," "A Simple Wish"), overall, she is much to be lauded for the daring and diverse roles that she has played and created (her tackling of the role of Martha in "Virginia Woolf" is revelatory). Yes, her tone is a little much at times (a lot of "Honey...") and her language is quite frank, but I found it very refreshing. She is discrete where she needs to be, and upfront and honest where you would not expect it. You may not agree with some of her opinions or choices, but let's remember this book is about her, and with her sense of survival (she has conquered many demons), she should be allowed to write whatever the heck she wants to. I also enjoyed learning about her sense of volunteerism and positive attitude about making a difference. Turner's maternal feelings and the raising of her daughter are also enlightening to read; besides acting professionals, this book also makes a great read for women who try to juggle a career and family. How she overcame Rheumatoid Arthritis and got her life back is another testament to her strength and can-do attitude. Sure, there is some repetition and a little editing would have helped, but the content definitely compensat

Lessons From a 50-Something Actress

I've generally avoided reading and reviewing celebrity memoirs. I've dismissed them as mostly ghost-written "puff pieces." However, the fates seemed to conspire to send me a publisher's review copy of Kathleen Turner's "Send Yourself Roses" (Springboard, 2007) just after I happened to see the movie "Serial Mom" (1994), starring Kathleen Turner and Sam Waterston, on the Lifetime TV channel. It's a bizarre film, but I appreciated its satire on "celebrity-ness" and warped values. I was impressed by Turner's skill in handling a strangely comic role. I turned to her book, noting that rather than an unknown ghost writer, it had an openly acknowledged and appreciated collaborator, Turner's friend Gloria Feldt. I read the book, and I'm glad I did. Kathleen Turner's fame began with the role of Matty Walker in the then-shocking film "Body Heat" (1981) and has continued through the role of Martha in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" on stage in New York and London and on tour, beginning in 2005. In between came many film and stage roles, including the daring Mrs. Robinson in "The Graduate" in London, Toronto, and New York. What makes this book most interesting to me is its apparent honesty and outspokenness: the good and the bad (as in reviews, co-stars, habits, etc.) are included. We see the beautiful Kathleen Turner berated for getting fat when she was unwilling to admit to taking prescribed steroids for her rheumatoid arthritis. We see her temporarily made helpless by that disease and finally partially overcoming it. We see her fighting her alcoholism; we see her as wife and mother, her eventual separation from her husband after a long marriage. In short, this book shows an intelligent, courageous woman, now in her fifties, who, despite her fame and success, faces many of the same challenges as the rest of us aging women. Life most of us, Turner has faced knee replacement surgery and other medical treatments, figure changes, the inability to wear high heels. Unlike us, for her, almost every move has been of interest to the press. At the Cannes Film Festival in 2004, "Kathleen Turner in her designer evening dress, Harry Winston jewels, and clogs" was apparently big news. Like us, Turner volunteers: for Meals-on-Wheels, People for the American Way, and Planned Parenthood, among other organizations. This book is filled with lessons that extend beyond the acting profession: chapter titles include "Speak in Your Own Voice," "Stake Your Claim and Make Your Stand," "Let Your Passion Embrace Your Talent," and perhaps most importantl for Kathleen Turner, "Send Yourself Roses": "Why should I wait and hope that someone else will send me roses? . . . If no one does, I won't have to be blue. . . . I will provide for my emotional needs just as I provide for my material needs. . . . You have to celebrate yourself." We can all admire Kathleen Turner's spirit. As she says, "There will always be more to learn as long as you are alive."