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Winkler's blend of dishy backstage detail, over-the-top adoration, and solid criticism befit his larger-than-life subject. Midler's fans will find plenty to sink their teeth into. * Publishers Weekly * Bette Midler is one of our most brilliant and versatile divas - she can swerve from hilariously campy to heart tuggingly profound at the drop of a fake eyelash - and Winkler captures the full breadth of her talent, her creative roots, her choices, her stature as a reigning gay icon, and her largesse. This comprehensive guide deftly sneaks into Midler's crackling mind and defines the wind behind her diva wings. * Michael Musto, columnist and author * Winkler's On Bette Midler is as brassy, bold, smart, and revelatory as its subject, the forever Divine Miss M. His deft and detailed delineations of Midler's protean career demonstrate why she has ruled for more than half a century. She emerges from this entertaining pop cultural history as a brave and uncompromising exporter of gay culture, a hilarious one-woman wrecking ball of celebrity pretension, and a unique song stylist who can crack you up and break your heart in a whip-lashing minute. Winkler's Midler is a glorious and sparkling package of sex, savvy, parody, and profundity. I couldn't put it down. * Patrick Pacheco, Emmy-winning journalist and author of Chita, A Memoir, written with Chita Rivera * On Bette Midler is a gorgeously written, fiercely researched account of the Divine Miss M. Winkler critically taps into Midler's formidable talent and artistic restlessness charting, in meticulous detail, the multiple branched magnitude of Midler's contribution to entertainment. Winkler invites readers to zoom into their treasured gems of Midler's formidable canon, then proceeds to scrupulously unfold the many intricacies of the genesis of that moment and its ultimate flight - glorious or not - into the cultural sphere. With a critical eye towards her style, vocal gifts and challenges, Winkler, weaves Midler's famous one liners, sarcastic wit, and sometimes barbed humour into a rich exploration of an astounding and influential artist of our time. * Phoebe Rumsey, author of Embodied Nostalgia: Early Twentieth Century Social Dance and the Choregraphing of Broadway Musical Theatre * A fascinating and personal portrait of a singular performer. Winkler succeeds at capturing Midler's distinctive and memorable personality, which is somehow equal parts bawdy showgirl and sensitive chanteuse. * Library Journal *

Winkler's blend of dishy backstage detail, over-the-top adoration, and solid criticism befit his larger-than-life subject. Midler's fans will find plenty to sink their teeth into. * Publishers Weekly *

Winkler's blend of dishy backstage detail, over-the-top adoration, and solid criticism befit his larger-than-life subject. Midler's fans will find plenty to sink their teeth into. * Publishers Weekly * Bette Midler is one of our most brilliant and versatile divas - she can swerve from hilariously campy to heart tuggingly profound at the drop of a fake eyelash - and Winkler captures the full breadth of her talent, her creative roots, her choices, her stature as a reigning gay icon, and her largesse. This comprehensive guide deftly sneaks into Midler's crackling mind and defines the wind behind her diva wings. * Michael Musto, columnist and author * Winkler's On Bette Midler is as brassy, bold, smart, and revelatory as its subject, the forever Divine Miss M. His deft and detailed delineations of Midler's protean career demonstrate why she has ruled for more than half a century. She emerges from this entertaining pop cultural history as a brave and uncompromising exporter of gay culture, a hilarious one-woman wrecking ball of celebrity pretension, and a unique song stylist who can crack you up and break your heart in a whip-lashing minute. Winkler's Midler is a glorious and sparkling package of sex, savvy, parody, and profundity. I couldn't put it down. * Patrick Pacheco, Emmy-winning journalist and author of Chita, A Memoir, written with Chita Rivera * On Bette Midler is a gorgeously written, fiercely researched account of the Divine Miss M. Winkler critically taps into Midler's formidable talent and artistic restlessness charting, in meticulous detail, the multiple branched magnitude of Midler's contribution to entertainment. Winkler invites readers to zoom into their treasured gems of Midler's formidable canon, then proceeds to scrupulously unfold the many intricacies of the genesis of that moment and its ultimate flight - glorious or not - into the cultural sphere. With a critical eye towards her style, vocal gifts and challenges, Winkler, weaves Midler's famous one liners, sarcastic wit, and sometimes barbed humour into a rich exploration of an astounding and influential artist of our time. * Phoebe Rumsey, author of Embodied Nostalgia: Early Twentieth Century Social Dance and the Choregraphing of Broadway Musical Theatre * A fascinating and personal portrait of a singular performer. Winkler succeeds at capturing Midler's distinctive and memorable personality, which is somehow equal parts bawdy showgirl and sensitive chanteuse. * Library Journal * A fascinating and personal portrait of a singular performer. Winkler succeeds at capturing Midler's distinctive and memorable personality, which is somehow equal parts bawdy showgirl and sensitive chanteuse. * Library Journal *

Author Information

Kevin Winkler enjoyed a career of more than twenty years as a curator, archivist, and administrator at the New York Public Library, prior to which he was a professional dancer. His books include Everything is Choreography: The Musical Theatre of Tommy Tune (2021) and Big Deal: Bob Fosse and Dance in the American Musical (2018), which won the Theatre Library Association's George Freedley Memorial Award, Special Jury Prize, was a finalist for the Marfield Prize from the Arts Club of Washington, D.C., and was cited as an ALA/ACRL CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title. He is an on-screen commentator for the acclaimed documentary Merely Marvelous: The Dancing Genius of Gwen Verdon (2019).

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