The Dud Avocado follows the romantic and comedic adventures of a young American who heads overseas to conquer Paris in the late 1950s. Edith Wharton and Henry James wrote about the American girl abroad, but it was Elaine Dundy’s Sally Jay Gorce who told us what she was really thinking. Charming, sexy, and hilarious, The Dud Avocado gained instant cult status when it was first published and it remains a timeless portrait of a woman hell-bent on living.“I had to tell someone how much I enjoyed The Dud Avocado. It made me laugh, scream, and guffaw (which, incidentally, is a great name for a law firm).” –Groucho Marx"[The Dud Avocado] is one of the best novels about growing up fast..." -The Guardian

A detailed account of the extraordinary, nearly obsessive relationship between Elvis Presley and his mother identifies Gladys Presley as the greatest influence on her son's life and career

Elaine Dundy, a New Yorker born in the 1930s, is the author of The Dud Avocado, based on a year she spent in Paris. Here she presents her memoirs which begin in classy apartments on Park Lane before the Crash, include a wild and funny time as an actress in Paris and London, and reveal all about her disastrous marriage to theater critic Kenneth Tynan. Her literary and theatrical circle—which included Peter Finch, Tennesse Williams, Hemingway, and Gore Vidal—is presented along with poignant remembrances of growing up in America in the 40s, and a literary and theatrical life in Paris and London.

Relates the story of Ferriday, Louisiana, a small town on the banks of the Mississippi, and the many remarkable people the town has produced, including Jimmy Swaggart, Jerry Lee Lewis, Mickey Gilley, and newscaster Howard K. Smith

A biography of film star, Peter Finch, covers his childhood in Australia, his discovery by Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, his development as an actor, and his personal life