Book picks: Tony Curtis Tuesday, Eric Ripert upcoming

If you're expecting a nicey-nice Hollywood sheen from Tony Curtis' memoir "American Prince" (written with Peter Golenbock), don't. Curtis calls Jerry Lewis "cruel" and complains of not being offered better roles — which is refreshingly candid for a man who came up in the studio system, when actors were bullied into doing, and saying, exactly as they were told. In the book, though, he doesn't just point fingers — he admits to failings of his own (marriages, substances). You probably know that he starred with Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon, Laurence Olivier, Burt Lancaster, Sidney Poitier, first wife Janet Leigh and many more; you probably know that Jamie Lee Curtis is his daughter; you might even know that he's a painter. Stars this legendary are hard to come by — unless you live, like we do, in Los Angeles. The 83-year-old Curtis will be at Book Soup Tuesday signing "American Prince."

The rest of the week is pretty slow book-wise, as so many of us will be planning menus, shopping for food, cooking, eating and then collapsing. While you're in foodie mode, now would be the time to make your reservation for Vroman's December 8th lunch with chef Eric Ripert. His restaurant Le Bernardin is one of a handful in New York with three Michelin Stars, and he's got a new book, "On the Line," that's a memoir of his experiences there. It's no ordinary book event — held at Bistro 561, it'll include a three-course meal prepared by Culinary Institute students, and Ripert will move from table to table, as chefs do, to sign copies of his book. With monkfish and venison on the menu, it's not vegetarian-friendly, but it does sound fabulous. Tickets are $85.

— Carolyn Kellogg

Comments

[Bill Peschel]

I'll have to give the Curtis book a try. I'm working through George Hamilton's book and he tells the story of when he, Tony and another fellow went off to PV, Mexico after GH and Linda Bird split up. They hired a floor at a hotel, stocked it with food and liquor, a mariachi band, and threw a party. Unfortunately, none of them had been tasked with bringing the girls, and no one showed up, and they spent the night getting snockered and arguing.

He also mentioned that, to Tony, acting was a way of financing his life and nothing more.

Hamilton's book is turning out to be far more interesting than I expected from a celebrity memoir. Not really much dirt, just spending some time with an agreeable gentleman telling amusing stories. How rare a quality it is to find these days.