My Name Is Barbra

Actor and singer Streisand elevates the ceiling for the standards of excellence in celebrity memoirs. Numerous times, she recounts her pleasure in editing and re-editing films, and it’s a talent she’s brought to her writing. Even more impressive than the book’s size is that there are no dull chapters, paragraphs, or sentences. Streisand writes with invigorating passion and endearing humor about people and topics that matter to her. It’s impossible to be bored when she is so enthusiastic, whether she’s writing about feminist issues, love affairs, battles won and lost to create art on film and albums, or how different camera lenses work. Streisand booked her first Broadway musical at 19 and continued singing at a small club, where she had total control over her songs and comic patter. Control is important in her life and career. By age 28, she had won two Emmys, five Grammys, an Oscar, and a non-competitive Special Tony Award. When she takes readers behind the scenes of her films, it’s truly a master class in filmmaking, demonstrating her prowess at crafting screenplays, directing, and editing.