Praise for Don Bachardy: An Artist’s Life:
“Portrait artist Don Bachardy was the companion of British writer Christopher Isherwood. ‘America’s most famous gay couple,’ they inhabited a star-studded world. Bachardy found in his older lover a father figure and mentor who introduced him to literature, encouraged him to go to art school, and taught him ‘how… to be somebody with a vocation who could do something in the arts, not just devour them.’ Bachardy’s candid oral history … is replete with vivid, sometimes dishy, reminiscences about the elite of 20th-century culture: E.M. Forster, Ingrid Bergman, John Gielgud, Lauren Bacall, Julie Harris, W.H. Auden—and scores more. A zesty and entertaining self-portrait.” —Kirkus
“Oh, darling, Don Bachardy: An Artist’s Life is like a fizzy champagne (at least, that’s how I remember champagne, when I drank it!)—crisp, invigorating, and you’re hooked from the first pop! It’s like twirling under the Hollywood sign at night, each page a new star sparkling with tales of love and courage from the one-and-only Don Bachardy. Believe me, baby, this is not just a book, sugar, it’s a marvelous dance with words, enchanting, heady and daring!” —Liza Minnelli, Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony-winning performer
“I was thrilled and very honored to be asked to sit for a portrait by Don Bachardy, and to experience that private moment with his enormous talent. I’m very proud of the drawing that he did of me. This book wonderfully captures the very special experience of being in Don’s intimate company, listening to his spellbinding stories about his extraordinary life with Christopher Isherwood and as a portrait artist in Hollywood.” —Robert Wagner, actor and author
“I’m a great fan of Don Bachardy’s work. Of course I met him because of his close relationship with Christopher Isherwood, with whom I had a semi-close relationship from afar. But I was honored to be a part of his brilliant Berlin Stories, which were adapted into the film Cabaret and afforded me the opportunity to bring the character of the Emcee to the stage and screen, which would not have been possible without him. So I am forever grateful to both gentlemen.” —Joel Grey, Tony and Oscar-winning actor
“A captivating read. I have always been struck with how comfortable Don Bachardy is with himself. I think that this is perhaps one of the reasons that he and Christopher Isherwood were daring enough to live the open life that they did long before it was conventional or even safe to do so. Their love story is one of beauty and is an inspiration to all who have ever felt trapped by convention.” —Tom Ford, fashion designer and acclaimed filmmaker of A Single Man and Nocturnal Animals
“They became a legendary gay couple when all other gay celebrities were closeted. This book is a paean to Don’s love for Chris and his enthusiasm for life. Don calls himself an artist of personality, and he certainly met and drawn all the Hollywood stars of the day, from Charles Laughton to Natalie Wood—and all the literary personalities from Tennessee Williams to E. M. Forster.” —Edmund White, author of the landmark trilogy A Boy’s Own Story, The Beautiful Room Is Empty, and The Farewell Symphony
“Don Bachardy captures the outer likeness and the inner life of his subjects. He is genuinely interested in them and sometimes seems to actually love them.” —Sir Ian McKellen, Tony‑winning and multiple Academy Award and Emmy‑nominated actor
“This groundbreaking oral biography reveals its multi‑talented subject in multi‑faceted detail, providing fresh, intimate insight into the legendary Bachardy‑Isherwood partnership.” —Michael York, film and Emmy‑nominated television actor
“In his own words, Bachardy leads us through a thorough and compelling journey of his life, gently guided and provoked by Michael Schreiber’s spontaneous, well-researched questions. This is an intimate autobiography that unfolds seamlessly, revealing a complex personality, riveting and deep.” —Tina Mascara, award-winning filmmaker of Chris & Don: A Love Story and Face to Face: Don Bachardy
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