Dying of Politeness: A Memoir by Geena Davis

Hollywood is a strange place to grow up. I can remember sitting in my high school parking lot, watching the daughter of a famous movie star drive her very own Porsche to school. The Porsche was orange, and the way she drove the stick shift with such confidence, made us think it was the goal for all of us. That is warped. So as the years went by I have come to believe that people who grew up outside of Hollywood, seem to navigate it better, almost with a more sane disposition. Case in point: Geena Davis. My friend Jackie sent me her book "Dying of Politeness" and I found the memoir entertaining, truly refreshing, and very funny. Davis is smart, poised, and elegant, but one of the best things is that she does not take herself too seriously. After years of being polite and walking on eggshells, she has learned to assert herself with confidence and humor. She just comes off as so genuine and real in a town where most people unfortunately do not. She grew up in Wareham, Massachusetts, the daughter of a teacher's assistant and a civil engineer/church deacon. At three she announced she wanted to be in movies. She went on to win two Academy Awards, and has worked her way up to being a powerhouse actress in such hits as "Tootsie," "Thelma and Louise," "Beetlejuice," "The Accidental Tourist," and "A League of Their Own." There are a lot of quirky angles to her as well: She is an archer. She once worked as a mannequin in the window of Ann Taylor. She was the tallest girl at her high school, topping six feet. And she has dated and/or married a cast of fascinating men including actor Jeff Goldblum, director Renny Harlin, and security expert and author Gavin de Becker. Since 2004, the actress has run the Geena Davis Institute on Gender Media which collaborates with the entertainment industry to create gender balance, foster inclusion, and reduce negative stereotyping. To find out more about her institute visit the website www.seejane.org To buy this book on Amazon click here.