Overview

The Pulitzer Prize–winning American lyricist Ira Gershwin (1896–1983) has been hailed as one of the masters of the Great American Songbook-songs written largely for Broadway and Hollywood from the 1920s to the 1950s. Now, in the first full-length biography devoted to his life, Ira Gershwin steps out at last from the long shadow cast by his younger and more famous brother George. It's a life with a sharp dividing line; we witness Ira's transformation by George's death at thirty-eight. From carefree dreamer and successful lyricist, he becomes guardian of his brother's legacy and manager of complex family dynamics, even while continuing to practice his craft with composers like Harold Arlen and Jerome Kern. Drawing on extensive archival sources and often using Ira's own words, Michael Owen offers a rich portrait of the modest man who penned the words to many of America's best-loved songs.

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9781324091813

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Reviews

"Great reading for more than music lovers. This will be the definitive book on Ira for a long time.--David Keymer ""Library Journal (starred review)"" This book is a marvel and model of how to write resonantly and engagingly about a charming subject who was unintentionally elusive. Having personally known and adored Ira for years, I am overwhelmed by the information and detail Owen captures. I love the way he spins the tale of a greatly talented lyricist who, thanks to this book, might permanently find his proper place in the pantheon of great songwriters.--Michael Feinstein, author of The Gershwins and Me: A Personal History in Twelve Songs Lyricist Ira Gershwin (1896-1983) gets the due long afforded to his brother George in this meticulous account....Readers will be most captivated by the glimpses of a sensitive, complex artist that peek through the cracks....A fitting tribute to a vital influence on 20th-century American music.-- ""Publishers Weekly"" (8/8/2024 12:00:00 AM) In Ira Gershwin: A Life in Words, Michael Owen offers an insightful exploration of his subject's lifelong quest for an artistic voice. Using a rich variety of archival resources--personal letters, diaries, production notes, and business correspondence--Owen documents Gershwin's tireless commitment to songwriting, from the linguistic play of his teenage years and his prizewinning successes (and failures) as an adult, to his commitment to preserving the Great American Songbook and the Gershwin family legacy in his final years. The book is indispensable for fans and scholars alike. It shines a revelatory light on the complex life of the great lyricist who lived forever in the shadow of his younger brother George.--Anna Harwell Celenza, general editor of The Cambridge Companion to George Gershwin"

"Lyricist Ira Gershwin (1896-1983) gets the due long afforded to his brother George in this meticulous account....Readers will be most captivated by the glimpses of a sensitive, complex artist that peek through the cracks....A fitting tribute to a vital influence on 20th-century American music.-- ""Publishers Weekly"" (8/8/2024 12:00:00 AM)"

Great reading for more than music lovers. This will be the definitive book on Ira for a long time.--David Keymer, Library Journal (starred review) This book is a marvel and model of how to write resonantly and engagingly about a charming subject who was unintentionally elusive. Having personally known and adored Ira for years, I am overwhelmed by the information and detail Owen captures. I love the way he spins the tale of a greatly talented lyricist who, thanks to this book, might permanently find his proper place in the pantheon of great songwriters.--Michael Feinstein, author of The Gershwins and Me: A Personal History in Twelve Songs Lyricist Ira Gershwin (1896-1983) gets the due long afforded to his brother George in this meticulous account....Readers will be most captivated by the glimpses of a sensitive, complex artist that peek through the cracks....A fitting tribute to a vital influence on 20th-century American music.-- ""Publishers Weekly"" (8/8/2024 12:00:00 AM) In Ira Gershwin: A Life in Words, Michael Owen offers an insightful exploration of his subject's lifelong quest for an artistic voice. Using a rich variety of archival resources--personal letters, diaries, production notes, and business correspondence--Owen documents Gershwin's tireless commitment to songwriting, from the linguistic play of his teenage years and his prizewinning successes (and failures) as an adult, to his commitment to preserving the Great American Songbook and the Gershwin family legacy in his final years. The book is indispensable for fans and scholars alike. It shines a revelatory light on the complex life of the great lyricist who lived forever in the shadow of his younger brother George.--Anna Harwell Celenza, general editor of The Cambridge Companion to George Gershwin

Author Information

Michael Owen is a historian, researcher, and archivist. He is the author of Go Slow: The Life of Julie London (2017), and the editor of the forthcoming volume The Gershwins Abroad. He currently resides in Port Washington, Wisconsin.

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