About the Author

Bernard Jay is the author of Not Simply Divine, a Simon & Schuster book.

Reviews

Divine was underappreciated and misunderstood, asserts Jay in his well-executed, fully fleshed-out biography of the voluptuous star of such films as Polyester , Lust in the Dust and Hairspray . Certainly Jay, Divine's manager for 10 years until Divine's death in 1988, pulls no punches: ``I can say there were many times when I loved Divine. But I'm not sure I can truly say that I really liked him.'' He goes on to chronicle Divine's addictions to food, marijuana and shopping, and his frequent bouts of selfishness, insensitivity and general loutishness. Yet Jay renders with insight and empathy Divine's love/hate relationship with his parents, his crippling self-doubts, and his frustration at his inability to win respect as an actor. As to be expected given the subject, it's a lot of fun, too. We see Divine giving the Duchess of Hamilton eye makeup tips and attending a party at which he and Jackie Kennedy Onassis were wearing the same dress. ``We didn't talk, just glared at each other across the room.'' Much of the material will be familiar to those who read John Waters's Shock Value , but popular culture mavens, cult film buffs, and fans of this quintessential diva will not be disappointed. Photos. (Aug.)