(Bought at the Strand for $10): Gail Crowther's account of the sharp-tongued but ultimately tragic writer Dorothy Parker's sojourn in La La Land is entertaining but doesn't tell us much more than the many other Parker bios. Parker's devastating wit is not on display as much as her messy personal life. She was an alcoholic and couldn't manage her money even though she was one of the highest paid screenwriters in the studio system. Both she and her husband and writing partner Alan Campbell were equally clumsy at living as adults, both chronic alcoholics. She lacked self-confidence despite her sparkling intelligence and way with words. Crowther does capture her struggle to overcome sexism in a male dominated industry and offers some new insights into the chaotic, confusing manner scripts were fashioned in the Dream Factory.
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