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This Is Not My Memoir Kindle Edition

4.6 out of 5 stars 123 ratings

The autobiography-of-sorts of André Gregory, an iconic figure in American theater and the star of My Dinner with André

This is Not My Memoir tells the life story of André Gregory, iconic theatre director, writer, and actor. For the first time, Gregory shares memories from a life lived for art, including stories from the making of My Dinner with André. Taking on the dizzying, wondrous nature of a fever dream, This is Not My Memoir includes fantastic and fantastical stories that take the reader from wartime Paris to golden-age Hollywood, from avant-garde theaters to monasteries in India. Along the way we meet Jerzy Grotowski, Helene Weigel, Gregory Peck, Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, Wallace Shawn, and many other larger-than-life personalities.

This is Not My Memoir is a collaboration between Gregory and Todd London who create a portrait of an artist confronting his later years. Here, too, are the reflections of a man who only recently learned how to love. What does it mean to create art in a world that often places little value on the process of creating it? And what does it mean to confront the process of aging when your greatest work of art may well be your own life?

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Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for This Is Not My Memoir

“Among the revolutionary stage troupes of the 1960s and ’70s . . . none was more inventive or exciting than André Gregory’s Manhattan Project . . . A candid personal memoir detailing the long career and life experience of the brilliantly accomplished Gregory would certainly be welcome, and this book marvelously fills the bill . . . Gregory is a masterly storyteller and chronicler.”
―Phillip Lopate, The New York Times Book Review

"As anyone who has seen the 1981 film classic
My Dinner with André knows, avant-garde theater director and actor André Gregory is a wonderful raconteur. His multi-faceted life, full of dramatic ups and downs (and celebrities!), is rich material for memoir."
―Heller McAlpin, NPR.org

“In this perceptive, nonlinear memoir, director Gregory, who wrote and starred in
My Dinner with Andre, offers anecdotal reflections on his artistic life . . . Film lovers and theatergoers will delight in Gregory’s reminiscences.”
Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“André Gregory is a director, an impresario, a painter, a storyteller, maybe a fabulist, and always an artist.
This Is Not My Memoir reveals André’s sublime talent, his ability to look, to really see, and ultimately just be. My experiences with André profoundly shaped my growth as an actor; reading this book is a reminder of the urgency of seeking yourself in your life and your art.”
―Julianne Moore

“Adventure. Compassion. Hatred. Money. Friendship. Marriage. Theatre. Failure. Beauty. Revelation. Cinema. Success. Death. Creation. And re-creation. This is a remarkable story, of a life
so deeply lived.”
―Martin Scorsese

“Reading this book was like having André sit by my side and tell me the stories of his life. Heartfelt, honest, insightful and inspiring stories all told by the great story teller himself.”
―Jude Law

“André Gregory has lived a life in the theatre filled with wildly uncalculated risks, thrilling successes, dazzling failures (at least as interesting) and endlessly fascinating memories. He is and always has been the boldest hero of our avant-garde.”
―Wes Anderson

“André Gregory’s art has always rested on a unique mix of avant-garde audacity and aristocratic charm, not to mention anecdotal flair. All of those elements are irresistibly on display in what is not his autobiography.”
―Adam Gopnik

“True to the title, André Gregory hasn’t written a memoir, but a confession. I never knew brutal honesty could be so romantic and inspiring. It’s a testament to a fearless artist and a fascinating man.”
―Mikhail Baryshnikov

“[André Gregory is] one of the pioneers of American avant-garde theater. Few artists’ lives have been as colorful . . . [
This is Not My Memoir is] a witty trip through a unique life in the theater.”
Kirkus Reviews

“André Gregory has made a career of artistic risks: arbitrary, baffling, passionate, and incredibly funny risks.
This Is Not My Memoir is a loving scorecard of how those risks played out―and, best of all, when they did not.”
―John Mulaney

“[André Gregory] recounts his early life as a spectacular swirl of tragedy and privilege, one that sets the stage for his later, almost comical searches for theatrical inspiration across countless borders of country, class, and culture . . . But this book is more than an account of Gregory’s plays, roles, or foibles. Rather, it’s an intimate conversation between Gregory and readers (made possible by theater historian London) that asks us to listen to the ideas behind the words and emerge more thoughtful for it.”
―Robin Chin Roemer, Library Journal

“As a director, actor, writer, teacher, and painter, Gregory has a lot to say, and he says it with style and no little substance. Readers fascinated by theater, film, and the creative process will want to pull up a chair, pour a glass of wine, and feast on the thoughts of one of the theater’s great artists.”
―Carolyn Mulac, Booklist

About the Author

Todd London's books include An Ideal Theater, The Importance of Staying Earnest, and the novel The World's Room. A past winner of the George Jean Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism, he was the inaugural recipient of the Visionary Leadership Award for contributions to the American Theater.

André Gregory has been directing in New York for more than half a century. He has collaborated on film versions of his theatre productions with Wallace Shawn, Louis Malle, and Jonathan Demme. The now legendary My Dinner with André was created by Gregory, Shawn, and Malle. He is also an actor, writer, teacher, painter, and author of the poetry collection, Bone Songs.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07Y73RWDQ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Farrar, Straus and Giroux (November 17, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 17, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 23.2 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 212 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 123 ratings

About the author

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Todd London
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Heralded by Publisher's Weekly as "a writer to watch" with a "magnificent sense of character and ear for dialogue," Todd London is an award-winning novelist and essayist, whose second novel, If You See Him, Let Me Know, was published in 2020 by Austin Macauley. Writer Lorrie Moore called his first novel, The World's Room, a "stunning book...written as if by a spellbinding and spellbound angel." The World's Room is newly available on Kindle and Audible. He co-authored This Is Not My Memoir with Andre Gregory (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2020). The Long Revolution: Sixty Years on the Frontlines of a New American Theater, a collection of writing by the late theater pioneer Zelda Fichandler that he edited, came out in February, 2024.

Todd London has worked in the American theater for more than thirty years as an artistic director, educator, arts journalist and essayist, public speaker, and theater historian. His theater books include: An Ideal Theater: Founding Visions for a New American Art (Theatre Communications Group); The Importance of Staying Earnest (NoPassport); 15 Actors, 20 Years (Dutch Kills Press); Outrageous Fortune: The Life and Times of the New American Play (Theatre Development Fund); and The Artistic Home (TCG). Todd was the first recipient of Theatre Communications Group’s Visionary Leadership Award for advancing "the theatre field as a whole.”

A former artistic director of New Dramatists, executive director of the University of Washington's School of Drama, and head of MFA Playwriting at the New School, Todd is Director of The Legacy Playwrights Initiative and Fellow Program for the Dramatists Guild Foundation. A former managing editor of American Theatre magazine, he won the George Jean Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism for his essays. A past winner of the Miss Lilly Award (from the Lilly Awards), Todd received an honorary doctorate from DePaul University’s schools of Theatre and Music in 2016. He is founder of The Third Bohemia, a traveling, interdisciplinary retreat for artists, and a regular contributor to American Theatre magazine and HowlRound.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
123 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this memoir engaging, with one describing it as a must-read and another noting its masterful first chapter. Moreover, the book receives positive feedback for its intellectual depth, with one review highlighting its self-awareness, and another mentioning its focus on theater. Additionally, the writing style is praised for its poetic paragraphs, and customers appreciate the author's wit.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

12 customers mention "Readability"12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, with several describing it as an amazing memoir, and one noting it's a great fun read.

"This is an amazing "memoir" by a titan of the experimental theatre world over more than 50 years...." Read more

"...and middle age but has found a path to true inner peace and enjoyment of life's wonders. It's honest, deeply human, and sparkles with insight...." Read more

"THIS IS NOT MY MEMOIR is a wonderful book that delivers a powerful message for these troubled times...." Read more

"I bought this to go with an audio read, He is a great reader, and the facts of his life I wanted to recall in book form...." Read more

11 customers mention "Insight"11 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's insights, with one describing it as a heartbreakingly self-aware memoir that delivers a powerful message.

"...pleasure from spending a few hours in the charming company of this erudite, witty and totally charming artist." Read more

"...This book is also, however, a wonderful reflection on life by someone who, by his own account, was tormented through youth and middle age but has..." Read more

"THIS IS NOT MY MEMOIR is a wonderful book that delivers a powerful message for these troubled times...." Read more

"Andre is a blessing to this world and his book is a display of life’s poetics...." Read more

11 customers mention "Storyteller"11 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the author's storytelling abilities, describing them as captivating and amazing, with one customer highlighting their wonderful stories about the theater.

"...First, it's a collection of amazing stories from the life of a director who changed the face of American theater while shuttling among gurus,..." Read more

"...Written with deep intelligence and wit, Gregory is a master storyteller who weaves the fabric of a life well lived." Read more

"...have dedicated their life to the theatre as a deep reflection, moment of insight, and possible prayer on your life’s work in that creative space...." Read more

"...Short and easy, succinct, and fascinating especially for fans of the conversations in My Dinner with Andre or theater history in general...." Read more

6 customers mention "Wit"6 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's wit, with several noting its poetic paragraphs, and one customer describing it as written with deep intelligence.

"...from spending a few hours in the charming company of this erudite, witty and totally charming artist." Read more

"...Written with deep intelligence and wit, Gregory is a master storyteller who weaves the fabric of a life well lived." Read more

"...and lessons and stories of a truly remarkable life in pithy and poetic paragraphs...." Read more

"...What an amazing life, told with humor and humility...." Read more

Poetically and Painfully True
5 out of 5 stars
Poetically and Painfully True
Andre is a blessing to this world and his book is a display of life’s poetics. Actors, directors, writers- anyone involved in the theatre can appreciate his career. It’s a career that will be in service to humanity for an eternity. If you haven’t yet seen “My Dinner with Andre” I encourage you to check it out. It’s available on YouTube and possibly Facebook. Also, chapter 38 will hit all of those who have dedicated their life to the theatre as a deep reflection, moment of insight, and possible prayer on your life’s work in that creative space. Time spent reading this book is a great gift. Highly recommend.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2021
    This is an amazing "memoir" by a titan of the experimental theatre world over more than 50 years. Andre Gregory is best known to the larger world as the fascinating interlocutor of the film "My Dinner with Andre" but the scope of this slender volume is extremely wide--and deep. Mr. Gregory reveals the trials of the life of a true groundbreaking artist in several different media, but also shows himself to be something increasingly rare in the modern world--a true "cosmopolitan" in the best sense of that word. Whether in Poland or France or New York or California, Mr. Gregory offers discerning insights into the culture of each locale.

    I had the slight advantage of briefly meeting Andre and his late wife in Santa Barbara in the 1990's, and having known both his younger brothers over the years. But one does not need this personal touch to derive great pleasure from spending a few hours in the charming company of this erudite, witty and totally charming artist.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2020
    This wonderful little book is actually two in one. First, it's a collection of amazing stories from the life of a director who changed the face of American theater while shuttling among gurus, psychoanalysts, Tibetan monks, the Shah of Iran's wife, naked Polish actors, sand-eaters in the Sahara, and a guy who buried him alive in Montauk. His mother had an affair with Errol Flynn and he was punched in the mouth by Gregory Peck. This book is also, however, a wonderful reflection on life by someone who, by his own account, was tormented through youth and middle age but has found a path to true inner peace and enjoyment of life's wonders. It's honest, deeply human, and sparkles with insight. Theater lovers will devour it because the author was one of the titanic figures in the theater world of the late 20th century. Artists will love it since he describes taking up painting late in life. It's ideal for anyone interested in self-exploration and life's journey.
    10 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2020
    THIS IS NOT MY MEMOIR is a wonderful book that delivers a powerful message for these troubled times. Andre Gregory's life is an important reminder that life goes on regardless of the vicissitudes of history (including pandemic) and that in some small way what each of us does with our allotted time on this earth can not only inspire others, but awaken our true selves. Written with deep intelligence and wit, Gregory is a master storyteller who weaves the fabric of a life well lived.
    Customer image
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    AN ENTERTAINING AND MEANINGFUL READ

    Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2020
    THIS IS NOT MY MEMOIR is a wonderful book that delivers a powerful message for these troubled times. Andre Gregory's life is an important reminder that life goes on regardless of the vicissitudes of history (including pandemic) and that in some small way what each of us does with our allotted time on this earth can not only inspire others, but awaken our true selves. Written with deep intelligence and wit, Gregory is a master storyteller who weaves the fabric of a life well lived.
    Images in this review
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    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2024
    Perfect condition, speedily delivered!
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2021
    Andre is a blessing to this world and his book is a display of life’s poetics. Actors, directors, writers- anyone involved in the theatre can appreciate his career. It’s a career that will be in service to humanity for an eternity. If you haven’t yet seen “My Dinner with Andre” I encourage you to check it out. It’s available on YouTube and possibly Facebook. Also, chapter 38 will hit all of those who have dedicated their life to the theatre as a deep reflection, moment of insight, and possible prayer on your life’s work in that creative space. Time spent reading this book is a great gift. Highly recommend.
    Customer image
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Poetically and Painfully True

    Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2021
    Andre is a blessing to this world and his book is a display of life’s poetics. Actors, directors, writers- anyone involved in the theatre can appreciate his career. It’s a career that will be in service to humanity for an eternity. If you haven’t yet seen “My Dinner with Andre” I encourage you to check it out. It’s available on YouTube and possibly Facebook. Also, chapter 38 will hit all of those who have dedicated their life to the theatre as a deep reflection, moment of insight, and possible prayer on your life’s work in that creative space. Time spent reading this book is a great gift. Highly recommend.
    Images in this review
    Customer image
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2021
    I bought this to go with an audio read, He is a great reader, and the facts of his life I wanted to recall in book form. Short and easy, succinct, and fascinating especially for fans of the conversations in My Dinner with Andre or theater history in general. That is, however, just part of his story. He dwells on late-life obsessions with enthusiasm and resignation. He never claims to be an angel but he obviously is a man of great imagination, intellect, with a deep love of life
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2020
    Andre Gregory has written what he says is NOT his memoir, so I will write what is NOT a five star review --- its a ten star review! ;-) Treat yourself to a day on the couch with a cup of tea and this book. You have worked hard, life is not easy these days. You deserve to be warmly, gently, provokingly, lulled into Andre's world, his honesty, his feeling his way so passionately through life with all the failings such passion guarantees and all the wisdom that eventually may come along with it. You will travel along a journey with a great storyteller, Andre Gregory. Laugh with him, cry with his struggles. His words, his metaphors and the rhythms of his stories, the mulling, the searching, the bumbling, the really tough times, the reflections, the humor, the meditations, and the moments of joy and enlightenment, with never an ounce of ego, may even inspire you to follow your own bliss and be the best "you" you can be.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2021
    even if you are not a theatre person, this delightful memoir (it is, don't let the title fool you) of a brilliant
    artist who didn't take no for an answer and eventually finding his voice should speak to us all. told in his unique voice - and he has always been such a fascinating raconteur - you can almost hear him speakng as if at a dinner party and thus it is a real page turner. My personal opinion is that the title is his conceit as he tells his tale in a definitely non linear fashion, but then that is the quintessential Andre.

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