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| Photo by Allan Warren (from Wikipedia) |
Eartha Kitt was one of those many people I'd grown up "knowing". I knew that face when I saw it--an unmistakable face. Then, there was that voice--including the "purr". For me, knowing Eartha Kitt was much like knowing Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, or Michael Jackson as a kid in the 90s/00s--these were people you just . That is a testament to her longevity in the entertainment industry.
In recent years--when I'm using the internet and social media more rampantly than ever--I've been exposed to more than just the purr and the "sexy grandma". I've gotten to know Eartha Kitt: the Katherine Dunham dancer, the friend to James Dean, and most importantly, the activist--the always wise woman. After borrowing her first autobiography (Thursday's Child) from my school's library, I've learned more about "Eartha Mae"--girl with the quintessential "rags to riches" story.
To avoid spoiling Thursday's Child, I will say this and only this: Eartha Kitt was the ultimate survivor. She is and was a once in a lifetime presence on this earth. In fact, the more I read and discover, the more I miss (and appreciate) that presence. The book is a rare find. The copy that I've borrowed from the library has been there for decades--since my university was actually a division of another school (see photo below).
However, I urge any and everyone to find a copy, if you can. It's definitely on the top of my "Things to Find/Buy When I'm Filthy Rich" list.
After all the reading and researching; interview-watching, photo-hunting, and more, Eartha Kitt has become more than just a "woman I know of" and even more than someone I admire--she's easily become one of (if not the) greatest influence in my life right now, a time in which I'm preparing to take on the so-called "real world" and embark on new journeys. Words cannot express how grateful I have become for her presence and for her words.
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More Reasons to Love Eartha Kitt
On love and "compromise" (from the 1982 documentary, All By Myself: The Eartha Kitt Story)
Detroit Black Journal interview
"I Want to Be Evil"
(Live Performance)
What's My Line? episodes
May 30, 1954
July 12, 1959
July 23, 1961
Simply Eartha
(Link to website)
Kitt Shapiro, daughter of Ms. Eartha Kitt, talks about Simply Eartha, a lifestyle brand created in honor of her mother (if anyone is moved to buy me a Christmas gift...)
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| In concert in 2007 (also from Wikipedia) |
To avoid spoiling Thursday's Child, I will say this and only this: Eartha Kitt was the ultimate survivor. She is and was a once in a lifetime presence on this earth. In fact, the more I read and discover, the more I miss (and appreciate) that presence. The book is a rare find. The copy that I've borrowed from the library has been there for decades--since my university was actually a division of another school (see photo below).
However, I urge any and everyone to find a copy, if you can. It's definitely on the top of my "Things to Find/Buy When I'm Filthy Rich" list.
 |
| My university's copy: "3/6/57 - Gift - Dr. Herman" Old Dominion University ("Norfolk Division") branched off from the College of William & Mary in 1962 |
After all the reading and researching; interview-watching, photo-hunting, and more, Eartha Kitt has become more than just a "woman I know of" and even more than someone I admire--she's easily become one of (if not the) greatest influence in my life right now, a time in which I'm preparing to take on the so-called "real world" and embark on new journeys. Words cannot express how grateful I have become for her presence and for her words.
************
More Reasons to Love Eartha Kitt
On love and "compromise" (from the 1982 documentary, All By Myself: The Eartha Kitt Story)
Detroit Black Journal interview
"I Want to Be Evil"
(Live Performance)
What's My Line? episodes
May 30, 1954
July 12, 1959
July 23, 1961
Simply Eartha
(Link to website)
Kitt Shapiro, daughter of Ms. Eartha Kitt, talks about Simply Eartha, a lifestyle brand created in honor of her mother (if anyone is moved to buy me a Christmas gift...)
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