Foxy: My Life in Three Acts [Hardcover]

Pam Grier (Author), Andrea Cagan (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 28, 2010

Some may know her as hot, gutsy, gun-totin' Foxy Brown, Friday Foster, Coffy, and Jackie Brown. Others may know her from her role as Kit Porter on The L Word. But that only defines one part of the legend that is Pam Grier.

Foxy is Pam's testimony of her life, past and present. In it, she reveals her relationships with Richard Pryor, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Freddie Prinze Sr., among others. She unveils her experiences as a backup singer and a blaxploitation star. In particularly candid and shocking chapters, she shares-for the first time-her view of those films and the persecution that blacks, especially women, needed to endure to make a name for themselves . . . including how it felt to be labeled one of the most beautiful women alive, yet not be permitted to try on clothes in a department store because of the color of her skin. And in words sure to inspire many, she tells the story of her ongoing battle with cancer.

From her disappointments to her triumphs, nothing is held back. With FOXY, Pam wishes to impart life lessons to her readers-and hopes to touch their hearts.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

As the queen of the 1970s blaxploitation movies, Grier stands assured that her as-told-to autobiography will be welcomed by film-studies collections high and low. Iconic for her roles in such gems of the genre as Coffy and Foxy Brown, Grier has also appeared in mainstream films, the likes of Fort Apache the Bronx and Mars Attacks. Her blaxploitation efforts were made on shoestring budgets without much time for rehearsal or nuance, but when given a much meatier role—the title character in Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown—she turned in a spectacular performance (unfortunately, that excellent film was overlooked in the wake of Tarantino’s signature work, Pulp Fiction). Grier describes making the low-budget films, in which she often portrayed a tough but beautiful woman involved in a ludicrous plot, and also such noncommercial events as her 1974 night out with John Lennon, Harry Nilsson, and Peter Lawford, during which she was ejected from the Troubadour, an “in” spot at the time, though at least in the company of pop-culture royalty. --Mike Tribby

Review

"Pam Grier is a survivor." (USA Today )

"[an] iconic actress" (Publishers Weekly )

"The foremost goal of any celebrity memoir is to capture the personality of its subject, and this Foxy does. The wide-eyed dignity of its voice is that of Pam Grier, and the book, like her, is not only inspiring-which we knew already-but immensely lovable, as well." (Kirkus 2010)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; 1 edition (April 28, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446548502
• ISBN-13: 978-0446548502
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.3 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #305,734 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 55 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars They Call Her Foxy April 24, 2010

By Angelia Menchan

Format:Hardcover

I became a fan of Pam Grier's movies as a teenager in the 1970's. I was old enough to see R-Rated movies and I was fascinated by a female militant type actress. My friends and I spent many Saturdays watching her movies then coming home and talking about how `bad' she was. My friends even called me `Coffy' due to our shared height, slight tooth gap, brown skin and yards of curly hair. So, of course, I was delighted to be asked to review her memoir. FOXY: My Life in Three Acts.

I absolutely enjoyed the honest, `talky' way in which Ms. Grier wrote her memoirs. The first act focused on her childhood and the relationships she had with the people in her life. Particularly influential, was the work ethic and strength of her mother, and the fiery, fighting spirit of her aunt, Mennon. I could literally visualize Pam's mother working on a degree in nursing and purchasing a home while her father was a way in the Air Force. This act also covered the molestation Pam suffered at age six by her cousins. I could feel her pain wafting from the pages but also she made it clear why she never told anyone. It really brought out how the act of molestation is not `new' and that children should be able to tell someone.

Act Two discusses her life as young adult and her work ethic and how she became an actress. Also discussed are her relationship with Kareem Abdul Jabar and how his becoming a member of the Nation of Islam came between them. She also had relationships with Freddie Prinze Jr. and Richard Prior that ended due to their drug usage. Grier was very honest about her relationships without being salacious or telling every dirty detail. I really admired that component of the book. It proved it is not necessary to drag anyone through the mud to tell your story.
The Final Act discusses the actress' battle with cancer and how she continued to take her life into her own hands and never allow anyone to tell her how to live. She wrote with honesty, expressing little regret for the life she lived. More importantly, she painted herself as more than an actress, but as a well-rounded woman. I recommend this memoir to all who love memoirs and biographies that allow them to see inside famous people they thought they knew.

The book was provided by the publisher for review purposes.

Angelia Vernon Menchan
APOOO BookClub

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Foxy is dynamite !!! April 29, 2010

By Philip Brice

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I read this book in record time. Ms. Grier shares her life in an entertaining and easy to understand way. I had the pleasure to see her in Newark, N.J. at a film festival several years ago. After a screening of Friday Foster, she spoke for a while and I was mesmerized. My son was able to get on the stage and she hugged him and signed a photo for him which made a proud kid. She was so nice to him and I really appreciated that.

The book gives the good and bad and she seems to be very honest about it. I am very happy that she is healthy and getting ready to make a new movie with Julia Roberts.
Buy this book and you will not be disappointed. You will not put it down.

I am going to put Coffy in my DVD machine now and get a flashback to my younger days.

Thanks Ms. Grier !!!!

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Wonder Book! April 21, 2010

By Foxy Geek

Format:Hardcover

I have obtained a copy of Pam Grier's book, and I must say that it is great! I was up reading it all night because it was a page turner! I must admit that it was, at times, shocking and tear jearking; but I am very impressed with how open and honest she was in her memoir. I wish there was a part 2! I recommend this book for any of her fans who want to know more about her. It is a must read! There was only one part that I wish she would have touched on in her book, but she did not; and that is why I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. Other than that, she did a great job! GO Pam!

From: The #1 P.G. fan (nope, Tarantino is #2).