Madonna and Me: Women Writers on the Queen of Pop [Paperback]

Laura Barcella (Editor), Jessica Valenti (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 6, 2012

For nearly 30 years, Madonna has been at the center of the media spotlight. She has sold more than 200 million records worldwide, launched her own record label, headlined an Oscar-award-winning film, authored bestselling books for both adults and children, inspired global street-fashion trends, and instigated international debates over a range of feminist issues from sexual fetish to adoption ethics. Masterfully harnessing her talent and power to navigate her ascent to stardom, she has become the very definition of iconic.

She has also been a constant companion. In Madonna and Me, more than forty women write about Madonna’s influence on their lives. No subject goes unexplored—from sex and money to fashion and identity, the stories are just as brazen, bold, and balls-to-the-wall as Madonna. They explore the evolution of her chameleonlike personas—material girl and “boy-toy” tartlet, kooky Kabbalist and savvy businesswoman, siren and mother—and her impact on culture as a groundbreaking feminist.

Of course, not all women worship at her altar, and likewise the essays in Madonna and Me are brutally honest, funny, engaging, and real. They delve into the hearts, souls, memories, and moments of contemporary women, celebrating the ways in which Madonna has inspired us and challenged us, pushing us to be bolder, edgier, braver versions of ourselves.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Madonna and Me

"These memoirs reveal that Madonna’s mix of spirituality and raw sensuality had a considerable impact in shaping attitudes." —Publishers Weekly

"For someone who has spent the past 30 years defending Madonna to whoever would listen, Madonna & Me is like a homecoming. Reading these smart, funny, and moving essays by women who were influenced by the material girl brought me right back to my school years, when I was touched by Madonna for the very first time." —Debbie Stoller, editor-in-chief of BUST magazine and bestselling author of Stich 'n Bitch

"The writers in Madonna & Me explore all that Madonna has meant to more than one generation of feisty, feminist, powerful women. They dive right into her music, persona, and legacy, expressing themselves in ways that would surely give even Her Madgesty food for thought." —Rachel Kramer Bussel, editor of Women in Lust and the Best Sex Writing series

"In Madonna & Me, editor Laura Barcella shows how Madonna has become a cultural benchmark for women of varying backgrounds. Reaching far beyond pop-culture critique, the essays in this book examine Madonna—both the woman and the legend—as an allegory of the modern female experience." —Steve Lowenthal, music writer for SPIN and Village Voice, and founder of Swingset magazine

"Finally, an anthology that speaks to the blisteringly potent influence Madonna has had on women of our generation."—Julie Klausner, author of I Don't Care About Your Band

"When I first heard the song ‘Everybody’ in 1982, I ran right out and bought the ‘cas-single.’ Now, thirty years later, I greedily read everything about Madonna I can get my hands on. Madonna is one of those rare public figures who elicit a lifelong, intensely personal fixation, making this collection of essays a giddy pleasure. By turns hilarious, thought-provoking, and touching, Madonna & Me is a fitting salute to the smart, brash, occasionally infuriating provocateur, who is always offering us something new." —Jancee Dunn, music journalist for Rolling Stone, Vogue, The New York Times, and GQ, and author of Why is My Mother Getting a Tattoo? And Other Questions I Wish I Never Had to Ask

"Madonna & Me is a collection as saucy and savvy as Madonna herself. In heartfelt and incisive ways, the contributors engage with an icon who deeply impacted the identities, sexual and otherwise, of an entire generation of girls.” —Jillian Lauren, author of the New York Times bestselling memoir Some Girls: My Life in a Harem

"Sure, one Madonna gave birth to Jesus . . . but our Madonna gave birth to femme-inism. If you've forgotten why you should worship Madge, this hilarious, provocative collection is like a prayer to the patron saint of girl power."
—Jennifer Baumgardner, bestselling author of Manifesta, Look Both Ways, and F 'em!

“Madonna & Me can easily hold the interest of non-Madonna-fans and even male readers, which is (sadly) no small feat. Highly recommended for anyone interested in music, pop culture, women's lives, and smart personal essays with heart.” —Scott Lapatine, founder of Stereogum.com

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Soft Skull Press; Original edition (March 6, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593764294
• ISBN-13: 978-1593764296
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #973,778 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A thoughtful consideration of an icon... March 13, 2012

By Spencer Keralis

Format:Paperback

Laura Barcella's edited collection of essays by women writers on the cultural legacy of Madonna is a thoughtful, and thought provoking, bit of cultural criticism. But don't let that "cultural criticism" thing scare you off. This is an eminently readable collection, light on social theory, and rich with personal reflections on how Madonna changed these women's lives - for better or worse - from their adolescence to adulthood.

While perfectly appropriate to read casually, there's also much for the serious student of pop culture here. Writers reflect on Madonna's appropriations of blackness, Latinity, and Jewishness; critique her use of sexual and religious imagery; question her choices in plastic surgery; and fret a bit about her legacy. But nearly all of the essays begin with some variation on "I first heard Madonna when...." and that personal connection is what makes this collection so compelling.

Madonna's creeping up on 60 now and she's had nearly three decades on the charts. This collection is a testament to her enduring credibility as a cultural commodity - which is what she's always striven to be. Laura Barcella and her contributors have made an important contribution to both the commemoration and the critique of this pop icon.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars UNBIASED OPINION March 27, 2012

By Susan Shapiro

Format:Paperback

This is a smart, fun, fast-reading, fascinating, thought-provoking collection of essays and humor pieces - including my own - culled by editor Laura Barcella about the Midwest-born eternally famous Madonna in all her incarnations. Favorites (aside from mine) are by Wendy Shanker and Emily Nussbaum. Makes a great gift for any girlfriend, sister, mother, feminist pseudo-intellectual, Michiganian, Manhattanite or music-lover.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Madonna & Me March 25, 2012

By Jude

Format:Paperback

This book remind me of why I've been a fan of Her Madgesty's for what feels like my entire life, even when I kind of wanted to slap her in the face. Funny and smart and thoughtful, these essays range from really good to super-really-read-bits-out-loud-to-your-friends good.