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From the Publisher
“Maila pulled a pair of silk hose from her handbag and waved them in the air. When she put them on, there were runs in them, and I told her it was a shame they were ruined. But she didn’t care. She took something—it must have been a pencil—and poked holes in them until they were shredded. Then she said, ‘Look, Leg Lace!’
“I was somewhat taken aback by [Vargas’] almost clinical studio on Westwood Boulevard. It looked more like a surgical theater than an artist’s den. Vargas slicked back his slightly receding hair, trimmed his mustache to a thin line, & wore his immaculate shirt starched. His career was in an inexplicable lull at that moment—probably the only time it ever was. As with Bernard, I wore a bikini under my coat, but
when I removed it, he nodded approvingly & called in his wife.“
“She rented an Indian movie wig from Max Factor’s Hollywood studio and bought a remnant of black rayon fabric. A pattern was unnecessary—Maila visualized the dress perfectly, sketching, then transferring the image onto newspaper. Then, piece by piece, she cut out her pattern with manicure scissors and hand-stitched her costume together.”
“So then I thought what about a sexy vampire…I could be a sexy vampire pondering death in all sorts of crazy and urbane ways. The taxes? I’d leave those up to the Republicans.”
Customer reviews
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2021
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Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2021
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Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2021
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Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2021
I love it when someone I know achieves something great, like finishing an incredibly difficult goal....a life goal.
Jumping into the deep end to tell the story of a family member that everyone *thinks* they know, but in reality I highly doubt that anyone truly knew or understood Maila Nurmi.
Here and there she would find other misfits like herself who marched to the beat of their own drum like she did, but in Hollywood any sort of true independence or brilliance is intimidating. The reaction to originality and being "different" is rarely for it to be embraced. And yet Maila was in quite a few instances recognized for her trailblazing.
She certainly had ideas about how she and her creations should be consumed and received, and many times her belief, conviction and dedication conflicted with the gatekeepers of fame.
She was uncompromising. Many would say to a fault, but I found myself in awe of how tightly she clung to her dreams and the art she made. Maila wasn't someone who could be manipulated or pushed around. Well, like most of us she learned that "trust" is a four-letter word in a lot of cases. Her early experiences with people in Hollywood taught her that trust shouldn't be freely given. Even when it was earned it could be betrayed without batting an eye. There truly was no "honor among thieves" in that entertainment cesspool. There might have been some lucky breaks for her, but everything she accomplished was hard-won and she did it on her terms. She could be both her own worst enemy and best advocate for her vision. All of this at a time where women were not afforded such freedom of mind or movement. She took it, and never apologized for that.
I won't give away some of the more wild, exciting and downright mind-blowing personal relationships that Maila had, it's so fun to unfold turning the pages of this book I don't want to spoil it. What I will say is that what makes this read a complete pleasure is understanding how it came to be and who made it happen.
Sandra Niemi is Maila's niece, and it's with her that the responsibility of telling her Aunt's story came to rest. It would be a daunting task for anyone, let alone someone who had never written a book before. To compile, chronicle and contain in pages the life of a woman who was so fiercely independent and in so many instances completely evasive? It's a true and mighty accomplishment. And I don't believe anyone could have done it better than Sandra did.
Painstakingly pieced together with Maila's own writings on scraps of paper jumbled through all her belongings, family history, accounts from friends and what I can only imagine was a mountain of legends and myths to sift through, Sandra put together a great and cohesive story of her Aunt's life. I think what makes it so compelling is Sandra's own desire to understand her family's own history through the lens of her Aunt's life. So much of Maila's life was integral to understanding her entire family. Sandra's quest to define Maila is also the journey for clarity on a personal level. It was a mightly personal task.
It seems to me that after all this, life constantly moving forward and shifting sands of time this story became even more difficult to tell....and yet other important things in Maila's life became easier to tell in many ways. Again, I won't give it all away, but timing being what it is I believe this was the perfect time for Sandra to finish and release this book honoring her Aunt with the voice I feel she always wanted to have, but wasn't able to actualize. It does justice to the art and unique personality of Maila.
I found myself only reading little bits at a time, then putting the book down so it would last longer. It's been a long time since I read a book I didn't want to reach the end of because of the shear enjoyment of the read. Glamour Ghoul was a page-turning adventure from start to finish, and it's an emotional journey that came straight from the heart. I believe that's what makes the book so special.
Thank you, Sandra, for putting so much of your life into this book so that the rest of us could understand and love your Aunt Maila for who she truly was. Fierce, unapologetic and defiantly beautiful. She was a genius in so many ways, and her legacy can be seen everywhere. From Tim Burton films, punk rock, goth to misfits everywhere who saw in Maila a kindred spirit. Those misfits gather courage from her work and life. They benefit from her bravery and create their own art. In that way she will continue to live on into the future.
Some people tried to steal that legacy, but it's hollow and lacks the brilliant vision Maila encompassed. I can see that. There will never be another Maila....and that doesn't include her creation, Vampira. I see Maila clearly now, so if that is what you set out to do? You accomplished that mission so well. ❤️
Verified Purchase
Fantastic Book, Didn't Want it to End!
By Carrell Stamper on February 9, 2021
My review of "Glamour Ghoul: The Passions and Pain of the Real Vampira, Maila Nurmi."By Carrell Stamper on February 9, 2021
I love it when someone I know achieves something great, like finishing an incredibly difficult goal....a life goal.
Jumping into the deep end to tell the story of a family member that everyone *thinks* they know, but in reality I highly doubt that anyone truly knew or understood Maila Nurmi.
Here and there she would find other misfits like herself who marched to the beat of their own drum like she did, but in Hollywood any sort of true independence or brilliance is intimidating. The reaction to originality and being "different" is rarely for it to be embraced. And yet Maila was in quite a few instances recognized for her trailblazing.
She certainly had ideas about how she and her creations should be consumed and received, and many times her belief, conviction and dedication conflicted with the gatekeepers of fame.
She was uncompromising. Many would say to a fault, but I found myself in awe of how tightly she clung to her dreams and the art she made. Maila wasn't someone who could be manipulated or pushed around. Well, like most of us she learned that "trust" is a four-letter word in a lot of cases. Her early experiences with people in Hollywood taught her that trust shouldn't be freely given. Even when it was earned it could be betrayed without batting an eye. There truly was no "honor among thieves" in that entertainment cesspool. There might have been some lucky breaks for her, but everything she accomplished was hard-won and she did it on her terms. She could be both her own worst enemy and best advocate for her vision. All of this at a time where women were not afforded such freedom of mind or movement. She took it, and never apologized for that.
I won't give away some of the more wild, exciting and downright mind-blowing personal relationships that Maila had, it's so fun to unfold turning the pages of this book I don't want to spoil it. What I will say is that what makes this read a complete pleasure is understanding how it came to be and who made it happen.
Sandra Niemi is Maila's niece, and it's with her that the responsibility of telling her Aunt's story came to rest. It would be a daunting task for anyone, let alone someone who had never written a book before. To compile, chronicle and contain in pages the life of a woman who was so fiercely independent and in so many instances completely evasive? It's a true and mighty accomplishment. And I don't believe anyone could have done it better than Sandra did.
Painstakingly pieced together with Maila's own writings on scraps of paper jumbled through all her belongings, family history, accounts from friends and what I can only imagine was a mountain of legends and myths to sift through, Sandra put together a great and cohesive story of her Aunt's life. I think what makes it so compelling is Sandra's own desire to understand her family's own history through the lens of her Aunt's life. So much of Maila's life was integral to understanding her entire family. Sandra's quest to define Maila is also the journey for clarity on a personal level. It was a mightly personal task.
It seems to me that after all this, life constantly moving forward and shifting sands of time this story became even more difficult to tell....and yet other important things in Maila's life became easier to tell in many ways. Again, I won't give it all away, but timing being what it is I believe this was the perfect time for Sandra to finish and release this book honoring her Aunt with the voice I feel she always wanted to have, but wasn't able to actualize. It does justice to the art and unique personality of Maila.
I found myself only reading little bits at a time, then putting the book down so it would last longer. It's been a long time since I read a book I didn't want to reach the end of because of the shear enjoyment of the read. Glamour Ghoul was a page-turning adventure from start to finish, and it's an emotional journey that came straight from the heart. I believe that's what makes the book so special.
Thank you, Sandra, for putting so much of your life into this book so that the rest of us could understand and love your Aunt Maila for who she truly was. Fierce, unapologetic and defiantly beautiful. She was a genius in so many ways, and her legacy can be seen everywhere. From Tim Burton films, punk rock, goth to misfits everywhere who saw in Maila a kindred spirit. Those misfits gather courage from her work and life. They benefit from her bravery and create their own art. In that way she will continue to live on into the future.
Some people tried to steal that legacy, but it's hollow and lacks the brilliant vision Maila encompassed. I can see that. There will never be another Maila....and that doesn't include her creation, Vampira. I see Maila clearly now, so if that is what you set out to do? You accomplished that mission so well. ❤️
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Top reviews from other countries
Juan Pedro Rodríguez Lazo
Excelente.
Reviewed in Spain on February 23, 2021Verified Purchase
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