Bobbed Hair and Bathtub Gin

Bobbed Hair and Bathtub Gin chronicles the lives of four female writers in New York City during the 1920s: Dorothy Parker, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Zelda Fitzgerald, and Edna Ferber. The book follows these literary figures through the decade as they navigate their careers, relationships, and the cultural revolution of the Jazz Age. The narrative moves year by year from 1920-1930, depicting the writers' professional struggles and triumphs in the male-dominated publishing world. Through extensive research and historical documentation, Meade reconstructs their intersecting social circles, their time at various publications like Vanity Fair and The New Yorker, and their experiences in the speakeasies and salons of Manhattan. Through these four women's stories, the book captures the radical transformation of American society during the Roaring Twenties, from shifting gender roles to evolving artistic movements. The work stands as both a group biography and a cultural history, examining how these writers both shaped and were shaped by their era's sweeping changes.

Readers value this book's lively portraits of Dorothy Parker, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Zelda Fitzgerald and Edna Ferber during the 1920s. Many note that Meade captures the energy and complexity of these literary figures through detailed research and engaging storytelling. What readers liked: - Rich historical context and cultural details - Focus on lesser-known aspects of the writers' lives - Clear organization by year from 1920-1930 - Balanced treatment of each woman's story What readers disliked: - Jumps between characters can feel scattered - Some sections read like lists of events - Not enough depth on any single subject - Occasionally repetitive anecdotes Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (2,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (120+ ratings) "Meade brings these women to life without mythologizing them," wrote one Goodreads reviewer. Another noted: "The year-by-year structure helps track parallel lives but sometimes fragments the narrative flow."

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🎭 Though we now celebrate these women writers of the 1920s, many were struggling financially during this era. Dorothy Parker earned just $200 per month at Vanity Fair, while Zelda Fitzgerald never earned more than $1,000 for any piece of her writing. 📚 The book's title comes from two iconic symbols of 1920s rebellion - the controversial bobbed haircut that symbolized women's liberation and bathtub gin, the often dangerous homemade alcohol produced during Prohibition. ✍️ Author Marion Meade spent over three years researching the interconnected lives of these four writers (Dorothy Parker, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Zelda Fitzgerald, and Edna Ferber), including examining hundreds of letters and diary entries. 🗽 The book covers exactly one decade (1920-1930), specifically chosen because it represents the height of creative output and social transformation for these women in New York City. 🎬 Many of the scenes described in the book took place at the Algonquin Hotel's Round Table, where Dorothy Parker and other writers gathered daily for lunch and sharp-tongued conversation. The hotel still maintains Table 32 in their memory, and visitors can request to sit there.