Ellen Burstyn

This is one of the best actor's biographies I've read. Burstyn has an amazing journey from childhood abuse to being under the thumb of the men in her relationships to her search for spirituality and meaning in her life. My only quibble is that more time is spent on the beginning and middle years than her later life, but that's small when I consider what she was willing to share.

I think what makes a good poet a good poet is that they’ve found a way to express themselves with their true voice. from Poetry Says It Better by Ellen Burstyn

This is more than a collection of favorite poems and more than a memoir. Ellen Burstyn shares her love of poetry through the poems that shaped her life.

Burstyn’s wide knowledge of poetry spans from the nursery rhyme that showed her that ‘words can play’ to contemporary poets who express ideas and experiences that bring her show more peace.

Reading “Invictus” at age sixteen while living in a dysfunctional family in Detroit was the beginning of her ‘real education,” she writes. The last lines encouraged her to take control over her life: “I am the master of my fate,/I am the captain of my soul.”

She includes poems I read in high school and some of my favorite poets and introduced me to poets new to me.

Each poems is offered through the lens of personal stories from her life and career, illustrating how the poem affected her.

I love poetry…I’m writing this book for people who don’t. Why? Becasue I think they are missing out on something good…good for their hearts…from Poetry Says It Better

There is much wisdom shared in these pages.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley. show less

Warning: new age-y material ahead! I found that the best part of the book, but if you're leery of hearing a Hollywood star going on about that, this might not be the book for you. The initial part contains fairly standard humble-roots-to-first-break tale. Then the story takes off into how Ellen's search for ways to deal with the challenges in her life, the mistakes she made (both personal and financial), and how she finally learned,not just to say "NO!", but "YES!" (to herself). Highly show more recommended.
Disclaimer: I read the audiobook, which is technically "abridged" - I could see where a reader might find herself feeling bogged down in detail at times, but there's a lot of message in what she says onetheless. show less

Ellen Burstyn has written a remarkably candid memoir of her life growing up in Detroit during the depression. It is truly amazing that she was able to overcome all the problems presented by her parents, failed marriages and difficulty finding success in show business. She is a remarkable woman with tremendous determination who bounced back from many setbacks. Her search for inner peace and spirituality is especially touching. I enjoyed this book by one of my favorite actresses.