Portland Public Library

Enter Helen, the invention of Helen Gurley Brown and the rise of the modern single woman, Brooke Hauser

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 395-445) and index

individual biography

illustrations

index present

non fiction

Enter Helen

bibliography

933211427

Brooke Hauser

the invention of Helen Gurley Brown and the rise of the modern single woman

"This female Mad Men-like story chronicles the legendary Cosmopolitan magazine editor's rise to power as both a cultural icon and trailblazer who redefined what it means to be an American woman. In the mid-Sixties, Helen Gurley Brown, author of the groundbreaking Sex and the Single Girl, took over the ailing Cosmopolitan magazine and revamped it into one of the most successful brands in the world. At a time when magazines taught housewives how to make the perfect casserole, Helen reimagined Cosmo and womanhood itself, championing the independent, ambitious, man-loving single woman. Though she was married, to Hollywood producer David Brown, no one embodied the idea of the Cosmo Girl more than the Ozarks-born Helen, who willed, worked, and--yes--occasionally slept her way to the top, eventually becoming one of the most influential media players in the world. Drawing on new interviews with Helen's friends and former colleagues as well as her personal letters, Enter Helen brings New York City vibrantly to life during the Sexual Revolution and the Women's Movement and features a cast of characters including Hugh Hefner, Nora Ephron, and Gloria Steinem. It is the cinematic story of an icon who bucked convention, defined her own destiny, and became a controversial model for modern feminism, laying the groundwork for television shows like Sex and the City and Girls."Bad Feminist" or not, Helen Gurley Brown got people talking--about sex, work, reproductive choices, and having it all--forever changing the conversation"--, Provided by publisher"By veteran magazine journalist and author Brooke Hause, Enter Helen is an intimate, in-depth portrait of the inimitable, iconic, and highly controversial champion of Sex and the Single Girl: Helen Gurley Brown"--, Provided by publisher

Real estate -- Ground rules -- Sex and the not-so-single girl -- The story editor -- A fun scam -- Single women of the world, unite! -- The decline of Western civilization -- Something's got to give -- The woiking girl's friend -- New York, New York -- The meaning of lunch -- A strange stirring -- Women alone -- Peace through understanding -- In the mail -- Femme -- For the girl with a job -- The most exciting woman in the world -- The July issue -- Techniques -- Pippy-poo copy -- Daddy's little girl -- Going west -- Good time Gurley -- Turning points -- Self-portrait -- Parlour games -- James Bond on a budget -- Mr. Right is dead -- That Cosmopolitan girl -- The iron butterfly -- Resolutions -- The 92 percent -- Nobody over thirty -- The world's most beautiful byline -- Fake pictures -- The actress -- A groovy day on the Boardwalk -- Before and after -- A viper in the nest -- Women in revolt -- The strike -- Pitiful people -- Some notes on a new magazine ... -- Enter Helen -- The blue goddess -- Cosmopolitan nude man -- Problems -- Two faces of the same Eve -- ERA and you -- Having it all