The Women Of David Lynch

David Lynch has been accused for decades of sexism and even misogyny in his work, due largely to frequent depictions of violence against women. Yet others see in Lynch's work the deification of the female, and actresses like Laura Dern and Naomi Watts jump at every opportunity to work with him. "He is the master of the juxtaposition of the creepy and the sweet, the sexual and the chaste," wrote W's Lynn Hirschberg. "And at the heart of this tense, intriguing friction, you will always find Lynch's women." The Women of Lynch is a deep, provocative dive into this paradox, featuring ten essays, thought pieces and impressionistic interpretations of Lynch's depiction of women on screen, by an eclectic array of accomplished female critics, scholars, performers, and writers, each tackling this vexing conundrum in her own unique way. The book also contains an interview with actress MÄdchen Amick (Shelly Johnson in Twin Peaks) where she gives first hand knowledge on what it is like to be a woman of Lynch. Lisa Hession interviews the original woman of Lynch, Charlotte Stewart (Eraserhead, Twin Peaks) about being the actress with longest active span of working with David Lynch. This is the first essay book about the work of David Lynch by all female writers. Readers will enjoy The Women of Lynch: A Collection of Essays. This book contains essays by: x. An Introduction by Philippa Snow 1. The Uncanny Electricity of David Lynch's Women by Leigh Kellmann Kolb 2. Women's Films: Melodrama and Women's Trauma in the Films of David Lynch by Lindsay Hallam 3. A Colorless Sky: On the Whiteness of Twin Peaks by Melanie McFarland 4. Warding off the Darkness with Coffee and Pie by Mallory O'Meara 5. "This is where we talk, Shelly." An Interview with MÄdchen Amick by Lindsey Bowden 6. Welcome to the Bipolar Silencio Club! by Hannah Klein 7. The Triple Goddess by Lauren Fox 8. Isabella Rossellini: The Shocking "Real" in Blue Velvet by Kathleen Fleming 9. Tea And Sympathy: Mrs. Kendal and The Elephant Man by Rebecca Paller 10. Jade: Ornamental Gem or Protective Talisman? A Character Study by Marisa C. Hayes 11. "Mary X Marks The Spot." An Interview with Charlotte Stewart by Lisa Hession 12. Impressions of Lynch: Journaling a Requiem by Mya McBriar Edited by David Bushman Concept by Scott Ryan Front Cover by Blake Morrow Art by Wayne Barnes & Hannah Fortune

In 1990, the groundbreaking television series Twin Peaks, co-created by David Lynch and Mark Frost, opened with a murder mystery when a beautiful homecoming queen, wrapped in plastic, washed up on a cold and rocky beach. Laura Palmer's character began as a plot device that triggered a small town to face its fractured self. But after three seasons and a film, Laura Palmer is no longer just a plot device. Instead of solely focusing on the murderer, like most traditional storytelling at the time, the audience gets to know the victim, a complex young woman who explores her sexuality and endures incredible abuse. Laura's Ghost: Women Speak About Twin Peaks is an examination of Laura Palmer's legacy on the 30th anniversary of Twin Peaks. Palmer's character was one of the few frank and horrific representations of sexual abuse victims which did not diminish the strength and complexity of the victim. Sheryl Lee, who played Laura Palmer, discusses the challenges of the role and how it has impacted herself as well as women she has met over the years, many of whom are survivors of sexual abuse. The role demanded Lee give all of her vulnerability as an actor to this role. This role is one she cannot escape, one with which she will forever be identified. It's a role that still haunts her today. For many women, this character represents them. Here was a woman who was not just a victim, but who was owning her sexuality as well—a woman coming into her own and discovering her sources of power. This book is a reckoning in which women from the show and community speak about grief, mischief, humor, sexuality, strength, weakness, wickedness, and survival.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An unprecedented look into the personal and creative life of the visionary auteur David Lynch, through his own words and those of his closest colleagues, friends, and family “Insightful . . . an impressively industrious and comprehensive account of Lynch’s career.”—The New York Times Book Review In this unique hybrid of biography and memoir, David Lynch opens up for the first time about a life lived in pursuit of his singular vision, and the many heartaches and struggles he’s faced to bring his unorthodox projects to fruition. Lynch’s lyrical, intimate, and unfiltered personal reflections riff off biographical sections written by close collaborator Kristine McKenna and based on more than one hundred new interviews with surprisingly candid ex-wives, family members, actors, agents, musicians, and colleagues in various fields who all have their own takes on what happened. Room to Dream is a landmark book that offers a onetime all-access pass into the life and mind of one of our most enigmatic and utterly original living artists. With insights into . . . Eraserhead The Elephant Man Dune Blue Velvet Wild at Heart Twin Peaks Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me Lost Highway The Straight Story Mulholland Drive INLAND EMPIRE Twin Peaks: The Return Praise for Room to Dream “A memorable portrait of one of cinema’s great auteurs . . . provides a remarkable insight into [David] Lynch’s intense commitment to the ‘art life.’ ”—The Guardian “This is the best book by and about a movie director since Elia Kazan’s A Life (1988) and Michael Powell’s A Life in Movies (1986). But Room to Dream is more enchanting or appealing than those classics. . . . What makes this book endearing is its chatty, calm account of how genius in America can be a matter-of-fact defiance of reality that won’t alarm your dog or save mankind. It’s the only way to dream in so disturbed a country.”—San Francisco Chronicle

Over the last two years, Breskin interviewed seven of contemporary filmmaking's greatest directors--David Lynch, Francis Ford Coppola, Oliver Stone, Spike Lee, David Cronenberg, Tim Burton and Robert Altman. Here they discuss the role of women in their films, the relationship of politics to art, their styles and philosophies, and more.

New in paperback, this revelatory book features rarely seen multimedia works by the revered cult filmmaker David Lynch showing how he applies his powerful imagination and visual language across genres. David Lynch has always been in the spotlight as a filmmaker, directing some of the most iconic movies ever made, but as a visual artist, he is less widely known. Lynch delights in the physicality of painting and likes to stimulate all the senses in his work. This new paperback edition brings together Lynch's paintings, photography, drawings, sculpture and installation, and stills from his films. Many of these works reveal the dark underpinnings behind Lynch's often-macabre movies. Others explore his fascination with texture and collage. Throughout, Lynch's characteristic style--surreal, stylish, and even humorous--shines through. An introduction by music journalist and Lynch biographer Kristine McKenna, along with a thought- provoking essay by curator Stijn Huijts, offers fascinating new information and perspectives on Lynch's life and career. This book reveals an unexplored facet of Lynch's oeuvre and affirms that he is as brilliant a visual artist as he is a filmmaker.

In 1990, David Lynch was on top of the world. Wild at Heart won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and Twin Peaks was the hottest show on TV. In 1992, he released Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me. It sure is amazing how fast coffee can get cold. The film was not well received, to say the least, by critics or ticket buyers. It seemed like the verdict was in: Twin Peaks was dead and wrapped in plastic. Thirty years later, the film is thought by many to be Lynch's masterpiece. Author Scott Ryan (Moonlighting: An Oral History, The Blue Rose magazine) was among the few Twin Peaks fans who saw the film on the day it was released and loved it from the beginning. He takes an in-depth look at the film, its legacy, and the people who created it, weaving in his own story of how the film has inspired him throughout his life, and still does. The book features Interviews with cowriter Bob Engels, editor Mary Sweeney, lead actress Sheryl Lee, and other cast members, as well as Ryan's essays covering the different iterations of the script, and Angelo Badalamenti's superb score. This is an ambitious, unique exploration of one of the darkest films ever created by the master himself, David Lynch.

This is a study of one of Hollywood's most popular and critically acclaimed directors. Films discussed include 'Blue Velvet', 'Wild at Heart', 'The Straight Story' and 'Mulholland Drive'.

This book distinguishes itself from earlier books on David Lynch by taking in-depth consideration of his entire oeuvre. Besides his films and the Twin Peaks series, David Lynch: Blurred Boundaries includes discussions of Lynch’s paintings and drawings, music videos, commercials, short experimental works, digital projects on the YouTube channel David Lynch Theater and the Internet documentary The Interview Project, as well as the exhibition The Air is on Fire, which Jerslev regards as one of Lynch’s main works. David Lynch: Blurred Boundaries offers a view of Lynch’s total work, in which one medium or genre is no more important than the other. It discusses the ways in which Lynch has worked throughout his career with different art forms and has right from the start experimented with the blurring of boundaries between media and genres. And it discusses ways Lynch creates atmospheres by different audio-visual and visual means.