This 'N That
Encyclopedia
This 'N That is a memoir
written by the actress Bette Davis
and Michael Herskovitz, first published in 1987.
As Davis had already written a successful autobiography, The Lonely Life, published in 1962, she had discussed in some detail the most important years of her acting career. This 'N That did not repeat those details, and therefore contained very little information about the period before 1962, and concentrated on Davis's acting career of the 1970s and 1980s. Much of her writing concerned her recent illness and recovery from a major stroke
.
This 'N That was published after her daughter B. D. Hyman
's memoir My Mother's Keeper
(1985), in which Hyman depicted Davis as an alcoholic, overbearing shrew. Davis referred to Hyman in her book with pride and affection throughout; however, a final chapter was in the form of a letter addressed "Dear Hyman," in which Davis expressed her sense of betrayal. Davis and Hyman reportedly remained estranged until Davis' death in 1989. The tensions between the two women were widely reported during the marketing of both books.
This 'N That, Bette Davis and Michael Herskovitz, Berkley Publishing Group, March 1988, ISBN 0-425-10624-1, paperback
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
written by the actress Bette Davis
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional...
and Michael Herskovitz, first published in 1987.
As Davis had already written a successful autobiography, The Lonely Life, published in 1962, she had discussed in some detail the most important years of her acting career. This 'N That did not repeat those details, and therefore contained very little information about the period before 1962, and concentrated on Davis's acting career of the 1970s and 1980s. Much of her writing concerned her recent illness and recovery from a major stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
.
This 'N That was published after her daughter B. D. Hyman
B. D. Hyman
B. D. Hyman , aka B.D. Merrill, is an American author and pastor.Hyman was born in Santa Ana, California, the daughter of the actress Bette Davis and artist William Sherry. She was adopted by Davis's husband, Gary Merrill, in 1950...
's memoir My Mother's Keeper
My Mother's Keeper
My Mother's Keeper is a 1985 book by B. D. Hyman, daughter of legendary film star Bette Davis, which recounts her view of their mother/daughter relationship.-Overview:...
(1985), in which Hyman depicted Davis as an alcoholic, overbearing shrew. Davis referred to Hyman in her book with pride and affection throughout; however, a final chapter was in the form of a letter addressed "Dear Hyman," in which Davis expressed her sense of betrayal. Davis and Hyman reportedly remained estranged until Davis' death in 1989. The tensions between the two women were widely reported during the marketing of both books.
Editions
This 'N That, Bette Davis and Michael Herskovitz, Putnam Publishing Group, March 1987, ISBN 0-399-13246-5, hardcover, 207 pages.This 'N That, Bette Davis and Michael Herskovitz, Berkley Publishing Group, March 1988, ISBN 0-425-10624-1, paperback