Postcards From The Edge

This next story was actually written by actress/author Carrie Fisher. Although based on a (semi) TRUE story, being told in the narration of Suzanne Vale, an actress starting out in rehab after an overdose. After the journey in rehab and being dismissed going home, "Suzanne" figured that NO ONE would see her succeed, with sort of a "show them" attitude she flushed the rest of what she had at home determined to make sobriety work. But, it was while working that she found someone to whom she found camaraderie.

She soon found and got a part in a movie - her first job since completing rehab, staying with her grandmother while in recovery. Producers and other film crews were skeptical of Suzanne fearing her to be a liability. She had been at home when a call came in from her mother, "Doris" - a few days after throwing a party - assuring what was wrong w/ her was food allergies. Awhile later, after lunch Suzanne received a message to sub for someone on a hosting gig which was for a talk show.

In the meeting, she was scheduled with a friend to appear on this show and while watching in the greenroom, she met a man and they got to talking during her firends' segment. They switch numbers and find out that his name was Jesse. After spending alot of time with him, 5 dates and no call back for 6 days, she began to look at him as a "dating accident" - you never hear from the guy you like again. He eventually called and reminded her of going away, but she had forgot that. She began freaking out thinking he didn't like her, beating herself up mentally. She was calming down about her career, feeling show business was not her life anymore, but BECOMING her life.

One morning while driving to the gym, she panicked because feeling life going nice/regular,  she was going to die. Suzanne also felt somehow displaced, but realized she always felt that way (Ex. - Life's great right now, so something bad is bound to happen to me!) But then a letter to her doctor, Suzanne realized that's just who she is: distinctively - always feeling like she's missing something or going to be.


Throughout this book, Suzanne talks about life after rehab and picking up the pieces of her life/career. But reading it, I either missed or didn't see the mother/daughter relationship. But in bits-n-pieces.

Carrie, Meryl and Shirley

This book was written in NY in 1987 by Carrie and then in 1990,  it was adapted into a screenplay, which she wrote in LA for a movie to be made of the same title featuring Meryl Streep and Shirley McLaine.





But, Carrie did state that: "this novel is about a mother actress & daughter actress. I'm not shocked that people think it's about me and my mother."