Fran Lebowitz, Public Speaking Documentary: Movie Recommendations for Writers:

I just watched the documentary Public Speaking with Fran Lebowitz, which I highly recommend.



Okay, I should of course, point this out-- if you don't like Fran Lebowitz or think she's incredibly funny, witty, and smart like I do then you'll hate it because the whole film is her talking, Fran being Fran.



I became a Lebowitz fan a couple decades ago when I read her book, Social Studies.  (You can get both her books, Social Studies & Metropolitan Life here for a lower price in the Fran Lebowitz reader--but I think Social Studies is a much better book).  But I hadn't heard anything really about her in years...



You can imagine how thrilled I was to find this DVD on Netflix (no, it's not play instantly, I had to order the DVD old school).



The film was wonderful in how it explored writing, her life, and her opinions of the current culture. I watched it all including the special features (which I also recommend at the end if you enjoyed the movie).



I just love how her mind works, from her thoughts on women having babies to the color of her car (It's such a subtle shade of pearl gray, straight men think it's white).





I know some people will find her annoying, judgmental, and opinionated, which are all the things I love about her.





Below is a clip from the film that starts out with an old interview clip of a younger Fran talking about writer's block and moves into Fran today.  If you have never seen Fran, this might be a good intro to her and her style--























Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com