The First Lady & The Writer, Provincetown 1961

by Brenda Pizzo

Set in a time capsule of the 1960s, The First Lady & The Writer, Provincetown 1961 is an historical fiction novella that has as characters real people, Jackie Kennedy and Gore Vidal and centers on a real-life event. In 1961, on the last day of August First Lady, Jackie Kennedy spent a day with Gore Vidal in the Cape Cod fishing village of Provincetown, Massachusetts. At that time, she was the most famous woman on the planet. Even so, she and Vidal thought it was possible for her to join him, not in disguise or under cover of night, but by hiding in plain sight in broad daylight. They pulled it off. Jackie meets Gore at his motel, they walk through town, have cocktails and dinner, take in a play and are refused entry into a private drinking club. JACQUELINE BOUVIER KENNEDY had recently become First Lady. She was married to John F. Kennedy, the 35th President, a mother of two young children and highly intelligent. Just 31, she was thrust onto the world stage and determined to take her place on it. Greeted by two hundred-fifty-thousand adoring French citizens lining the streets of Paris was a powerful and intoxicating invitation. GORE VIDAL became a published author by the time he left the army at 21. He was intelligent, arrogant, gay and unapologetic. Related by marriage, in youth their paths never crossed. As adults, they became friends. Both had challenging upper class childhoods that brought advantages to prepare them for their worlds and their places in it. Both grabbed the limelight with a vengeance. But for Jackie, the assassination complicated how she would come to view fame. Each are depicted not as the larger than life personifications they presented to the world at their zenith, but as sophisticated, real, and down to earth people. The book delves deeply into Jackie’s and Gore’s distinct personalities and the journey they each traveled to arrive at this particular place in time.

Paperback

Published January 1, 2025

About the author

The First Lady & The Writer, Provincetown 1961 author, Brenda Pizzo
As a woman of a certain age who grew up in a suburb of Boston in the 1950s and 1960s, I yearned for the sophisticated and expansive world of my titular subjects, Jackie Kennedy and Gore Vidal. They were so glamours, knew everyone who was anyone and had been to so many wonderful places. Fantastic cities like New York City, Paris, Rome and many countries I hoped to go to.

Retired now and residing in Boston with my husband of more than forty years, I can say with some satisfaction that I have seen much of the world and have obtained the fulfilled life I dreamed of in youth.

I spent nearly 30 summers enjoying the delights of Provincetown and met many wonderful people and made solid friendships. Knowing Provincetown firsthand helped tremendously in shaping my historic fiction book about the day Jackie Kennedy joined Gore Vidal for one day in the small fishing Cape Cod village in the summer of 1961.

My Book has recently been reviewed by Kirkus Reviews

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...

Reviews

[colleen mcgrory · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book! It was delightful in every detail and in the riveting conversations between Jackie and Gore. It is obvious a tremendous amount of research was done. I love that the writer took artistic liberties to create the enchanting afternoon and evening that Jackie and Gore spent together in Provincetown. A great read!

[Brenda Pizzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...