As Seen on TV: Provocations

by Lucy Grealy

Whether she is contemplating promiscuity or The New Testament , lamenting about what she should have said to Oprah or learning to tango, Grealy seduces and surprises the reader at every turn. With the sheer brilliance of her imagination, Grealy leads us on delightful journeys with her wit, unflinching honesty and peerless intelligence. A completely original thinker and a remarkable writer, the author leaves the reader with plenty to ponder. As Seen on TV breaks the mould of the essay, and is defined, like the memoir that preceded it, to become a modern classic.

Genres: Essays, Nonfiction, Memoir, Short Stories

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Lucinda Margaret Grealy was a poet and memoirist who wrote Autobiography of a Face in 1994. This critically acclaimed book describes her childhood and early adolescence experience with cancer of the jaw, which left her with some facial disfigurement. In a 1994 interview with Charlie Rose conducted right before she rose to the height of her fame, Lucy states that she considers her book to be primarily about the issue of 'identity.'

Reviews

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have developed an obsession with Lucy Grealy. Two years ago, I found Autobiography of a Face in a Goodwill, and picked it up simply because of how cool the title was. And then I got hooked. I think of Lucy almost as someone I know and am friends with. I feel like I know her, and her foibles are therefore half exasperating, but half endearing. Like, there she is, Lucy, being a little self-involved again. So Lucy.

So from that context, As Seen on TV is everything I expected. She goes on stream of consciousness asides that wander maybe a little too much, but similarly, that's endearing. Her personality spills out everywhere in the book and that's probably its greatest strength. The essays absolutely feel raw, and in a lot of ways, that makes them more readable. However, I'm less able to gloss over the uneveness of the collection. There are some stellar pieces about a lost brother, about being on TV, about horseback riding, but some completely useless pieces. I felt that way especially about the last few essays, which are completely dry and use a lot of pseudointellectual jargon without saying much of anything. Lucy is lovable for her lack of editing and her closeness to her subject. Anything beyond her creative autobiographical nonfiction just falls flat for me.

[Lea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many of the essays felt like a repetition of Grealy’s memoir, especially those about Lucy’s appearance and self worth, but it was an interesting read nonetheless. I liked her more personal essays the best — the ones about her brother, twin sister, and friends who weren’t mentioned much in her memoir. Her thoughts about various topic from tango to American citizenship to religion to animals were interesting but they lost me when they turned to philosophical. I liked the last essay the best. It was nice to read another genre, a good reminder that I should read more nonfiction and memoirs.

[Hans · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's heartbreaking to read this page at the end of the book (paperback published in 2001):

A NOTE ON THE AUTHOR

Lucy Grealy is an award-winning poet and author of the highly acclaimed memoir Autobiography of a Face (New York Times Notable Book of the Year). She lives in New York City and is currently working on a novel.

It would have been interesting to move from her personal story to a longer work of fiction, but Lucy Grealy died in 2002. This good, but uneven collection is the place that you can visit. Some of the essays cover territory and topics that also appear in the longer memoir, so the choice pieces are the ones that visit new places and topics. This book means a lot because it shows evidence of the works that we did not get a chance to read.

My next stops will be to visit the book from Lucy Grealy's friend Ann Patchett and the article from Lucy's sister Suellen Grealy.

[frazzledsoul · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book shortly after it came out and never finished it and that was . . . a very long time ago, given it was the only thing that she finished before he death and that was a very long time ago, back in 2002. I put off actually finishing it because I collect books and other pop culture detritus like other people collect tabloid magazines and sports scores and it just feel by the wayside.

Of course, it's more than that, because Grealy's death took me (and many others) as a shock. I didn't find out until a few months later, when her memoir showed up in an "In The News" section of the local bookstore, when her memoir was reissued. Even then, the Internet wasn't what it is now and it was still difficult to nail down what exactly had happened to her. (Also, in reality autopsy months take months to accumulate, so it wasn't until quite a while later that it came out that she had died of a drug overdose). The sad details of Grealy's demise can be read in Ann Patchett's Truth and Beauty (a quite moving and also very exploitative book on its own) yet the fact is that Lucy was not entirely the narcissistic, love-starved, irresponsible person that Patchett describes. Like of all of us, she did have her good points, points that made her memoir beloved by so many and points that probably don't show up when someone is in the midst of a ravaging heroin addiction. My grand point in all of this is that I don't entirely blame Patchett for writing the book that she did, but if she had waited a little longer to reflect on that relationship, it might have been better for everyone involved.

Of course, Patchett's book is not entirely the last word, at least for me since I've avoided reading this book for so long. The existence of these essays perhaps says more than the content contained within them, other than the fact that it makes it apparent that Patchett's book really didn't give Grealy a fair shake. In various essays on religion, horses, promiscuity, the media, her family, and politics (she really, really doesn't get Republicans) it's pretty apparent that she she is an erudite, self-depecating, thoughtful person in her own right, who not only was not oblivious to her own failings, but was constantly aware of them and trying to do better. Of course, it's far easier for that to come across in writing than in daily life, but that aspect still did *exist*, and it's worthwhile to seek out that third part of the story, the part that wasn't fulfilled by either Grealy or Patchett's books. I'm glad for finally reading it, although I'm not sure it may mean much to someone who didn't grow up as a teen with a hero worship for Autobiography Of A Face or the person that wrote it, or who doesn't know a little too much of what it's like to deal with abject substance abusers (that aspect of it definitely is really who Patchett's book was written for, and there's nothing she really says in it that doesn't feel 100% true).

So I'm a little sad but also grateful to put this back on my shelf. It's over, finally, and there's no more.

(And as an aside, this book is 181 pages and I bought it in hardcover, when the retail rate was 23.95? I'm sure I didn't pay anything near that much - probably around $17 - but what the hell was I thinking? It's like pulling teeth to make me pay $8 for a book these days).

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grealy was an interesting writer with a wild imagination. This collection of essays covers a wide section of her life from childhood to what happened after the success of "Autobiography of a Face." After reading "Truth & Beauty" by Ann Patchett, I know that Grealy was hounded by her editors to finish this book. That might explain the varied quality of these essays. Some are lovely and well written and others read like rushed assignments for magazines. My favorites were "The Yellow House" "The Girls" and "The Story So Far." Beautiful essays from a talented and troubled writer.

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll admit that I felt obligated to read this book after liking Autobiography of a Face so much. My feelings are mixed. It's obvious that Lucy Grealy is a talented writer, but I couldn't help but think that some of these essays were forced, or that she was a little too self aware in writing them. I also can't help but question what she would have become had she never had the cancer she writes about. At one point she even alludes to feeling special and strong because of the cancer, and although I appreciate finding meaning and growth in personal suffering, it felt like Grealy was of the mindset that she wouldn't have been able to be special or strong without it. Overall, despite her attempts at self deprecation, I was left feeling that she was really pleased with herself.

[Haley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, solid collection of well-written essays raging from personal to cultural commentary. Much of her work focuses on the penetration of surfaces, such as beatuy, infromed by a scarring bout of jaw cancer the author faced as a young child.

[Salty Swift · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an eight year old, Lucy Grealy was diagnosed with severe cancer in her face. After treatment, a third of her face was extracted. This autobiography doesn't focus on that particular, harrowing event but draws on her many rich experiences as a child and adult. Some stories are funny and others are disturbing, introspective and quite emotional. It's evident the author kept a constant lookout for a deeper meaning, for those difficult questions to ponder over. With someone who has overcome so much hardship throughout her life, it's devastating Lucy died tragically less than a decade following this collection's publication.

[Ginny Garber · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was eager to read this collection after reading Grealy’s memoir; however I found it to be alternately redundant and laborious, with occasionally interesting commentary sprinkled in. She reiterates almost verbatim much of her reflections in the Autobiography, to where I found myself skimming large swaths of essays. As for the other subjects she covers , they are varied and often seemingly disjointed. I enjoyed certain parts of this book but was relieved to reach the final page.

[Cecilia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed most of the essays but there were a key few that made it rather difficult to finish this book. The first essay was a little all over the place and it really hurt my head to read and try to follow along. But some stories like the one about the yellow house or her twin sister were very interesting reads. Will be reading her autobiography in the future.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author has a unique, fresh viewpoint of everyday things. I enjoyed most of the essays. Wish this author was still on the planet as she was talented.

[Allison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing after Autobiography of a Face. Essays are wildly inconsistent in style and quality.

[sydney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Lucy Grealy's writing. She weaves personal memoir with more political, universal thoughts in these essays, and several themes (sexuality, identity, family, animals, being in the public eye) recur. Grealy's voice is strong, sardonic, and clear, although some essays foray too far into loopy musings and lost me.

A lot of the best essays deal with multiple and shifting perspectives. I loved "Twin World" for Grealy's aggressive challenging of people's perceptions of what being a twin is like. "The Girls" is about Grealy's changing relationship with her own femininity and sexuality (and how her friendships with Sarah Lawrence drag queens helped shape her ideas about both). "The Present Tense" looks at how people see animals and the ways in which we project our ideas about ourselves onto them. "The Story So Far" is an exploration of her dead brother's life through the eyes of a private investigator hired by his daughter (and Grealy's struggle with the notion that she should write her brother's story). And "Mirrorings" tells the story of reconciling herself with the image she saw in the mirror following years of reconstructive surgery on her cancer-ravaged jaw.

Recommended if you loved "Autobiography of a Face." If you haven't read that, start here by reading "Mirrorings" (or just read "Autobiography" first).

[Wordsmith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended. Lucy Grealy is one of the best writers I've come across this year and her early demise is a loss on many levels. One of these levels is the small amount of work she left for us to read and ponder upon. Because that's the kind of things she writes about; ponderable things, issues, thoughts and images for us to reflect on. One amazing woman.

Addendum: After reading some other reviews of Lucy Grealy's work, other readers reflections and opinions on Lucy's writing, it appears she is one of these authors you either love or hate, you get or not, you'll drop out or take in. She does have a unique way of expressing herself. The language is quite distinct, the wording is point blank, all hers, and yes that makes it nothing but honest, in your face. There are only a few authors I've read who can pull this off without getting an egg thrown in their face. Let's face it, most write words so conventional, let's not rock any boats today. But Lucy Grealy threw convention to the wind with the words that came straight from her gut. What, after all, did she have to lose, after all she had already been through? I would like to read more of her work.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a tough book to rate. The author is point blank honest about her life and makes interesting connections. But I also found the book cold. Maybe because the author has gone through so much pain and suffering that even in her memoir she has distanced herself from her inner feelings. I didn't like the book as much as I'd hoped but I'm interested enough to read 'Autobiography of a Face'.

At age 9, the author had cancer of the jaw, went through many corrective surgeries which failed, and ultimately had to live with people's stares and inner doubts about self-worth. I wonder if her life would have been easier if she was born in the Middle East and wore the chador - an easy way to cover the lower half of the face and yet still blend in with the rest of the population. She might not have had to worry so much about what she looked like.

[Shin Yu · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a collection of personal essays by the author of Autobiography of a Face. The writing in this book is often more complex and textured than Grealy's earlier memoir work (which relied primarily on a narrative as told from a child/adolescent perspective in real-time), with Grealy implicating herself and writing more openly of her emotional insecurity, sexuality, privilege (she becomes an American citizen to qualify for a book prize), and intellectual snobbery (attachment to her own intelligence and book smarts). Allusions to her memoir and ongoing reconstructive surgeries and quest to fix herself run throughout the book. Grealey writes eloquently of her family in two essays - a piece on her alcoholic brother who dies from a head injury/car accident and an essay on being a twin.

[Sonja · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had read Autobiography of a Face by Grealy but really don't remember it very clearly. I enjoyed this book of her essays although I felt most of them were a little over my head or else she writes making it sound like everything is over everybody's head. However, she was pretty much on the mark on the things I understood, especially the difference between Democrats and Republicans and their ways of getting or not getting out the correct message and how the Republican/conservative/religious "explanations" are dangerous if one doesn't understand where their logic goes astray. After going through so much in her young life, it's too bad that she overdosed and left this world way too soon. She had a lot to offer on living one's life.

[Elisa Hategan · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a lot of depth to Lucy Grealy's writing in terms of self-reflection and analysis, and because I like her writing, and there's so little of it out there beyond her autobiography, I added this book to my collection.
Some of the essays are good and some fall flat, suffering from the same issues that plague all her other writing -- Grealy loves the sound of her voice, her clever positionings, her intellectual wittiness. As a result, she uses excessive verbiage and writes entire run-on paragraphs when a tighter, shorter sentence would suffice. Her essays can be seen as an exercise in the manipulation of form itself, rather than genuinely-innovative ideas.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pages 90-94 Christ, space-time, forgiveness, and chemistry... She had me completely. "The substance was itself the answer; our job was to find the right questions" (94). LOVE THAT.

Another sentence that struck me: "... The secret luminous truth of how wretchedness and joy are inseparable brushed past me..." (104). That sums up so much for me in life.

"... I learned... That observation could become a way to enter world. ... The ability to see was no longer passive" (171).

I gave this book 4 stars because I found myself at times just skimming over the text. Other times, she knocked me out of my seat.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was absolutely fascinating to me to read this along with Autobiography of a Face and Ann Patchett's Truth and Beauty... it's so hard to distinguish where truth and fiction collide in these memoirs and essays. Ann Patchett writes as if she were a central feature in Grealy's life, yet Grealy never mentions her, even obliquely, in either of her books that I can tell.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this immediately after reading Autobiography of a Face and it was fascinating to see how maturity and experience had changed her interpretations of the experiences described in her first memoir. Her insight into the exploitation of suffering people by television was also spot on. And her observation of the transience of insight.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read "Autobiography of a Face" in college and loved/still ove Lucy Grealy's voice and tone. I felt that some of these stories were a little too repetitive of what I already read in that book and not as poignant.

[Tracy King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Became somewhat obsessed with Lucy Grealy after reading Autobiography of a Face. I read this a long time ago and enjoyed this book, but it did not leave a lasting impression on me. I would give it 3.5 stars if I could give half!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

For Lucy Grealy fans, i.e., best read after Autobiography of a Face.