In his acknowledgments, author Stephen Miller makes it clear that his book, Smart Blonde: Dolly Parton, is not an authorized biography of the singer, songwriter, and actress. Despite not being able to interview Parton or most of her closest associates for the book, he has been able to gather an impressive collection of anecdotes and factual information about Parton's life, from childhood to stardom.
In addition to the fairly comprehensive 60-year overview of Parton's life, the book contains a selective discography, source notes, a bibliography, and an index - all useful tools for researchers. I particularly enjoyed looking at the 16 pages of plates of photographs of Parton at various points in her life. Unfortunately, only the most dedicated fans are likely to read the book from cover to cover.
Despite being repeatedly drawn in by the stories and snippets of Parton's life shared in this book, I was turned off by the rough editing. Far too often, the narration would shift from one anecdote to the next, with only a paragraph break to indicate the transition. This can work, but only if there is a clear ending and beginning for each story, which Miller infrequently is able to achieve.
Miller appears to have several reasons for writing this book. On the surface, he is a journalist/writer interested in compiling and sharing as much about the subject (Dolly Parton's life) as he can. However, several themes appear early on in the book, and they all point to a different motive: to shatter the public image that Parton has cultivated for herself over time.
It is no surprise that the public Parton is any different from the private, real Parton. What celebrity is exactly the way they seem? Even regular people create public personas that are different from their private selves. Miller seems to imply that there is something more sinister afoot, but does not have much information to back up this assertion. This biography would be much more enjoyable to read if the author let the facts speak for themselves.
Between the choppy editing and the questionable agenda, it is difficult for me to recommend Smart Blonde to other readers. It may appeal to those who are less picky about the flow of narration than I, and who are able to distinguish between fact and opinion.
Article comments
1 - shane gauthier
trust me, nothing sinister about Ms. Parton at all. She is the real deal. Ms. Parton has the most incredible open heart, light and soul than anyone else I have ever met. I am shocked that Mr. Miller was not able to interview Ms. Parton, Ms. Ogle, or any of here staff, most of whom have been with her for decades...Interesting.
I look forward to reading Mr. Miller's book.
2 - Mikki
Isnt this the one where Dolly's sister Stella was interviewed, and somehow she wound up sounding like an evil jealous b!+[#???
Hahahaha Dolly? Sinister? Hahahahaha
3 - DollyNood
No matter the over-the-top image, the big hair, rhinestones and the corny one-liners.
No doubt Dolly is an unequaled singer-songwriter but with the candy-floss hair and her bawdy, larger-than-life, knock-'em-out curves, Dolly is one of the greatest hotties of the world.
At age 62 she still looks better than a lot of those so-called supermodels. I'd say it's way overdue that she showed those 34E's aka "The Best Boobs in the Bizz" to the world, so c'mon Dolly pose nude in the near future and don't wait until y'er 100-th birthday or at least have the pictures that have been taken in the past published!!
4 - Jim R.
Despite what the media suggests, a celebrity's personal life is no one's business but their own. I don't really care if the private Dolly differs from the public version, although virtually everyone who speaks about her says she is genuine.
I live in the Smoky Mountains where Dolly grew up and can attest to her enormous contributions to our community, whether charitable programs or savvy business ventures that have transformed the local economy. Her actions speak for themselves.
5 - dollywood
I love Dolly Parton she is beautiful. Some people say that she looks plastic or she has giant booba but, I don't think so. I love her music, and her theme park Dollywood and her Dollywood's splash country water park. I love her to death. I can't wait to see her at Dollywood on May.9,2009. She is a hilarious person. I met her once at Dollywood on August.17,2008 she looked gorgeous.