For the month of July, SRPL book discussion members read the memoir The Rainbow Comes and Goes by Anderson Cooper and Gloria Vanderbilt. The book covers correspondence between the mother-and-son authors, in which they discuss important events that affected their lives and careers over the years.Members had a lively discussion and enjoyed a rainbow-layered cake. Below are resources for those wishing to learn more about the book.
Author Interviews
- https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/03/fashion/anderson-cooper-gloria-vanderbilt.html
- http://people.com/books/why-anderson-cooper-and-gloria-vanderbilt-wrote-the-rainbow-comes-and-goes/ [includes video]
- https://dianerehm.org/shows/2016-03-31/anderson-cooper-and-gloria-vanderbilt-the-rainbow-comes-and-goes [includes audio]
- http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/television/gail-pennington/gloria-vanderbilt-anderson-cooper-talk-loss-joy-in-hbo-documentary/article_d726db7d-3447-56df-ae61-fc0de15b9ef7.html
- http://www.vogue.com/article/anderson-cooper-gloria-vanderbilt-documentary-nothing-left-unsaid-hbo
- http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-april-14-2016-1.3535150/anderson-cooper-reflects-on-love-loss-and-his-relationship-with-mom-gloria-vanderbilt-1.3535191
Book Reviews
- http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/apr/25/book-review-the-rainbow-comes-and-goes-a-mother-an/
- https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/anderson-cooper/the-rainbow-comes-and-goes/
- https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-06-245494-2
- http://www.aarp.org/entertainment/books/info-2016/gloria-vanderbilt-anderson-cooper-book-review.html#slide1
Discussion Questions
Gloria Vanderbilt: Oh hell, please don’t label me a hopeless optimist. We all have moments when we die a little, or a lot. But stay calm. Take a look at yourself in the mirror. No crying, please. These moments can be the beginning of a rebirth, another chance to reinvent yourself. “The rainbow comes and goes,” Wordsworth wrote, and boy, was he right.
Miscellany
- HBO documentary: http://www.hbo.com/documentaries/nothing-left-unsaid-gloria-vanderbilt-and-anderson-cooper/synopsis/about.html
- Brief article about Gloria Vanderbilt's 2001 art exhibit: http://observer.com/2012/09/gloria-vanderbilt-paints-the-town-exhibits-60-years-of-artworks-at-1stdibs/
- Photos of Vanderbilt and her homes over the years: http://www.vogue.com/slideshow/gloria-vanderbilt-homes-photography
- Wordsworth poem containing the title line: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45536/ode-intimations-of-immortality-from-recollections-of-early-childhood
