Let's talk about Martha Stewart + memoirs recommendations
I grew up in Brazil and even with the predominantly Hollywood-focused entertainment on television there, I had not known who Martha Stewart was. I had seen her, heard about parts of her work - mostly around cooking - and I knew what she looked like (white, blond lady), but in Brazil we have Ana Maria Braga. For me, Martha was just the United States version of Ana. Turns out I was wrong.
For the past 5 years I've been living in the US, I slowly started to understand that Martha's work - her books, TV shows, magazines - are absolutely everywhere here. From shopping at HomeGoods and seeing her home-decoration products, to finding her older publications on thrift stores' shelves. And I still thought she was old news. I keep trying to remember if during my college years studying food and learning about North American culinary I had heard about her work, but unfortunately, I cannot recall. So, I had not understood what she really represented for the United States' culinary and "homemaking" culture until, at some point last year, I decided to watch her documentary, Martha, on Netflix. It changed my perception of the legend she has made herself, and her name, to be.
Martha Stewart went above and beyond with her brand, her name, her performance... it is absolutely unbelievable. I had no idea the size of her magazine empire back in the 90s, or the fact that she has written more than 100 books (to date), or even the amount of TV shows she had participated and continues to participate in. In fact, she is the first self-made female billionaire in the country. Marketing never saw her coming.
I am not getting into further details of all that has happened in her life for two main reasons: I want people to watch the documentary - yes, this book-related blog is telling you to watch some TV. But also, because I don't have an opinion about her prison years and her crime. All I know is that she came back from the bottom and reinvented herself, again. As her famous motto: "When you’re through changing, you’re through.".
And in 2026, Martha's very first book, Entertaining, originally published in 1982, is back on shelves. I had been keeping an eye at local thrift stores with the hopes of finding this book after I watched her documentary, having no idea it was being sold on eBay for up to $1000 on bidding wars. This year, I was very lucky to receive this book (the new print, not the eBay-war version) as a gift for my birthday. The new edition came with a note noting that the re-release is a facsimile - meaning it's an exact copy of the original - it even has the dedication to her now ex-husband. If you are a fan, this book is worth it - and available at some major bookstores.
Martha Stewart's was a model in the 50s, a stockbroker in the 60s, a caterer in the 70s, and in the 80s, she became a book author. Her legacy will be part of this country's culture for many generations to come. She is currently 84 years old, and this past weekend was at Super Bowls' sponsored events for Gatorade and Pepsi.
Inspired by Martha, this week's book recommendations are all memoirs.
Comments
Post a Comment