A forthcoming book, Letters from Little Edie Beale: Grey Gardens and Beyond, collected and edited by Walter Newkirk, is a sequel to memoraBEALEia: A Private Scrapbook About Little Edie Beale of Grey Gardens. It will be available to the public between September - November 2009 (pub date TBA) on amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and in bookstores nationwide
The new book will contain approximately 80-100 transcripts of the most engaging and entertaining cards and letters written to Walter Newkirk by Edie Beale from 1977-1987 and from 2000 up until a few months before Edie's death in 2002. In her letters Edie discusses politics, 9/11, her cousins Jackie and Lee, politics, and more.
Walter Newkirk was inspired to compile the collection of letters from Little Edie in this book by Barry Qualls, Vice President and Professor of English at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He first became acquainted with Professor Qualls as a freshman at Rutgers in 1972 as a student in his class.
The Rutgers professor is a fan of the Broadway musical Grey Gardens, and read memoraBEALEia. He wrote to the author and said he liked the book, but like many other readers and Grey Gardens fans, he wanted more.
The author dedicates this book to Edie Beale, whose spirit and life on stage and film touches many people nationally and internationally. Letters From Little Edie Beale is also dedicated to Rutgers University and the Rutgers Daily Targum for their marvelous and steadfast support of Newkirk's books. The Targum was, in fact, the genesis of his first book, and
The catalyst for his friendship with Edie Beale.
The book will feature several pages of art related to Edie and Grey Gardensby thirteen artists including Bruce Lennon, along with East Hampton residents Giovanni Gelardi, Lois Wright, Andrew Wargo, and Don Duga,.
