Susan Orlean

The author offers profiles of some of the colorful people she has encountered, from the first female Spanish matador to the African king who drives a New York City cab.

My Encounters with Extraordinary People

The Bullfighter Checks Her Makeup

Laura Mauler

It was fun and startling to read adult-viewpoint stories about Marky Mark and Tiffany, who were famous when I was a kid, because the way they were depicted was so different from their personas in Seventeen Magazine and the like. Yes, of course they would be different, but the thing is that I had no idea they would be in this book, so reading about them was a trip back in time. 

Of course, the best ones were the stories of non-celebrities. It reinforces the idea that everyone has something interesting about them, and only needs a very talented writer around to draw out their story and put it in a witty little package. My favorites were "Show Dogs" and "I Want This Apartment" and "Silly Billy". The story about Silly Billy was especially interesting to me because years ago I saw the documentary "Capturing the Friedmans", and recognized Silly Billy as David Friedman, whose father and brother were accused of child molestation. This connection gave more depth and perspective to the article as I read it, as well as to how I think about and remember the movie and its people.

The Bullfighter Checks Her Makeup My Encounters with Extraordinary People

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