[Sissy Spacek]My Extraordinary Ordinary Life (epub){Zzzzz}

In her delightful and moving memoir, Sissy Spacek writes about her idyllic, barefoot childhood in a small East Texas town, with the clarity and wisdom that comes from never losing sight of her roots. Descended from industrious Czech immigrants and threadbare southern gentility, she grew up a tomboy, tagging along with two older brothers and absorbing grace and grit from her remarkable parents, who taught her that she could do anything. She also learned fearlessness in the wake of a family tragedy, the grief propelling her "like rocket fuel" to follow her dreams of becoming a performer.

With a keen sense of humor and a big-hearted voice, she describes how she arrived in New York City one star-struck summer as a seventeen-year-old carrying a suitcase and two guitars; and how she built a career that has spanned four decades with films such as Carrie, Coal Miner’s Daughter, 3 Women, and The Help. She details working with some of the great directors of our time, including Terrence Malick, Robert Altman, David Lynch, and Brian De Palma—who thought of her as a no-talent set decorator until he cast her as the lead in Carrie. She also reveals why, at the height of her fame, she and her family moved away from Los Angeles to a farm in rural Virginia.

Whether she’s describing the terrors and joys of raising two talented, independent daughters, taking readers behind the scenes on Oscar night, or meditating on the thrill of watching a pair of otters frolicking in her pond, Sissy Spacek’s memoir is poignant and laugh-out-loud funny, plainspoken and utterly honest. My Extraordinary Ordinary Life is about what matters most: the exquisite worth of ordinary things, the simple pleasures of home and family, and the honest job of being right with the world. "If I get hit by a truck tomorrow," she writes, "I want to know I’ve returned my neighbor’s cake pan."

Praise for My Extraordinary Ordinary Life:

"My Extraordinary Ordinary Life is the book version of Sissy: warm, heartfelt, and very real. Perhaps most remarkable is that Sissy’s life—from the ordinary experiences of growing up in and raising a close-knit family to the extraordinary thrills of starring in some of the most iconic roles in Hollywood—unfolds as gracefully on the page as it does on the big screen and, as all of her readers will soon learn, in everyday life."
—Kathryn Stockett, New York Times bestselling author of The Help

"My Extraordinary Ordinary Life describes a remarkable woman’s journey from a baton-twirling East Texas gal to an Academy-Award winning star. Sissy Spacek tells her story with warmth and grace, never straying far from the small-town roots that shaped her."
—Jeannette Walls, bestselling author of The Glass Castle and Half Broke Horses

"[A] warm narrative�Like a folk song, Spacek’s storytelling is tender and unhurried."
—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"I took this book to heart, for in the end, there is no more devoted friend, no more faithful friend than Memory, a friend who commands you to interrogate and lay bare the sweetness and its opposite, of your everyday existence, the unexpected turns of it, the mystery of your origins. My Extraordinary Ordinary Life is not only a splendid example of that, but it reminds us of Sissy Spacek’s true voice, a voice that we first come to know in a uniquely American way, through a character in a movie. But the soul of this dear book is not a fiction, it is shaped and infused with truth and love."
—Jamaica Kincaid, award-winning author

"Sissy Spacek writes with the same bright animation and verve as she has lived her, indeed, extraordinary life."
—Sally Mann, artist and writer

Review
"My Extraordinary Ordinary Life is the book version of Sissy: warm, heartfelt, and very real. Perhaps most remarkable is that Sissy's life--from the ordinary experiences of growing up in and raising a close-knit family to the extraordinary thrills of starring in some of the most iconic roles in Hollywood--unfolds as gracefully on the page as it does on the big screen and, as all of her readers will soon learn, in everyday life."—Kathryn Stockett, New York Times bestselling author of The Help

"My Extraordinary Ordinary Life describes a remarkable woman's journey from a baton-twirling East Texas gal to an Academy-Award winning star. Sissy Spacek tells her story with warmth and grace, never straying far from the small-town roots that shaped her."—Jeannette Walls, New York Times bestselling author of The Glass Castle and Half Broke Horses

"[A] warm narrative Like a folk song, Spacek's storytelling is tender and unhurried."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Sissy Spacek writes with the same bright animation and verve as she has lived her, indeed, extraordinary life."—Sally Mann, artist and writer

"I took this book to heart, for in the end, there is no more devoted friend, no more faithful friend than Memory, a friend who commands you to interrogate and lay bare the sweetness and its opposite, of your everyday existence, the unexpected turns of it, the mystery of your origins. My Extraordinary Ordinary Life is not only a splendid example of that, but it reminds us of Sissy Spacek's true voice, a voice that we first come to know in a uniquely American way, through a character in a movie. But the soul of this dear book is not a fiction, it is shaped and infused with truth and love."—Jamaica Kincaid, award-winning author

About the Author
Sissy Spacek was raised in Quitman, Texas, the daughter of an agriculturalist and a homemaker. From her Oscar-nominated performance in Carrie, based on Stephen King's book, to her Academy-Award-winning portrayal of country singer Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner's Daughter, in which she sang all of Lynn's songs and earned a Grammy nomination, her acclaimed guest role on HBO's Big Love, and her uproarious turn in The Help, she has enjoyed an enduring career in movies and television. She lives in Virginia with her husband, the production designer, Jack Fisk, six dogs, and one cat who thinks he's a dog.

Publisher: Hyperion (1 May 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1401324363
ISBN-13: 978-1401324360

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

An Inspiring Story of A Life in Balance 3 May 2012
By sanmokimba - Published on Amazon.com
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
I have always admired Sissy Spacek's work as an actress, but admire her even more now after reading about the life she has led, focusing on what means most - family and friends and the simple moments we all experience. In this celebrity-centered world, it is rare to read about an actress who puts family before fame and appreciates the joys of everyday life. This memoir is beautifully written, allowing you to visualize all that has made Sissy who she is today. Also, plenty of amusing anecdotes about those who have shared her journey, including other famous actors and directors. A lovely book that I highly recommend.

What an actress !!!!!!!!!!! 3 May 2012
By Dave - a Tennessee fan -
I was so excited to hear Sissy Spacek on NPR's FRESH AIR on Monday that I ordered BOTH her new book, My Extraordinary Ordinary Life, and her audiobook. On a future long trip, perhaps up Interstate 81 through Tennessee and Virginia, I will listen to Sissy read her book. I look forward to that trip.

I have had the honor of seeing Sissy Spacek twice. During a college spring break in March 1979 COAL-MINER'S DAUGHTER was filming in Wise, Virginia. I drove from Kingsport and stayed with my dear aunt in Clintwood. She dressed me up in 1961 clothes. My movie career began and ended in the rainy fair scene in COAL_MINER'S DAUGHTER. (It was cold!!!) I recall Sissy Spacek was cheerful and joked with the crowd. "Isn't movie-making glamorous?" She was a joy. She also turned in a fantastic, Oscar-winning performance as Loretta Lynn.

Four years later I watched Ms. Spacek film some scenes when she came to my hometown, Kingsport, Tennessee, and starred with Mel Gibson in THE RIVER.

Four years ago I was blown away by her performance in the Hallmark Hall of Fame production PICTURES OF HOLLIS WOODS. I am a physician in the dementia field. Ms. Spacek was fantastic as an artist in the early stages of Alzheimer's. Thank you for the exposure to this increasingly prevalent condition.

Last summer's THE HELP was widely anticipated. We were delighted to find out that, once again, Sissy Spacek, graced the screen in an effective and funny role.

Sissy, I am a bit surprised that you are writing your autobiography at such a young age. I wish for you many, many more movie and TV roles that touch us, teach us, and enhance our lives. Someday I hope to get to you a copy of my photos from those two cold March days in 1979 at the fair scene in COAL-MINER'S DAUGHTER.

Bless you and THANK YOU,
Tennessee Dave