Our first readers came through big. Ray Banks sent an epic encouraging e-mail that got us through many a dark night of the soul; David Corbett kindly introduced us to the right person; and Christa Faust, G. M. Ford, and Skye Moody offered advice and, even better, support.
Any research into the life of Edith Head begins with her own books, The Dress Doctor (cowritten by Jane Kesner Ardmore) and How to Dress for Success, with Joe Hyams. Edith inspired three different biographers, each approaching her life from a unique perspective. Paddy Calistro based Edith Head’s Hollywood on hours of taped interviews for Edith’s uncompleted autobiography, with Edith credited as coauthor. David Chierichetti drew on his background as a costumer and his friendship with Edith for his book Edith Head: The Life and Times of Hollywood’s Celebrated Costume Designer, while Jay Jorgensen places the emphasis on her handiwork in his lavishly illustrated Edith Head: The Fifty-Year Career of Hollywood’s Greatest Costume Designer. Many thanks to Ms. Calistro and Mr. Chierichetti for being gracious enough to answer our questions.
Edith willed her papers to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The staff at the Academy’s Margaret Herrick Library made it a pleasure to review Edith’s personal correspondence—while sitting at a table from Edith’s house. Marilyn Moss contributed a critical research assist.
For a perspective on Edith’s legacy, as well as the art of costume design itself, our thanks to Deborah Nadoolman Landis, the founding director and chair of UCLA’s David C. Copley Center for the Study of Costume Design, and her associate Natasha Rubin. The dedicated team of archivists at Paramount Pictures rolled out the red carpet for us. To walk in Edith’s footsteps was a thrill. We will never be able to repay Andrea Kalas, Randall Thropp, Geraldine Pace, and Jaci Rohr for their time, their enthusiasm, and their willingness to let us hijack a little of the studio’s history. It’s worth underscoring that all these talented, busy people happily assisted two novices out of a shared respect for Edith Head and her work.
We plotted many story twists, drowned every heartbreak, and celebrated each milestone at Seattle’s Zig Zag Café. Throughout, the staff talked about the book as if its seeing the light of day were a foregone conclusion. And as always, they pour a lovely cocktail.
Vince thanks Bob Sobhani and the entire team at Magnet Management, as well as the readers of VinceKeenan.com. Rosemarie thanks her colleagues at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and the vintage fashion and classic film online communities.
We’d both like to acknowledge our parents, who never forced their movie-obsessed children to go outside and play.
In writing Design for Dying, we strove to honor the Hollywood history that inspired us, but on occasion we adjusted time lines and geography. All mistakes are our own, and when in doubt, we printed the legend.
About the Author
RENEE PATRICK is the pseudonym of married authors Rosemarie and Vince Kennan. Rosemarie is a research administrator and a poet. Vince is a screenwriter and a journalist. Both native New Yorkers, they currently live in Seattle, Washington. You can sign up for email updates here.
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Epigraph
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
DESIGN FOR DYING
Copyright © 2016 by Renee Patrick
All rights reserved.
Cover art by Gerad Taylor
A Forge Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
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New York, NY 10010
www.tor-forge.com
Forge® is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-0-7653-8184-2 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4668-8458-8 (e-book)
e-ISBN 9781466884588
Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at [email protected].
First Edition: April 2016
Design for Dying Page 28