I'll Never Write My Memoirs

Don't look for an index in this autobiography, it's not that sort of book. I was pleasantly surprised by the detailed childhood of Grace Jones, her strict surrogate upbringing by the extended Jamaican family making her quite the uninhibited type the moment she got her freedom and came to America. I was disappointed not to find a section on her experience filming Conan the Destroyer, but her life is so rich with interesting experiences that this was lost by the wayside as she related her life to the expertly invisible Paul Morley.Several places through this book caught me by surprise and had me laughing, there's a bit of wit here and there that's a joy to read. There are some things you may not want to read, such as Grace's sulky reaction to Duran Duran winning an award over her filmed show, and then not being invited to the after awards party. Why would either of those matter, if she is truly as above-it-all and blase as her persona suggests? But that's part of the charm of this book which is Jones as she is, without worries over whether she will offend this reader or that celebrity. She learned an important lesson in signing autographs from Andy Warhol, and I think that's a good summary of the book with the life that one should live.Most of us spend our whole lives trying not to offend anyone, to conform to not be noticed, and to finish our lives not having made any impact or mark at all. Read this memoir and discover that there is another way to view life, as a delight to surprise yourself and others. Grace Jones could have spent her life in a small village in Jamaica. She followed her bliss and the world is better for it.

Being a big fan of raw undiluted art and always believing Grace was on the wild side is what made reading this scribe thrice the speechless treat.The picture provided of Jamaica and parts of its culture, particularly compared and related to black American culture, and the differences noted between the slave systems was priceless. Many of the phrases splayed throughout her memoir captivated me as well. Often absurd but lyrical writing. Very beautiful. Loved what seemed to be at the core of her essence too; as in her “personal power”, though I was fairly sure meeting her in person, love wouldn’t be one of the top words ambling around at the hilt of my head. The acid trip was another eye-opener…very well captured. One of Dr. Leary’s ‘Harvard’ quotes really snagged and resonated with me; and just gotta give Aunt Sybil some love. Most of all I was simply inundated by Grace's perspectives on the arts and her raw originality. It was tough keeping up with the gargantuan of top artists she’s worked with. Many I never heard of, though lost in that rich sauce I still was like, ‘I’m wit’ cha’ ma’mi!’...crying laughing about her poking that talk show host. Awwwwww……….. Super-duper hilarious.Overall, it can be challenging working with the complexities of some artists, and reading this memoir did give my eyes a somersaulting-whiplash workout, but all that told, the rewards of working with raw talent and artists provide unspoken benefits to the world’s tapestry, both aesthetically and technically. I highly recommend reading I’ll Never Write My Memoirs. You'll never read nothing like it twice...and have twin-fold that much respect for the woman. Beautiful.

I enjoyed it from the title to the end

Grace Jones has been an exciting, electric person for a long time. Her public persona during the disco years was one of incredible art and excess. This fills in a lot of blanks, plus I learned a lot about Jamaica- a bonus. I had no idea what her family was like (interesting and surprising) or what she's been doing since the early '80s.She does tend to go into a lot of detail about a lot of things, sometimes a little bit too much for my attention span, but in general I enjoyed reading the book very much.

great book

I just finished reading this book and it is amazing. The reviewers that called it a bore are not REAL Grace Jones fans. Grace has always been rumored to be eccentric and unpredictable, I love that the books humanizes her. In the book she talks about her childhood in Jamaica, her family, her relationships and the fact that she is human and vulnerable like everyone else. I have always loved her but now I love her even more. I believe the people writing that the book is a bore, wanted to read some crazy and outrageous stories about the rumored eccentric Grace Jones but she fooled them all and wrote a book about simply being a human, having a history like everyone else that includes heartbreaks, failures, triumphs and finding peace.