Jackie: Beyond the Myth of Camelot

About the Book

Discover An Amazing Travelogue!!! The author of the travelogue, ´Jackie Beyond the Myth of Camelot´ is also the writer/producer of the PBS feature documentary ´Jackie Behind the Myth´. The travels of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis are extraordinary as she immerses herself as a celebrated first lady into the cultures of foreign countries then privately as a literary editor. Her love of French culture, inspires journeys to Versailles where she commissioned the famous photography journal "Unseen Versailles." In South America, she spoke Spanish and created unique White House performances for Pablo Casals and the Bossa Nova. Jackie traveled to Egypt, India, Prague, Russia and China. Her extraordinary fascination with foreign cultures inspired many literary projects from biographies of Russia´s Tsar Nicholas to a history of India´s holistic medical tradition Ayurveda in "The Garden of Life." After Jackie transformed the White House into a magnificent stage for the performing arts she created a distinguished list of literary works by Andre Previn, Judith Jamison, George Plimpton, Louis Auchincloss, and dozens of other leaders in the arts. Many times Jackie would commissioned memoirs, provocative histories, and her deep knowledge of the performing arts was the inspiration for many of her books. The travelogue also explores her adventurous journeys to establish the International Center for Photography, save the Egyptian temples from the floods caused by the construction of the High Aswan Dam, preserve and restore Grand Central Terminal, and support Diana Vreeland´s exhibtions at The Costume Museum. Jackie´s career as a literary editor reveals that her greatest gift to America was a tremendous lifting of the American spirit through art, music, culture and dance. Wall Street Journal Bookshelf December 18, 2010 Rewriting Her Legacy It´s hard to imagine that there´s more to say about the extraordinary life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, but it turns out that there is: Two dueling books tell the story of the last third of her life spent as a literary editor in New York, with JFK and Ari just ghostly presences in the background. Eleven years prior to these books appearing on the market is K.L. Kelleher’s “Jackie; Beyond the Myth of Camelot, A Passion for Artists & Authors” – insightful, well researched, written and engaging! Kelleher’s book is a product of her PBS documentary, "Jackie Behind the Myth" which debuted on November 29th, 1999.

About the Author

Special Readings and Screenings of the Film: On Friday, November 2nd, 2001 6:00 to 7:00pm National Public Radio at Southampton College, Long Island sponsors a program of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis´ favorite music from the Kennedy White House through her interest in music as a book editor. On Thursday, November 8th, 2001 7:00 to 9:00pm The Rogers Memorial Library in Southampton, Long Island sponsors a reading, and film screening. The program will be the same as the New York Public Library´s. On Saturday, September 29th, 2001 2:00-5:00 at the New York Public Library Jefferson Market Branch. NYPL sponsored the event with a reading by K.L. Kelleher. Ms. Kelleher also read the speech CITIZENS OF THE WORLD from President Kennedy´s collection of speeches A Strategy of Peace. Karen Kelleher is the writer and producer of the PBS documentary film ´Jackie Behind the Myth´ which premiered in November of 1999. Ms. Kelleher employed the L. in her name to pay homage to her Italian mother who lived in Washington DC during the Kennedy White House years, and attended the exhibition of the ´Mona Lisa´ at The National Gallery of Art in 1963. The feature style documentary captures Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis as the central inspiration for the cultural renaissance in America during the early 1960´s. The film and book includes interviews with many of the greatest 20th century artists who shaped the spirit and the traditions of the worlds of dance and music. After the film was completed, Kelleher realized a book that explores in depth the artists and authors Jacqueline Onassis commissioned during her profession as a literary editor would be insightful and educational. The book includes interviews with Henry Fonda, Isaac Stern, as well as artists that became authors she suceeded in publishing: Andre Previn, Judith Jamison, Deborah Turbville, George Plimpton. The book explores all the authors and artists Jackie selected to publish while she was an editor. Ms. Kelleher, as the director of development at CineVox in Los Angeles, commissioned several film projects including Miramax Film´s co-production ´Benefit of the Doubt´ staring Amy Irving and Donald Sutherland. She has worked in various areas of film and television development and production including Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles.