Stories I Only Tell My Friends
Book ReviewIn Stories I Only Tell My Friends, An Autobiography, Rob Lowe tells of being at his grandmother's bedside when she died. After he cried, a nurse reached over the body to give him a pen asking for his autograph. While he is grateful for his "good fortune" he is "bummed out at the concept that someone just wants a scribble from you, when it's clear they've never seen your work, they just know you're 'famous'."
He would not like to hear this: when I saw his autobiography on a library shelf, I was not sure who he is other than a famous star. Also in my mind was wondering if he had been involved in a scandal involving underage girls. It did not take much reading to learn that I have seen his work, specifically in an old favorite movie: St. Elmo's Fire. Least Mr. Rowe feel forgotten by me, I admit I could not name any actors in that film, even after reading Stories I Only Tell My Friends, in which he shares stories of interactions with other cast members.
Can actors write? I wondered if Mr. Lowe wrote his book or if he used an unaccredited ghost writer. Towards the end of his autobiography I learn that he does indeed write, taking advice from Jodie Foster by first penning a screenplay. A photo of Rob and his mother is captioned: "With the first writer I ever knew; my mom, Barbara in Malibu". It is in memory of her that he wrote this book hoping that it would be up to her standards. Her death due to breast cancer is the reason he does work for cancer charities.
Developing an interest in politics at a young age, Rob has also done volunteer work for political candidates campaign drives. He was thrilled when Jane Fonda invited him to participate in promoting passage of Clean Water Proposition 65 in California. I stopped watching television quite a few years ago thus never saw his performance as Sam Seaborn in The West Wing. Lowe's political activism made playing Seaborn an ideal role for him.
I also learned that I was correct; Lowe was involved in a scandal, although the way he relates it, the tryst was not that big of a deal. After years of being a swinging single, he went into rehab, stayed clean and sober, married and is proud father to two sons.
Published by Henry Holt and Company, LLC, copyright 2011 by Rob Lowe, Stories I Only Tell My Friends, An Autobiography is 306 pages long. It includes 16 pages of photographs on glossy pages, some black and white others colors. I was struck by a picture of Rob in 1971 with his father, Chuck and brother Chad. Rob's father is quite handsome, looking like the star of an old western movie.
Stories I Only Tell My Friends took me a bit longer to read than usual for a short book. I could not put my finger on why my interest waned, making it a struggle to finish reading.
Permission granted to copy, publish, broadcast or post but please credit "photo by Alan Light" if you can"
