August 5, 2014
Amanda Lepore Signs Deal to Publish Memoir
Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Amanda Lepore, owner of "the most expensive body on earth," has inked a deal with New York-based Vigliano Books to publish her memoir, tentatively titled I...Amanda, with exclusive cover art by world-renowned photographer David LaChapelle.
The transsexual model, performer and beloved New York City nightlife fixture's tell-all will peel away the make-up and silicone to get to the heart of the woman who redefines what it means to be a woman.
In the forthcoming tell-all, Lepore will discuss everything from her tumultuous upbringing to her success as a performer and fashion muse. Raised in New Jersey by a paranoid schizophrenic mother, Lepore began taking hormones at 15, was a legally married New Jersey housewife by 17, the toast of the New York Club Kid scene by 20, and a world famous model by 21.
Lepore's life has been a whirlwind since, traveling the globe as a walking piece of art. Dubbed "La Silicona" in Italy, Lepore has been likened to a Jeff Koons statue of Marilyn Monroe-a walking work in progress whose nonstop array of plastic surgeries have made her a unique comment on womanhood.
Known for her candor, Lepore intends to tell all about life as The #1 transsexual with a fully functioning vagina. "David (LaChapelle) told me to start calling myself that. A lot of girls don't want that title; they just want to live as women, so they were happy to hand me that crown. Things are changing. I cried when I saw Laverne (Cox) on the cover of Time. Transsexuals are getting front covers; people are ready to hear my story." She will divulge details about her unconventional marriage, celebrity encounters, sordid love affairs and her time spent with Michael Alig (aka Party Monster), whose recent prison release has been widely publicized.
Asked about the recent RuPaul/Tranny controversy, Lepore says "I've been like this for so long none of it really bothers me. But when I was younger, I threw away all my old pictures; I was a woman and that's it. I'd get offended easily, so I understand it; you've been through all this and you don't want anything in your way. But the GLB community loves and accepts us; it seems a shame to bother RuPaul with tranny stuff. Deep down, I'm all woman, and not a bad example of one either. You can call me whatever you want, just don't ask me my age."
The memoir will be released in June 2015 to coincide with the global Pride festivities. It will be co-written by Thomas Flannery Jr and released by Vigliano Books, in collaboration with Peace Bisquit and www.ExpertSubjects.com.