Rare Birds

What is remarkable is not only his voice—it is all in the practiced cadences of a born raconteur—but the number of interesting people he is related to.... Would make a great choice for discussion groups exploring family chronicles.

~Booklist

Bessie tells a great story in his memoir.

~Family Tree Magazine

One hundred and fifty years of American life are illuminated in the delightful family history of film writer, director, producer, and animator Bessie.

~Library Journal

Bessie's fascination with his extraordinary relatives has given life to these vivid family portraits.

~Louisville Courier-Journal

Certainly one of the more colorful collections of folks you'll encounter.

~Marietta (OH) Times

Examines good times and hard times with an understanding eye and an indulgent heart.

~Movie Magazine International

His breathless enthusiasm, sometimes maddening naïveté and flair for irony inform the entire memoir, as do the splendid family snapshots he has painstakingly assembled.

~New York Times Book Review

Spreading untidily across the country, producing capitalist moguls and card-carrying Communists, marrying, divorcing, coming out of the closet, keeping in touch and supporting each other when they chips are down, they remind me of the craziness of my own family and they will remind you of yours.

~Prime Time (Santa Fe, NM)

Bessie portrays his relatives—both famous and not—as striking examples of American individuality, ingenuity and creativity.... This heartfelt, warmly intelligent kaleidoscope of intimate portraits never glosses over the rough edges.

~Publishers Weekly

A fetching family history that showcases a multigenerational cast of passionate oddballs.

~San Francisco Chronicle