A.L.T: A Memoir

Well this book set me straight. I was expecting a bitchy expose about Talleys career in the fashion world but it turns out there many more layers to the flamboyant Talley than he lets the public see. Lovingly recounting his childhood with his grandmother in North Carolina, Talley salutes the foundations which shaped the core of his personality. One can visualize his grandmothers sheets, feel themselves in Talleys home church and taste the after church dinners just by turning the pages.

After receiving degrees from North Carolina Central State and Brown University, Talley sets off to pursue his destiny in New York. His life and career are forever altered when he meets fashion legend Diana Vreeland. Talley remembers his grandmother and Vreeland with a great deal of love. His writing reveals a real fondness for women which doesnt always seem to be the case with males in the fashion business. So while I didnt get the expose I was expecting particularly about his Warhol days, I did learn that Talley is a man of spiritual and intellectual substance.

I would have liked to read more about his experiences as a Black male in the predominantly White fashion industry but thats only a minor quibble. I highly recommend this book.