My Name Is Barbra (book) explained

My Name Is Barbra
Author:	Barbra Streisand
Country:	United States
Language:	English
Genre:	Autobiography
Publisher:	Viking Press
Pub Date:	November 7, 2023
Pages:	970
Isbn:	9780525429524
Oclc:	1380998376

My Name Is Barbra is the autobiography of American entertainer Barbra Streisand.^[1] Released on November 7, 2023, the memoir spans 970 pages, while the audiobook, read by the author, exceeds 48 hours.^[2] Generally lauded for sparing no detail,^{[3] [4]} reviews recognized Streisand as "the architect of her persona and performance."^[5]

Background

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, while an editor at Doubleday, sought to publish Streisand's memoir in 1984.^[6] Streisand rejected the offer, feeling her age of 42 was too young, with more to achieve in her future.^[6] Streisand subsequently began making notes, then started a journal in longhand in 1999.^{[6] [7]}

Viking Press announced in May 2015 that they would publish the long-awaited memoir, spanning Streisand's entire life and career, which was planned for release in 2017.^[8]

Publication

The book's November 2023 release lacks an index,^[9] as Streisand hoped readers would engage with the book from beginning to end without browsing for specifics.^[6]

Streisand's audiobook recording includes ad-libs that vary from the written text, resulting in a "natural, intimate spoken narrative."^[10]

Reception

Before its release, My Name Is Barbra became a bestseller during presales in February 2023.^[11] Following its publication, book sales topped Amazon.com charts,^[12] with overall US sales exceeding 55,000 copies during its first week.^[13]

Interview magazine subsequently compiled an index to the book's contents.^[14]

Streisand's lavish accounts of wardrobe and style details spurred a dedicated fashion interview.^[15]

Notes and References

1. News: Barbra Streisand to publish her first memoir . The Guardian . February 7, 2023 . Knight . Lucy .
2. News: Bayard . Louis . Barbra Streisand's memoir is long and dishy. Here are the highlights. . The Washington Post . November 7, 2023 . November 7, 2023.
3. Web site: Kaplan . Ilana . Love affairs, the diva thing and that nose: Takeaways from Barbra Streisand's huge memoir . Los Angeles Times . November 7, 2023 . November 7, 2023.
4. Web site: Morris . Wesley . Barbra Streisand Is Ready to Tell All. Pull Up a Seat. . The New York Times . November 7, 2023 . November 7, 2023.
5. Web site: Luse . Brittany . Barbra Streisand's memoir shows she wasn't born a leading lady—she made herself one . NPR . November 7, 2023 . November 7, 2023.
6. News: Jones. Radhika. Malibu Barbra: Inside Barbra Streisand's World. https://web.archive.org/web/20231008100211/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/10/barbra-streisand-cover-story. October 7, 2023. Vanity Fair. October 11, 2023. October 8, 2023.
7. People, September 29, 2014, issue
8. News: Barbra Streisand Memoir Coming in 2017. May 20, 2015. May 20, 2015.
9. Web site: Jacobs . Alexandra . Her Name Is Barbra, but It Wasn't Always . The New York Times . November 7, 2023 . November 7, 2023.
10. Web site: Woolfe . Zachary . Audiobook Review: ‘My Name Is Barbra,’ by Barbra Streisand . The New York Times . 2024-02-23 .
11. Web site: Which Celebrity Memoir Sold The Most In 2023—And Which Didn't. November 7, 2023. November 9, 2023. Forbes. Mary Whitfill. Roeloffs.
12. Barbra Streisand's Memoir Reaches No. 1: Here's Where to Buy It on Sale. November 8, 2023. November 9, 2023. Billboard. Rylee. Johnston.
13. Web site: Milliot . Jim . Rebecca Yarros Rescued Print Book Sales Last Week . PublishersWeekly.com . November 16, 2023 . November 22, 2023.
14. Web site: Hopf . Andrew . An Index of Everything (and Everyone) Mentioned in Barbra Streisand's Memoir . Interview Magazine . November 20, 2023 . 2023-12-10.
15. Web site: La Ferla . Ruth . Barbra Streisand Talks Personal Style and Her Memoir . The New York Times . December 25, 2023 . 2024-02-29.