Gilded Lili: Lili St. Cyr and the Striptease Mystique

Burlesque. A uniquely American form of entertainment...and one of the most celebrated forms in burlesque was that of the inimitable Lili St. Cyr. Her body of work as a striptease artist–featuring her innovative on-stage bubble baths and reverse stripteases–was on a level with such dazzling performers as Gypsy Rose Lee, Blaze Starr, Tempest Storm, and Ann Corio. And wherever the glamorous Queen of Burlesque appeared, controversy followed. Gilded Lili is the first biography of this pioneering artist, sure to be a smash as burlesque enjoys its own resurgence. Her tempestuous love affairs and troubled life make Lili St. Cyr's story a microcosm of American sexuality in the twentieth century, mirroring social changes in sexual politics and the commercialization of sexuality. A compelling biography and an intriguing take on feminist history, Gilded Lili is golden indeed.