Her intricately researched biography of the once internationally notorious writer of shocking free verse, who faded to obscurity in her later years-received to critical acclaim. In 1997, Santa Cruz resident Carolyn Burke saw Becoming Modern: The Life of Mina Loy. Local resident Carolyn Burke's new biography, 'Lee Miller: A Life' is a multifaceted gem The forum will not follow a temporal sequence of events in the life of Lee Miller as has generally been followed by previous authors.Kindred Spirits: Author Burke, whose previous biography portrayed Mina Loy, likens Miller to the daughter Loy didn't have. This approach has been chosen specifically to invite discussion and critical analysis. Generally, a point/counterpoint approach will apply in order to allow the user to eventually make his or her own conclusions based upon the evidence and arguments that have been presented. The forum will provide reference links and original source attachments. User comments, thoughts, and research are welcome and the forum will grow and change as it develops. Although, there will be challenges as to the veracity of factual claims previously made, the goal is more to bring an accurate perspective to the life, people and times of Lee Miller. The forum is intended to be an interactive work in progress. It has been almost forty years since the original publication of Antony Penrose’s biography of Lee Miller and it is appropriate to take a critical look at the legend that has evolved. Both of these biographies are must reads. Penrose’s Lives has been amplified significantly by the impressive work of Carolyn Burke in her 2005 biography, Lee Miller, A Life. As such, it is assumed that users are familiar with Antony Penrose’s biography of his mother which is the primary source for laying out Lee Miller’s life story. It is anticipated that the forum will be visited and used by researchers, writers, students and other users with more than a cursory interest in Lee Miller.

The purpose of this forum is to critically examine the narrative that has developed since the publication of Antony Penrose’s 1985 publication of the biography, The Lives of Lee Miller (“ Lives”).

Lee Miller by Carolyn Burke