DEY STREET BOOKS TO PUBLISH
DEBBIE HARRY’S FACE IT
The Much-anticipated Memoir of an Artistic Icon
New York, NY (Wednesday, May 29) – Dey Street Books, an imprint of the William Morrow Group at HarperCollins Publishers, announced today plans to publish FACE IT, a memoir from Blondie front woman and cultural icon, Debbie Harry.
FACE IT is an arresting mix of visceral storytelling and stunning visuals that reflects the complexity of its subject. In her distinctive voice, Debbie Harry recreates the downtown scene of 1970s New York City, where she, with Blondie, played alongside everyone from The Ramones, Television, Talking Heads, Iggy Pop and David Bowie. With all the grit, grime and glory recounted in intimate detail, FACE IT takes readers from the New York underground to global superstardom and the creation of some of the most beloved pop songs of all-time.
FACE IT offers a full and robust portrait of a cultural trailblazer who has spent decades pushing creative boundaries in a variety of media. From her collaborations with artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, Marina Abramovic, and H.R. Giger, to her extensive acting career in over thirty films, Debbie Harry has constantly sought to elevate and deliver counter-culture to the masses. In conjunction with her artistic work, Debbie has also been a tireless activist on behalf of environmental causes and the LGBTQ community, giving voice to some of the most pressing issues of our time.
Debbie Harry is undeniably an icon as well as an iconoclast, and in FACE IT, she shares the breadth of her fascinating life and career, with never-before seen personal images, brilliantly curated fan-art, and memories from the highs and lows of her life as a pioneering feminist, and muse to generations of fans and artists.
Dey Street Books negotiated the deal for FACE IT with 10th Street Entertainment and VP, Editorial Director Carrie Thornton will edit the book. The book will be simultaneously be released by HarperCollins UK, where Ed Faulkner and Zoe Berville will oversee the publication. FACE IT is written in collaboration with critically acclaimed journalist and author, Sylvie Simmons, based on a series of recent exclusive personal interviews, and also includes original essays by Debbie Harry.
“I didn’t want to, but I did,” said Harry. “There are many more stories for me to tell; some funny, some scary, some warm, some chill to the bone and if FACE IT appeals to people then I will get to telling more of the anecdotal bits of the story of Blondie – like the time I met Rita Hayworth and Penny Singleton backstage at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. This book is biographical and covers a lot of years. I know there will be questions asked because in putting this together, I realized I have led a very full life and couldn’t possibly cover everything in just one volume. I’m prepared for the best and the worst comments, much like when I have released an album or done a big show. I don’t have a thick skin, but I do have a pretty good sense of humor.”