Dish

From Jeannette Walls, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Glass Castle, now a major motion picture, comes an incisive study of our obsession with gossip.

"A fascinating, dishy story." -Booklist

Gossip. It's more than just hearsay, society columns, and supermarket tabloids. It has, like it or not, become a mainstay of American pop culture. In Dish, industry insider Jeannette Walls gives this provocative subject its due, offering a comprehensive, serious exploration of gossip and its social, historical, and political significance. Examining the topic from the inside out, Walls looks at the players; the origins of gossip, from birth of People magazine to the death of Lady Di; and how technology including the Internet will continue to change the face gossip. As compelling and seductive as its subject matter, Dish brilliantly reveals the fascinating inner workings of a phenomenon that is definitely here to stay.

This deep dive into the history of news and celebrity culture reveals:

• The Trial of Confidential Magazine: Go inside the landmark 1957 case that put scandal itself on the stand and forever changed the rules of Hollywood journalism.
• The Rise of Walter Winchell: Discover how one man invented the modern gossip column, wielding immense power and reaching ninety percent of the American public at his peak.
• The Birth of Tabloid Television: Follow the shift from print to screen, from the early days of Mike Wallace’s confrontational interviews to the network newsmagazine wars.
• The Internet's Impact on News: See how modern figures like Matt Drudge and the rise of the "citizen reporter" blurred the line between news and gossip for good.