Learning to Live out Loud

The intimate memoir by three-time Oscar nominee Piper Laurie, one of Hollywood's most gifted and respected actresses, read by the author.

At the age of 17, in the glory days of moviemaking, Piper Laurie was living every little girl's dream. A contract star with Universal, Piper was elevated to the heights of Hollywood, her name emblazoned on 1950s marquees across America for hit movies like The Prince Who Was a Thief, The Mississippi Gambler, and Ain't Misbehavin'. Meanwhile, Piper's beauty was admired by the likes of Ronald Reagan, Howard Hughes, Paul Newman, and Tony Curtis as well as dozens of directors and legions of fans.

But Piper discovered early on that the little girl's dream was not her own. Mortified by the shallowness of the roles and movies she was given, she longed for the freedom and fulfillment of her own artistic vision, finally finding the courage to leave her contract behind. After leaving the oppressive studio culture, Piper began to star in the live TV shows, plays, and films that became her career hallmarks: The Glass Menagerie on Broadway, the original Days of Wine and Roses, The Hustler, the iconic Carrie, and Twin Peaks - earning three Oscar nominations and winning Emmy and Golden Globe awards during her impressive career.

This memoir is the inspiring tale of Piper's perseverance to break from tradition and to practice her craft at the highest level. She started life as a withdrawn, mute child who couldn't find her voice and was transformed into a woman who learned to live out loud by her own rules.