Lucy A to Z:
The Lucille Ball Encyclopedia
Lucy A to Z: The Lucille Ball Encyclopedia, by classic TV expert and award-winning author Michael Karol, is the only encyclopedic biography of Lucille Ball, the greatest comedienne of our time. The New Fourth Edition is available online. Click here to order it at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
All You Ever Wanted to Know About Lucille Ball...In a Unique Encyclopedia!
Since iUniverse published the first edition of Lucy A to Z in 2001, a lot has happened. Lucy A to Z has found acceptance in the hearts of Lucy fans everywhere, from The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz in Jamestown, N.Y. to all corners of the globe, thanks to the Internet. I have been privileged to be welcomed into the Lucy community, and honored to meet Lucie Arnaz, actress Doris Singleton, Lucy's personal secretary, Wanda Clark, and her chauffeur, Frank Gorey, I Love Lucy's original film editor, Dann Cahn, and main director, William Asher, and so many others, who knew Lucy and/or worked with her...not to mention the fans, who are delightful. That's probably because we've all been brought together by our love for Lucy and her co-stars.
During 2001, after the publication of the first edition, I heard from fans who asked if the “next edition” could include more information on Lucy’s co-stars. A trip to the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and a look at the clippings files for Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance convinced me there was much more information out there to be reported. A Third Edition followed, published in late 2003. As a fan, I was fascinated by what the press and studios wrote about their stars, and how it filtered down to the public. I knew other fans would be interested, too, so many of the new entries come from publicity generated during the Golden Age of Hollywood.
My late friend and fellow author, Craig Hamrick, convinced me in 2006 to explore the idea of a Fourth Edition. He suggested I check into all the information I'd gathered since the publication of the Third Edition. When I realized I had enough for another small book, I decided he was right, and that this time I wanted to add pictures. It was the beginning of another wonderful journey into the details of the life and career of one of the most beloved and honored women who ever existed, Lucille Ball, and those of her family, friends, and co-stars.
The book has been totally redesigned to make it easier to read and find information. There are more than 50 new entries, and every original entry has been re-edited and, in many cases, changed or added to. There are 50 pictures, many of them exclusives, and many not seen for years (including the cover shot, a gorgeous Technicolor-like masterpiece by Harry Warnecke that is in the National Portrait Gallery).
[One picture that got away is the (only) beautiful, black-and-white picture of Lucy shot by famed Hollywood photographer George Hurrell, renowned for his use of black and white lighting. I finally found it after after years of searching, but couldn't get the rights to use it from his estate...in fact, they never even answered my requests to use it, nor did the gallery that handles this particular photo. When will people understand that authors such as myself have no intention of making a profit from such a use, but merely want to make our work better and more interesing to the readers? And that any publicity is good publicity (and it's not like I wasn't willing to pay for its use)?! In any case, such matters have not yet been resolved regarding the Internet, so, until they are, here's the photo in question (at left): Lucy, by George Hurrell.]
Even with all the changes and additions, the spirit of the fourth edition of Lucy A to Z: The Lucille Ball Encyclopedia remains the same: a celebration of all things Lucy, especially a look at how and why she brought (and continues to bring) so much needed laughter into the world, and what she has meant to several different generations...all arranged alphabetically. Now with pictures! Enjoy.
FLASHBACK: AUTHOR SEES BOOK ON TV--IS TICKLED HENNA RED!
'Lucy A to Z' On TV!
 It was November 11, 2001. "Lucy A to Z" (the first edition) had been published several months before. I'd sent a copy of the book to Lucie Arnaz, and got a wonderful letter from her in response (part of it is quoted at the top of the page). The night of Nov. 11, CBS, the network that originally ran I Love Lucy, celebrated the show's 50th anniversary with a two-hour special. The special was hosted by Whoopi Goldberg and Dick Van Dyke, and featured a rundown of the top 10 episodes of the show, as picked by online votes at CBS.com ("Lucy Does a TV Commercial," otherwise known as the Vitameatavegamin episode, was #1); a generous helping of clips from those episodes and others; interviews with many of the original people behind the scenes who worked on I Love Lucy; a special and touching trip to Lucy's hometown of Jamestown, N.Y. and one of the homes she lived in (currently in the process of being restored and donated to the Lucy-Desi Museum) with Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr.; and tributes to Vivian Vance and William Frawley.
The highlight for me came during a short montage centering on Lucy and I Love Lucy collectibles and merchandise. At one point, the camera panned across a row of books about Lucy, and to my surprise and delight, Lucy A to Z was featured prominently at the center of the display! (See photo at right, taken from my TV set—shades of kinescoping!—with a digital camera.) Though I don't really know who was responsible for putting Lucy A to Z on the show, here's a big "Thank you!" to Lucie and Desi Jr., who, whether knowingly or unwittingly, made this writer and Lucy fan very happy by making his work part of the special I Love Lucy 50th Anniversary celebration.
Copyright 2008 by Michael Karol; no text may be reprinted nor pictures taken from this site without the express permission of the author.
Screen captures are created for your enjoyment, and are not meant to infringe on any copyrights held by the creators.
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