Cole Porter: A Biography

Schwartz's biography of one of America's all-time greatest songsmiths offers insight into elements of Cole Porter's life with which one might not be familiar just from knowing his work. Highlights include the way that his Southern rich-kid upbringing contrasted with that of other composers of the same vein, the sometimes disdainful way that Cole comported himself with others, and the extent to which his creative output was shaped by the circumstances he faced (for instance, Schwartz explains how the tune “Night and Day” was written to accommodate Fred Astaire's lackluster vocal capabilities). Schwartz strikes an agreeable balance between discussion of Porter's personal life and his artistic endeavors, something that I imagine is difficult to achieve when biographizing an artist. Survivorship bias might lead one to believe that all of Porter's output was great, but Schwartz diligently explains all of Porter's duds, too.

The book is not without its faults; Schwartz's voluminous vocabulary sometimes impedes understanding rather than enhancing it, though I suppose it's only natural that a book about such an accomplished lyricist would employ such an ample lexicon. The author also presents some quasi-Freudian speculation regarding the motives behind Cole's behavior, particularly with regard to his homosexual dalliances. I found this armchair psychoanalysis a bit off-putting.

Cole Porter will teach you about the complex man, and imperfect artist, that the titular figure truly was. The copy I read was from 1977, and I don't know if the book is in print any longer, but for Porter fans, it's worth the read if they can find a library copy.