Illustrated with over 300 photos, many of them rare and never before in print, JUST JOAN is a compilation of over four years of comprehensive research, culled from rare Lincoln Center archives, original magazines and those who knew her. Crawford is examined as a feminist forerunner, a gay icon, a dynamic artist, and as one of the world's great movie stars. The many anecdotes and quotes within JUST JOAN reveal the sassy, indomitable spirit of this actress who grew up in abject poverty with an indifferent family and yet, against unseemly strife and setbacks, rose from the ashes like a phoenix. Her determination, talent and committed work ethic enabled her to find a career and home with what would be one of the most celebrated and powerful studios in film history, MGM. Hers is the moving, complex story of the pursuit and realization of the American Dream, part sublime, part nightmare, self- actuated. With rich detail and devotion, JUST JOAN bears testament to Crawford's enduring enigma and powerful star. "If Joan Crawford was the ultimate star then Donna Nowak is the ultimate fan. She appreciates this complex subject for her skill as an actress, her importance as a pop culture icon, as well as displaying a fi ne sense of humor for Crawford's more lurid notoriety. Nowak has a fervor, devotion, and attention to detail that even the fastidious Crawford would cheer." - Charles Busch "Intelligent, insightful, witty - Donna Nowak's essays and reviews on the style, work and life of Joan Crawford would have compelled the Ultimate Star to officially adopt her as the devoted creative daughter she always longed for." - Shaun Considine