Status
Available
Publication
Back Bay Books (2016), Edition: Reprint, 320 pages
Description
"Raised by unconventional Irish Catholics who knew 'how to drink, how to dance, how to talk, and how to stir up the devil,' Kate Mulgrew grew up with poetry and drama in her bones. But in her mother, a would-be artist burdened by the endless arrival of new babies, young Kate saw the consequences of a dream deferred. Determined to pursue her own no matter the cost, at 18 she left her small Midwestern town for New York, where, studying with the legendary Stella Adler, she learned the lesson that would define her as an actress: 'Use it,' Adler told her. Whatever disappointment, pain, or anger life throws in your path, channel it into the work. It was a lesson she would need. At twenty-two, just as her career was taking off, she became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter. Having already signed the adoption papers, she was allowed only a fleeting glimpse of her child. As her star continued to rise, her life became increasingly demanding and fulfilling, a whirlwind of passionate love affairs, life-saving friendships, and bone-crunching work. Through it all, Mulgrew remained haunted by the loss of her daughter, until, two decades later, she found the courage to face the past and step into the most challenging role of her life, both on and off screen. We know Kate Mulgrew for the strong women she's played--Captain Janeway on Star Trek; the tough-as-nails 'Red' on Orange is the New Black. Now, we meet the most inspiring and memorable character of all: herself. By turns irreverent and soulful, laugh-out-loud funny and heart-piercingly sad, Born With Teeth is the breathtaking memoir of a woman who dares to live life to the fullest, on her own terms"--… (more)
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LibraryThing member bookchickdi
I was very excited when I heard that actress Kate Mulgrew had written a memoir, Born With Teeth. I have been a big fan of her since her days as Mary Ryan on the ABC soap Ryan's Hope, through her groundbreaking role as Capt. Janeway on Star Trek: Voyager, and in her current role as tough and
She begins her honest, brilliant, heartbreaking memoir by talking about her large Irish Catholic family. Jiki and Ace, as her parents were called, lived in Iowa, and had a typically large brood of children. They lost two of their daughters, one to SIDS, whom four year-old Kate mistakenly believed she had killed, and a teenage daughter who died a slow, painful death.
Kate's mother was a steely, artistic, not very affectionate woman who loved books. Books were important to the Mulgrew family, and when Kate decided she wanted to be a poet because she was chosen to read her poem at a school assembly, her mother convinced her to read The White Cliffs of Dover after she read her poems, and when the nuns sobbed during her Kate's rendition, she knew she had found her calling: acting.
Born With Teeth recounts the important events and people in Kate Mulgrew's life. She stated at an appearance to launch her book that it "summed up everything that defined me", and that may be the best way to describe this stunningly written book.
If you are looking for a run-of-the-mill celebrity biography, look elsewhere. Fans of Ryan's Hope may be disappointed that there is no juicy backstage gossip here. Only producer Claire Labine and Nancy Addison (Jillian Coleridge) are mentioned, and that is because they were good friends of Mulgrew.
When Mulgrew was working on Ryan's Hope and just in her early 20s, she became pregnant. She came to the agonizing decision to give her baby up for adoption, and that decision changed and colored her entire life.
Mulgrew worked hard at her craft, and the stage was her first love, even though she had huge success on TV. The chapters on working on Mrs. Columbo (and how she got that job after turning it down) and Star Trek: Voyager give an insider's look at the incredibly long days and hard work it takes to be a major TV actress.
She wasn't as lucky in love though. After meeting a wealthy Italian man and giving up her career to be with him, she fell in love with a man in Seattle who worked on the play in which she was cast. The love of her life came later, in Ireland, where she met a man for whom she fell head-over-heels in love.
Mulgrew and her husband had two sons in two years, and trying to be a working mother and spend time with her children was a struggle, one that many women will be able to relate to. There is a chapter where she takes her sons to the Star Trek premiere,and their behavior embarrasses her, that will make any mother cringe.
Born With Teeth is so beautifully written, and so honest. Mulgrew doesn't shy away from her mistakes and her flaws. She comes from an Irish family, where stoicism was the watchword, so this makes it even more remarkable. She is not afraid to portray her warts, whether as a woman or a mother, and I find that refreshing.
It feels like each word is so carefully chosen, yet it also feels like it sprang full-blown from her head, ready to publish. The Irish are known for their eloquence, and Mulgrew clearly inherited that from her ancestors.
I know we will see her again as an actress (season three of Orange is The New Black will be available on Netflix on June 12 and season 4 will be filming soon), I hope that we will hear again soon from author Kate Mulgrew as well.
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literate inmate Red on Orange Is The New Black. (Red always has a book with her.)She begins her honest, brilliant, heartbreaking memoir by talking about her large Irish Catholic family. Jiki and Ace, as her parents were called, lived in Iowa, and had a typically large brood of children. They lost two of their daughters, one to SIDS, whom four year-old Kate mistakenly believed she had killed, and a teenage daughter who died a slow, painful death.
Kate's mother was a steely, artistic, not very affectionate woman who loved books. Books were important to the Mulgrew family, and when Kate decided she wanted to be a poet because she was chosen to read her poem at a school assembly, her mother convinced her to read The White Cliffs of Dover after she read her poems, and when the nuns sobbed during her Kate's rendition, she knew she had found her calling: acting.
Born With Teeth recounts the important events and people in Kate Mulgrew's life. She stated at an appearance to launch her book that it "summed up everything that defined me", and that may be the best way to describe this stunningly written book.
If you are looking for a run-of-the-mill celebrity biography, look elsewhere. Fans of Ryan's Hope may be disappointed that there is no juicy backstage gossip here. Only producer Claire Labine and Nancy Addison (Jillian Coleridge) are mentioned, and that is because they were good friends of Mulgrew.
When Mulgrew was working on Ryan's Hope and just in her early 20s, she became pregnant. She came to the agonizing decision to give her baby up for adoption, and that decision changed and colored her entire life.
Mulgrew worked hard at her craft, and the stage was her first love, even though she had huge success on TV. The chapters on working on Mrs. Columbo (and how she got that job after turning it down) and Star Trek: Voyager give an insider's look at the incredibly long days and hard work it takes to be a major TV actress.
She wasn't as lucky in love though. After meeting a wealthy Italian man and giving up her career to be with him, she fell in love with a man in Seattle who worked on the play in which she was cast. The love of her life came later, in Ireland, where she met a man for whom she fell head-over-heels in love.
Mulgrew and her husband had two sons in two years, and trying to be a working mother and spend time with her children was a struggle, one that many women will be able to relate to. There is a chapter where she takes her sons to the Star Trek premiere,and their behavior embarrasses her, that will make any mother cringe.
Born With Teeth is so beautifully written, and so honest. Mulgrew doesn't shy away from her mistakes and her flaws. She comes from an Irish family, where stoicism was the watchword, so this makes it even more remarkable. She is not afraid to portray her warts, whether as a woman or a mother, and I find that refreshing.
It feels like each word is so carefully chosen, yet it also feels like it sprang full-blown from her head, ready to publish. The Irish are known for their eloquence, and Mulgrew clearly inherited that from her ancestors.
I know we will see her again as an actress (season three of Orange is The New Black will be available on Netflix on June 12 and season 4 will be filming soon), I hope that we will hear again soon from author Kate Mulgrew as well.
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LibraryThing member St.CroixSue
A memoir of the hardworking acclaimed actress Kate Mulgrew who started out in her teens in the television soap opera Ryan’s Hope. This is a fascinating and engaging inside view into the life of a remarkable actress filled with romance, adventure, and heartbreak.
LibraryThing member imaihall
This starts out great but I lost interest by the middle of the book.
LibraryThing member ozzer
Mulgrew’s memoir focuses on her background and life as a mother, and wife while simultaneously struggling to build a career as an actress. The centerpiece of the memoir is her decision to give up her daughter for adoption early in her acting career and then finding her later in life. The
Her parents, especially her mother, were the most interesting characters in the memoir. Kate's mother was a steely, artistic, not very affectionate woman who loved books and had some type of unspecified relationship with the Kennedy clan. Her father was also tough but loving. Clearly she inherited many of these traits from her parents.
With the exception of her finding her daughter later in life, there was little in this memoir that was unusual or exceptional.
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challenges of motherhood and career arise later in her life when she has two boys who express resistance at her career success. Her life was filled with other events and people including the death of two siblings, unsuccessful relationships with men and a sexual asault. Although she seems to have innate talent as an actress, one can’t help but speculate about how different her career may have been had she not abandoned the training she was receiving as a young woman from Stella Adler in New York for a television role. Through all of life’s challenges, she displays remarkable strength and resilience. The memoir does not include much about her career successes or even the craft of acting. Instead it focuses on her private life.Her parents, especially her mother, were the most interesting characters in the memoir. Kate's mother was a steely, artistic, not very affectionate woman who loved books and had some type of unspecified relationship with the Kennedy clan. Her father was also tough but loving. Clearly she inherited many of these traits from her parents.
With the exception of her finding her daughter later in life, there was little in this memoir that was unusual or exceptional.
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LibraryThing member gpangel
Born with Teeth by Kate Mulgrew is a 2015 Little Brown and Company publication.
Kate Mulgrew is one of my husband’s favorite actresses, not because of her theatre or stage accomplishments, but for what is perhaps her best known role- that of Captain Janeway, in the television show “Star Trek
From my personal standpoint, I remembered this actress from wwaayyy back in the day, when she had a key role on the soap opera “Ryan’s Hope” as ‘story’ my mother frequently tuned into. I also remembered the short lived series- “Mrs. Columbo”, but the truth is, I knew absolutely nothing about Kate’s personal life. I had no idea if she had ever married, had children, and knew nothing of her personal struggles, her background or any of her other acting roles. When I saw this book advertised on Goodreads, I was intrigued by the title, and so with genuine curiosity, I waited for quite a while for the book to become available at my library, but it was a worth it.
Sometimes I was genuinely puzzled by Kate’s attitude in certain situations, felt deeply for her as we saw her heart broken time and again, and felt her moods swing from happy,sad, tenacious, regretful, determined, and at last peaceful. I didn’t always agree with her choices, but enjoyed the way she opened herself up, letting people see her humanity, her triumphs and failures, her ups and downs, and how she manages face it all with aplomb, sticking to her personal convictions, without arrogance, or self-pity, flippancy or excuses. It is what it is, which is very interesting indeed.
The book is very well written for a first person perspective of one’s own life. It was told with honesty, and highlighted many key moments in the actress's personal life as well as her professional one. Her childhood was marred with some shocking developments and tragedy, her professional life was spent doing what she loved most, but her personal life was fraught with doomed romances, a huge decision that affected her life for decades, which is the tale that stands out more than any other in the book.
There were a few times when I wondered about a situation or a person she mentioned and felt as though something was missing from the story, and it does feel like some areas are glossed over, but overall, this one is very well organized, and is devoid of dry, self- serving promotions. Thank goodness!
For fans of the actress, you will not want to miss this memoir, and for those who are not as familiar with Kate, you will find her love of stage performing and other lesser known facts about her life to be quite fascinating. Kate has certainly lived a full life, lived it with gusto, and is still churning out ground breaking performances.
Overall this one gets 4 stars
Kate Mulgrew is one of my husband’s favorite actresses, not because of her theatre or stage accomplishments, but for what is perhaps her best known role- that of Captain Janeway, in the television show “Star Trek
Show More
Voyager”. From my personal standpoint, I remembered this actress from wwaayyy back in the day, when she had a key role on the soap opera “Ryan’s Hope” as ‘story’ my mother frequently tuned into. I also remembered the short lived series- “Mrs. Columbo”, but the truth is, I knew absolutely nothing about Kate’s personal life. I had no idea if she had ever married, had children, and knew nothing of her personal struggles, her background or any of her other acting roles. When I saw this book advertised on Goodreads, I was intrigued by the title, and so with genuine curiosity, I waited for quite a while for the book to become available at my library, but it was a worth it.
Sometimes I was genuinely puzzled by Kate’s attitude in certain situations, felt deeply for her as we saw her heart broken time and again, and felt her moods swing from happy,sad, tenacious, regretful, determined, and at last peaceful. I didn’t always agree with her choices, but enjoyed the way she opened herself up, letting people see her humanity, her triumphs and failures, her ups and downs, and how she manages face it all with aplomb, sticking to her personal convictions, without arrogance, or self-pity, flippancy or excuses. It is what it is, which is very interesting indeed.
The book is very well written for a first person perspective of one’s own life. It was told with honesty, and highlighted many key moments in the actress's personal life as well as her professional one. Her childhood was marred with some shocking developments and tragedy, her professional life was spent doing what she loved most, but her personal life was fraught with doomed romances, a huge decision that affected her life for decades, which is the tale that stands out more than any other in the book.
There were a few times when I wondered about a situation or a person she mentioned and felt as though something was missing from the story, and it does feel like some areas are glossed over, but overall, this one is very well organized, and is devoid of dry, self- serving promotions. Thank goodness!
For fans of the actress, you will not want to miss this memoir, and for those who are not as familiar with Kate, you will find her love of stage performing and other lesser known facts about her life to be quite fascinating. Kate has certainly lived a full life, lived it with gusto, and is still churning out ground breaking performances.
Overall this one gets 4 stars
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LibraryThing member ecataldi
One of the most fantastic memoirs I have ever read. I had to stop and remind myself at times that this wasn't a fictional piece of work, it was someone's life. Very fast paced and masterfully written this memoir recounts Kate Mulgrew's childhood, acting, the pain of giving up a child for adoption,
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finding and losing love, and the eccentricities of her family. It was riveting and so well written that I couldn't put it down. Kate is a gifted actress (best known for her roles in Star Trek: Voyager, Ryan's Hope, and Orange is the New Black) and storyteller, she weaves moments of her life together to create a beautiful tapestry that will enchant readers and leave them wanting more. Kate deals with tough issues: divorce, adoption, staying true to oneself, motherhood, and death but still manages to keep it positive and hopeful. I didn't want it to end and was sorely saddened when it inevitably did. Show Less
LibraryThing member wagner.sarah35
Seldom have I encountered a memoir written in such a refreshing, solid voice - and what a story to go with it! I picked up this book on a recommendation from a friend, knowing relatively little about Kate Mulgrew beyond her acting. The story of how she became pregnant early in her career, spent
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years searching for the daughter she gave up for adoption, and her eventual coming to terms with it while also pursuing a challenging career and tumultuous personal relationships left me with nothing but admiration for this woman. She has so much to say about women and the conflict they experience between work and family that I would recommend this book to any young woman today. Show Less
LibraryThing member gaillamontagne
Memoir of Kate Mulgrew the "first female Starfleet officer" character, Kathryn Janeway. Kate has a very interesting life and very descriptive and rich style of writing using intensive visual language that thoroughly describes and draws the listener right into her thoughts. She definitely tends
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toward the dramatic and romantic which is apparently how she view life. She has a first love for the theater and didn't even know anything about Star Trek when she auditioned for and then got the part of Captain of a Starship. Her life had several love interests with 3 children and problems she both brought on herself and those that simply come with the many hours spent on stage and production sets. I did not read this book because I love her character on Star Trek, love theater, or like her as an actress! I don't know why I even chose it to read/listen to. I do know, despite not really caring about her as a actress, I was drawn to the book and she "made " me keep listening until the end. Show Less
LibraryThing member muddyboy
A pretty honest appraisal of the life of Kate Mulgrew by Kate Mulgrew. This book is full of the good times and bad times unfiltered. Probably the signature event that ties the book together is the author giving up her baby up to adoption and her struggle over the years to reconnect with the
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daughter she lost contact with due to an agreement with Catholic Adoption Services. There is much about Mulgrew's relationships with her parents, sons and the men in her life. We also glimpse her life on the sets of movies and TV shows that she acted in. I liked her and I liked her story. Show Less
LibraryThing member neverstopreading
I listened to this book as an audiobook, read by the good captain herself. It is well worth it to hear her deliver the stories in her own voice. Being the phenomenal actress that she is, she conveys well all of her feelings from the earliest days of her childhood, so much so that it seems that it
Mulgrew seems to be as real and as authentic as someone from Hollywood could be. It is a delightful thing to listen to her memoirs.
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is happening now to you, the listener.Mulgrew seems to be as real and as authentic as someone from Hollywood could be. It is a delightful thing to listen to her memoirs.
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LibraryThing member yukon92
Loved this book. It was a good and fascinating read about one of my favorite actresses. The only reason I "downgraded" it one star, was the ending.... It really seemed like she was paid for a certain amount of pages/ words and so she simply quit in the middle of her last chapter.
Can't wait to see
Can't wait to see
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if she will write another book! Show Less
LibraryThing member TheBentley
Wow. While a lot of her adult life feels rather melodramatically conveyed, there's no doubt about Mulgrew's writing talent and her voice as both a narrator and a reader (I listened on audiobook) is inimitable. Her writing about her early life is especially vivid and moving.
LibraryThing member TooBusyReading
When I started listening to this book, I didn't know who Kate Mulgrew is, but I thought the book looked interesting. And I'm always up for a good memoir. The first part, about her rather unconventional childhood, was quite interesting. Then it went all downhill. Of course, memoirs and
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autobiographies are by their very nature all about the author. But this one came across as gloating interspersed with “poor me” syndrome. And it was a bit boring to boot. If the rest of the book had been like the early pages, this would have been quite good, but as it was, I was not entertained nor empathetic. Show Less
LibraryThing member Charrlygirl
Captain Janeway was a fascinating character to me. As a devoted Star Trek fan, the first female captain was a big deal. At first her voice bothered me, but I got used to it quickly, and from there I developed a real liking for the character, and I wanted to learn more about the person.
Kate Mulgrew
Ms. Mulgrew is a strong woman. She makes no apologies for her choices, and I respect that. She works hard and it seems she has a close-knit family. But in some ways, it seems like her life has been charmed. As of the end of the book, she still has both parents, (though it was mentioned at one point that her mother had an incident which sounded like the onset of dementia to me. I would have liked to have learned more about her feelings regarding that, as my own mother was diagnosed with dementia last year.) She was able to be reunited with the daughter she gave up for adoption. (Did she regret giving her up? She never says so, exactly, though she did search for her for years.) There is another reunion at the end, which seems to put the final touch on it-she gets everything she wants.
Where she sort of lost me for a while was during her divorce, when she was relating how she hadn't worked for a while and that she was broke. She calls whomever, finds out she has only $10,000.00 left and decides to take her two boys to Ireland for the summer. Apparently, Ms. Mulgrew and I have VERY different ideas about what it means to be broke. (My idea of it involves no vacations or any sum over $10.00.)
Kate Mulgrew can write and write well. Combined with her narration, it made this autobiography a joy to listen to. Despite the rather abrupt ending, I recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about this fascinating woman.
Kate Mulgrew
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wrote and narrated this autobiography herself. In some ways I learned a lot about her life, but in other ways, I felt she skimmed over some important events, about which I would have liked to have learned more-most especially her work with the rest of the cast on Star Trek: Voyager.Where she sort of lost me for a while was during her divorce, when she was relating how she hadn't worked for a while and that she was broke. She calls whomever, finds out she has only $10,000.00 left and decides to take her two boys to Ireland for the summer. Apparently, Ms. Mulgrew and I have VERY different ideas about what it means to be broke. (My idea of it involves no vacations or any sum over $10.00.)
Kate Mulgrew can write and write well. Combined with her narration, it made this autobiography a joy to listen to. Despite the rather abrupt ending, I recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about this fascinating woman.
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LibraryThing member AR_bookbird
Wonderful memoir!!! Thoroughly enjoyed reading about one of my favorite actresses.
LibraryThing member NanetteLS
Fascinating story of an actress I've long admired. This volume touches on her career, her loves, and various situations that informed her character. I listened to the audiobook, red by the author. It includes an interview with Rosie O'Donnell that is both inspiring and entertaining.
LibraryThing member sriddell
Wonderful autobiography. I listened to the audio book, narrated by the author. Hearing her stories narrated in her own voice was wonderful.
I didn't know much (anything) outside of some of her major acting roles. I loved learning about her life and her family. She's had her share of tragedy, comedy
I didn't know much (anything) outside of some of her major acting roles. I loved learning about her life and her family. She's had her share of tragedy, comedy
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and love - and she's a great writer. Show Less
LibraryThing member MiserableFlower
Like every autibiography theres alwasy those weird moments when you as a fan get reminded that you are a fan of a 2 dimensional aspect of the person or character that you "know". So its very strange to see parts come to life to really flesh out the reality... and its not always easy topics for you
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as a reader/consumer... but I appreciate that Kate didn't pull any punches. She made decisions and she lived with them and there wasn't shame or self flagellation. I can respect that even if my views are different. But again, my views and opinions don't matter. This is Kate's story and challenges and pain, and its important because its hers. Show Less
Awards
Audie Award (Finalist — Autobiography/Memoir — 2016)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2015-04
Physical description
320 p.; 5.5 inches
ISBN
0316334324 / 9780316334327