cover image Undiscovered

Undiscovered

Debra Winger. Simon & Schuster, $23 (188pp) ISBN 978-1-4165-7267-1

In this lyrical, meditative memoir, film actress Winger (of Urban Cowboy, Terms of Endearment and others) employs a distinct voice-whimsical but economic, wise but restless, stylized but warm-to explore episodes from her life as a mother, daughter and actress. In short chapters and poems, each engaging and thoughtfully composed, fans will enjoy a few personal glimpses behind the scenes of her early work, but movie making isn't the focus: ""I love the work and don't much care for the business."" Much of the text is devoted to family, motherhood and life in the country, but she expounds insightfully on the creative process and her desire to ""light up the shadowy places, translate the unspoken, and allow it all to live together on the same page."" Illustrations of doors (by famed Twin Towers tightrope walker Philippe Petit) complement the text nicely, if never directly. Though it's not for everyone, this slim volume should definitely click with an artistic or literary audience, and will give unsuspecting moviegoers a surprising new appreciation for Winger's talents.