No Filter
Paulina Porizkova
Born in Cold War Czechoslovakia, Paulina Porizkova rose to prominence as a model, appearing on her first Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover in 1984. As the face of Estée Lauder in 1989, she was one of the highest-paid models in the world. When she was cast in the music video for the song “Drive” by The Cars, it was love at first sight for her and frontman Ric Ocasek. He was forty at the time, and Porizkova was nineteen. The decades to come would bring marriage, motherhood, a budding writing career; and later sadness, loneliness, isolation, and eventually divorce. Following her ex-husband’s death—and the revelation of a deep betrayal—Porizkova stunned fans with her fierce vulnerability and disarming honesty as she let the whole world share in her experience of being a woman who must start over.
This is a wise and compelling exploration of heartbreak, grief, beauty, aging, relationships, re-invention and finding your purpose. In these essays, Porizkova bares her soul and shares the lessons she’s learned—often the hard way. After a lifetime of being looked at, she is ready to be heard.
Praise for No Filter
One of the New York Post’s 28 Books You’ll Want to Read This Fall
“No Filter is a book about a rare life, profound love, profound grief, anxiety, self-assurance, empowerment, aging, loss, and joy. It is nuanced, complex, insightful, helpful, and constantly surprising. Do you think you know what kind of book a super model writes? Think again. Paulina Porizkova is in the business of defying expectations.”
—Ann Patchett, New York Times bestselling author of These Precious Days
“I remained contentedly awake all through the night reading this book. Totally absorbed, sighing appreciatively. If you grew up already having an affinity for Paulina Porizkova, you will close this book with a smile, knowing she is even more remarkable than you thought. Porizkova is a brilliant writer and generous memoirist of a dazzling and fractured fairy tale life. It is when the fairy tale turns Grimm that Porizkova reveals the true depth of her innocence and wisdom. Whether you are someone who welcomes love at the front door, or someone who thinks to enter through the chimney first, you will be heartened to be living and aging in the time of Paulina Porizkova. I love this book.”
—Selma Blair, New York Times bestselling author of Mean Baby
“Porizkova’s obvious physical gifts are breathtaking, but her hidden gifts of the spirit are transformative. She is clearly beautiful, gracious, and elegant, but it is her rigorous honesty, poetic sensibility, and courage that strike to the heart and soul. As we encounter the vagaries of aging, we look for role models—not just models—and she is a powerful force for self-acceptance, a willingness to sit with pain and loss, and truth-telling.”
—Rosanne Cash, New York Times bestselling author of Composed
Paulina Porizkova
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