Posted by:
May 21, 2008
Looking forward to reading this book! Besides being a wonderful actress, Melissa is a wonderful woman to meet in person. She is a caring, wonderful woman who always has found time to speak with her fans (and fans of her husband!) I hope the new book has some pictures as well! 
SIMON SPOTLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT SIGNS BOOK DEAL WITH MELISSA GILBERT
NEW YORK, May 21, 2008 – Simon Spotlight Entertainment (SSE), an imprint of Simon & Schuster, announced today that it will publish a book by Melissa Gilbert. Best-known as Laura “half-pint” Ingalls on the series Little House on the Prairie, Melissa Gilbert has a permanent place in the hearts of women of all ages.
The currently-untitled book will feature behind-the-scene stories from her years on the Little House set as well as her time spent in Brat-Pack Hollywood, including her relationship with Rob Lowe (to whom she was engaged). Gilbert will discuss being an adopted child, the loss of her father at age 11, and her battle with both alcohol and failed relationships. But thanks to a great sense of humor, her resilience, and a fantastic support system, Gilbert has found happiness and stability in her life. Gilbert served as president of the Screen Actors Guild for two terms. She currently serves as President of the Board of Directors of the Children’s Hospice and and Palliative Care Coalition, where she works directly with chronically and terminally ill children to provide them with care and comfort. She resides in Los Angeles with her husband, Bruce Boxleitner.
Melissa Gilbert said “I am writing this book to share the story of my life. Simply put, I have been very blessed but I have also been through difficult struggles and painful tragedies. My hope is that people with similar life experiences will find comfort in my story by realizing they are not alone.”
Jennifer Bergstrom, Vice President and Publisher of SSE, said “Melissa Gilbert is funny, down-to-earth, and has an entertaining and inspiring tale to tell. Most importantly, it will be told with Melissa’s great humor and warmth. I adore her and think readers will too.”
Jennifer Bergstrom at SSE negotiated the deal with Dan Strone, CEO of Trident Media Group, which includes world rights. The book is scheduled for publication in Spring 2009.
Posted by:
May 21, 2008
Dusted off another gem from the collection. This is from the February 1st,1986 TV Guide in the Letters section and is in response to the article “This Hunk Has a Problem - Getting the Girl”:
He’ll Take Romance
What a refreshing picture emerged from your cover story on Bruce Boxleitner. He’s a first rate actor whose clean-cut image coincides with reality. A hunk? I suppose. An outstanding role model for young people? For sure!
Robert Wm. Beam - Flint, Mich.
In a TV season that has been characterized by many teasing twosomes, Bruce Boxleitner and Kate Jackson (Scarecrow and Mrs King) are prime time’s most underrated couple. More romance would enhance the show, not cause viewer apathy.
Maureen McAndrews - Monroe, N.Y.
Bruce Boxleitner has given us a number of very strong performances in some excellent TV productions. If he wants to break his Scarecrow image, showing his talents, not his skin, is the way to go about it.
Larry A. Casner - Atlanta
Posted by:
May 20, 2008
Again, dusting off the archives we found another little SMK tidbit. This is from the Grapevine section of TVGuide dated July 23rd, 1983:
Grapeshot
Here’s Kate Jackson, who’ll appear next season in CBS’s new series Scarecrow and Mr.s King, on the perils of ditching her Charlie’s Angels image. “Sure, it’s hard. Little girls come up to you and say, ‘Excuse me, are you an Angel?’ What can you say - no?”
Posted by:
May 19, 2008
In our efforts to continue with some spring cleaning we’ve found another little tidbit to share. This articule unfortunately has no known source or author (if you know it - contact me!) but appears to be from the SMK era.
“I had a very vivid imagination. I always wanted to be in the movies though I didn’t know how to go about it,” says Bruce Boxleitner, who idolized Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, John Wayne and Cary Grant as a kid growing up in Illinois. A C.P.A.’s son with “a nice combination of a rural and urban upbringing.” Bruce used to build hay-bale forts on his grandfathers farm and pretend he was Errol Flynn. Now he’s living out his childhood fantasies as secret agent Lee Stetson on Scarecrow and Mrs. King, but before his second year in high school he was unsure of his future.
Born on May 12, 1950 in Elgin, IL and raised in nearby Mt. Prospect, Bruce was a below average student and mediocre athlete. “I was nerdy and pimply with two left feet. I was never good enough for the team,” he confides. But in his sophomore year he tried out for a play, won the lead, and starring in roles from then on. Despite the fact that his grades dropped further, necessitating summer school, Bruce was happy: “I’d found my niche.”
He was admittedly a late bloomer socially, but the attention he got from his theater activities helped in that area. So did having three sisters. “I’ve always been comfortable around women,” Bruce says. With professional theater experience in Chicago and New York under his belt, Bruce headed for Hollywood, where he debuted on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and later met his wife Kitty on How the West Was Won. Now one of Hollywood’s most popular leading men, he’s living proof that childhood fantasies can come true!
Posted by:
May 19, 2008
We will be starting up a chat night this Friday May 23rd at 9:00 PST. For those of you who have been in lurkdom for some time come on out and have some fun! We’ll be discussing the 25th Anniversary, Bruce’s upcoming role on Heroes, and pretty much everything else in between. Hope to see some of you there!
