Jackie O: First Lady Gets the Last Word
Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy are Jacqueline Kennedy's candid interviews with Arthur Schlesinger Jr., a few months after her husband's assassination on November 22, 1963. Sealed at her request, the tapes were recently released by her daughter, Caroline, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of JFK's presidency.
Listen to excerpts of Jackie's interviews posted by the New York Times. But don't let the breathy little-girl voice fool you. This gossip girl has claws.
No one is safe. Martin Luther King Jr., Indira Ghandi, Churchill, DeGaulle, FDR, LBJ, Lady Bird. Jackie O? More like, "Oh no, she didn't."
Watch Diane Sawyer's coverage on Nightline. Watch Caroline on Good Morning America address some of the more troubling opinions expressed by her mother and the effect these comments had on the Kennedy clan.
In the end, these interviews offer a glimpse into a time and place – the real-life Mad Men era – and it's not always pretty.
Further reading on Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis:
- Jackie as Editor: The Literary Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis by Greg Lawrence
- Reading Jackie: Her Autobiography in Books by William M. Kuhn
- Jacqueline Kennedy: the White House Years by Hamish Bowles
- America's Queen: the Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis by Sarah Bradford
4 thoughts on “Jackie O: First Lady Gets the Last Word”
Great post! Can’t wait to check out some of your links and place some holds!
Fascinating… Jackie O… I always wondered what she was really thinking!
What made news in the recently released Schlesinger interviews was her adherence to an old fashioned notion that women should be dependent on their husbands. By the time she was an editor at Doubleday, it’s clear she was more interested in the independent woman. That’s the story in Reading Jackie. Hope you enjoy it.
@ William Kuhn – thank you for your post! And I agree – that’s why I included Reading Jackie on our recommended list – to allow readers to get a deeper perspective of this iconic figure. Your insight is most appreciated.