At above left is the cover of Woody, a new biography of Woody Allen that might well be the best book that will ever have my surname on its cover and spine. Unfortunately, the surname in this case refers to my cousin David, who has previously authored acclaimed books on folks like Tony Bennett and Bobby Darin, and is now working the comedy beat. Just the story of how he wrangled one interview with Woody Allen and the answers to a number of his e-mailed questions is fascinating and so is the rest of this book.
David is an unabashed fan of Mr. Allen's but not the kind who's blind to flaws or shortcomings. This is not an authorized biography but it's also not one that Woody made any effort to stop or suppress. In the unlikely event Mr. Allen ever reads it, he will probably feel flattered, though not uncritically so. David, more so than anyone else I've read on this subject, manages to present a coherent, credible arc of Allen as both a filmmaker and a human being, discussing where those two roles have intersected and where they haven't. He spoke to many people who knew Woody well and delves deep, not as a seeker of scandal but as an investigative author.
Since you probably want to know this: David is of the view that Allen is Not Guilty of the molestation charges that have been hurled against him and makes a very solid case for that view. You may remember that I was at one point leaning towards but not wholly in that camp. David and my friend Steve Stoliar convinced me separately that I was leaning in the correct direction. Steve, by the way, is quoted in the book several times as am I. In case my personal interest here is not evident, I should also disclose that I am among those to whom the book is dedicated.
So I probably can't be as objective towards David's book as he is to his subject but I am confident that if you have any interest at all in Woody Allen, you will be fascinated by this book. It's by far the best thing that has ever been written about the man. The book officially comes out November 3rd and here's a link to order your copy. If you don't want to take my word for it, Liz Smith says "For any student of Woody — a man who simply won't, can't stop working and re-inventing — this book is gold." See? She knows.