ABOUT THIS BOOK

The Golden Girls: Tales from the Lanai is an accessible collection that explores the cultural, industrial, and historical impact of that beloved American sitcom. Edited by Taylor Cole Miller and Alfred L. Martin, Jr., this anthology brings together a diverse range of voices that model different media studies approaches to researching and critically analyzing television texts. The Golden Girls reclaims the production history and development of the show, opens new conversations about audiences–especially Black, queer, and female audiences–and provides new insight into the meteoric rise in popularity of The Golden Girls as a 2020s cultural phenomenon. With twelve original chapters and extensive original interviews offering readers rare insights behind the scenes, the book is a long day’s journey into the marinara of The Golden Girls–an immersive, engaging opportunity for readers to learn more about the show. It truly is the golden age of The Golden Girls.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Taylor Cole Miller is an assistant professor of media studies at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

Alfred L. Martin Jr. is an associate professor and chair of the Department of Cinematic Arts at the University of Miami. He is the author of Fandom for Us, by Us: The Pleasures and Practices of Black Audiences and The Generic Closet: Black Gayness and the Black-Cast Sitcom, and editor of Rolling: Blackness and Mediated Comedy.

REVIEWS

"I was blown away by this book."

— Out on the Lanai podcast

“Miller and Martin's fun and thoughtful essay collection is sure to appeal to fans of all ages.”

— Library Journal

"It is a lesson on chosen family and how we can talk about difficult topics through humor and a slice of cheesecake."

— WGN-TV Weekend Morning News

"One of the greatest strengths of this collection is its broad appeal. . . . It is approachable enough for non-academic audiences to enjoy and understand, and the insider interviews alone (including one of the last known interviews with drag queen Heklina in Chapter Twelve) would be enough to interest fans."

— Journal of Gender Studies

"The volume does not merely celebrate the show's fandom; it rigorously positions the series as a complex text that interrogates the intersections of aging, queerness, race, and television form. . . . Ultimately, The Golden Girls: Tales from the Lanai is an essential resource that validates the study of 'older' women's media as vital to understanding the current US television landscape."

— Journal of Popular Culture

"Academic yet accessible. Part cultural analysis, part fan love letter, all wrapped in the charm of four women eating cheesecake at midnight. . . . A smart, engaging tribute to one of the most iconic shows ever made. For super-fans, it's full of golden nuggets (pun intended), even if a few points get recycled. So grab some cheesecake and dive in!"

— Nerdy Nerdy Book Book

"These tales offer an amazingly detailed history of the Girls, full of in-depth analysis, revealing interviews, never-before-known facts, and sly references to our favorite funny moments and one-liners. Like Dorothy, it's super-smart. Like Sophia, it'll have you laughing out loud. And like Vanna White's memoir, it's just a helluva book!"— Jim Colucci, New York Times bestselling author of Golden Girls Forever: An Unauthorized Look Behind the Lanai

"Miller and Martin have expertly curated an impressive collection of essays that capture the wit and the heart of The Golden Girls while simultaneously offering an essential contribution to the field of television studies. This is the book that fans and scholars have been waiting for."— Racquel J. Gates, author of Double Negative: The Black Image and Popular Culture

"This book is a testament to both the emotional truth and sociological power this powerhouse television show created. It is a glorious and fascinating look into the writing, the performances, and most of all, the many lines they crossed. I say this from the bottom of my heart to the humans involved in this book: Thank you. For being a friend."— Alexandra Billings, actress and author of This Time for Me: A Memoir

"This book is more fun than a herring circus. Martin and Miller have put together a collection that deftly illustrates the depth, significance, and risk taking that define The Golden Girls. It's an important addition to work on eighties TV and a must-read for fans of the Girls. It made me feel like I just won Butter Queen."— Kelly Kessler, author of Broadway in the Box: Television's Lasting Love Affair with the Musical

"Weaving together witty commentary, behind-the-scenes perspectives, and solid research, this book allows the reader—from casual fan to die-hard fanatic—to reflect upon The Golden Girls phenomenon in fresh and thought-provoking ways."— Maria Carpiac, professor and director of the Gerontology Program at California State University, Long Beach

TABLE OF CONTENTS