Surreal

"From the author of Charles James: Portrait of an Unreasonable Man, the long-awaited biography of Gala Dalâi, whose face is known been many and whose story is known by few, until now. SURREAL presents the riveting life story of Gala, Salvador Dalâi's wife, partner, and muse. A charismatic, uninhibited, very human woman, she was a force majeure in pre-war Paris' legendary Surrealist circles where she was idolized as 'the mother of Surrealism.' As Dalâi's great love, artistic collaborator, and the genius behind his vast fortune, Gala inflected the cultural history of the twentieth century. But despite her influence on Western art and literature, very little is known about her life. Gala was a paradoxical figure, with a charisma that drew people to her but a reserved nature that kept her secrets hidden. She was a survivor of two World Wars, the Russian Revolution, and the Spanish Civil War. She was miserly, but also a brilliant promoter and marketing virtuoso who made millions for herself, her husband, and their entourage. Despite her notoriety, Gala was never properly acknowledged or understood, and records of her life story and accomplishments remain fragmented. SURREAL brings her life into focus and assembles the full picture of this fascinating and powerful woman"--

Michèle Gerber Klein is an author and journalist, who writes frequently about art and fashion. Her first book, Charles James: Portrait of an Unreasonable Man, was named a Financial Times Best Book of 2018. A columnist for Mann Publications, she has contributed to numerous publications, including The Brooklyn Rail, Cottages and Gardens, and Quest, where her subjects have included Elsa Schiaparelli, Christian Lacroix, Tina Barney, Maurizio Cattelan, and Diane Arbus. A graduate of Bryn Mawr College, she serves as the vice president of the Bertha and Isaac Liberman Foundation and is involved with many arts institutions including the Drawing Center, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney Museum. She lives in New York City.