Author Laurence Leamer Explores Warhol’s Muses
By • May 5, 2025 0 262
There is perhaps no one who defined the 1960s more than the artist Andy Warhol, and author Laurence Leamer set out to discover more about not just the intriguing figure, but the women who helped inspire Warhol to become such a prolific figure of the swinging ‘60s.
“He probably had more impact on the ‘60s and changing it than almost anybody,” Leamer said. “I thought nobody had ever looked at him in a personal, intimate way like I did in this book.”
Leamer soon learned that the women he wrote about in the book were not only crucial to Warhol’s advance, but they were also as fascinating as Warhol himself.
The women Leamer covered include Baby Jane Holzer, Edie Sedgwick, Nico, Ultra Violet, Viva, Bridgid Berlin, Ingrid Superstar, International Velvet, Mary Woronov and Candy Darling. Warhol, who was obsessed with the cult of celebrity, dubbed the women his “Superstars.”
The women featured in the book starred in Warhol’s underground films like “The Chelsea Girls” and “The Nude Restaurant.” The girls left their homes and were drawn to life in New York City in the ‘60s, full of casual sex, drugs and wild parties, much like Manson’s girls were drawn to the desert for the same reasons. While reading the book, it was sad to learn that Warhol saw the women as transient and replaceable, until the day he was shot in 1968, which changed his life forever.
The book is the third edition in a trilogy of fascinating women that Leamer wrote about. Most may be familiar with his 2021 book “Capote’s Women,” which was turned into a miniseries starring big names like Naomi Watts and Demi Moore, with Tom Hollander playing the title role.
“People are actively considering the Warhol book,” Leamer said. “Nothing has been signed yet, but it’s a distinct possibility.”
“Warhol’s Muses” will be released tomorrow, Tuesday, May 6. On May 7, Politics & Prose at The Wharf will be hosting Leamer for a chat at 7 p.m. (seating is first come, first served). Franco Nuschese and Café Milano are hosting a private celebration lunch on May 8 to celebrate the book’s release.
