Famous for 15 Minutes: My Years with Andy Warhol

Ultra Violet's writing style is so pleasing. I still have the 1988 hardcover. She doesn't miss a speck of detail as she writes about her rebellious childhood in France as though she was eleven again. Her descriptions of Andy Warhol and his crowd is very descriptive and well written. Although she may mention some of their flaws, she does so lovingly, appreciatively and sweetly. She then details a problem in her health, which was miraculously cured without medical intervention and in this state of health she revisits her family in France, returning to a suspicious welcome by family members. You've got to read it .maybe several times. The photos are great too, and so are her summaries of what's happened to all of the Warhol crowd at the end of the book. Five stars isn't enough !

I have re-read this book many times, & must admit that, even though I enjoyed it immensely, it must be approached as fiction. Ms. Violet (Real name, Isabelle Collin Dufresne) tells many stories, most of which are more than likely outrageously exaggerated, if not blatantly un-true. It's not that I think she intentionally lied, I feel she truly believes all these events actually happened as she tells them. And that can be entertaining, in a ditzy kind of way... the facts be [ignored]! Truth may be stranger than fiction, but embellishment sometimes reveals more, if you read between the lines. And, with all the drugs and round the clock lifestyle that Ultra and the Gang lived, it's not surprising that her brain got a little damp in the process. While her fame barely lasted 15 minutes, she is a good example of Warhols "Superstars", all of whom had little if any talent or experience, that not being their goal. Instant fame, with none of the work involved, was their goal. And their movies, while being a mesmerizing document of those personalities and that time, in and of themselves are perfectly awful. Her book also has the undercurrent of sour -grapes resentment that I almost always detect in books about those associated with Warhol. All this aside, I still found this interestingly styled book an informative and fun read of that crazy time with Andy and his caravan of misfits, each of whom vied for that fifteen minutes.

Isabelle Dufresne, aka 'Ultra Violet', was an heiress who entered Andy Warhol's circle in the late 1950s. She describes her decadent lifestyle in far more detail than I wanted to read, but she makes no excuses for herself. She admits her mistakes, but along the way she meets everyone who was anyone during the wild 1960s. The book gives an insider's look into Warhol's famous 'Factory', and concludes with an extensive listing of those who survived it and those who didn't. It is a very interesting read.

I loved this book it is a must have for any true Andy fan

When I began reading this I knew very little about Andy Warhol, and I am sure I have a lot to learn about this man, his art and it's impact on art history. Ultra Violet seems to paint an honest portrait of life at 'The Factory', with Warhol. I found it a very interesting read and I found it a worthy introduction into a world I knew little about; Andy's art scene in the 60's and 70's.