Queen Bess: An Unauthorized Biography of Bess Myerson

Jennifer Preston

mar 2016 · Open Road Media

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This “fascinating” biography details the rise of the first Jewish Miss America, TV star, and political player—and the scandal that toppled her career (The New York Times).

When Bess Myerson, the Bronx-born daughter of Jewish immigrants, was crowned Miss America in 1945, she was determined to break down gender barriers and be more than a beauty queen. Amid rampant anti-Semitism, she took advantage of her reign to call for an end to bigotry and hate. Then, after more than two decades as a glamorous television personality, Myerson took on corporate America, applying her celebrity as a consumer advocate to become an influential New York City political figure credited with helping elect Mayor Edward I. Koch. But behind the glittering public image, Myerson struggled with unhappy marriages. Then, in her early sixties, she found love with a much younger married man. The romance put her at the center of a political corruption scandal that led to federal charges brought by US Attorney Rudolph W. Giuliani, ending the reign of Queen Bess, New York’s favorite daughter, after more than forty years.
 
Award-winning investigative journalist Jennifer Preston reveals Myerson’s fascinating life story in this engaging biography. Featuring interviews with Myerson herself and a new introduction from the author, Queen Bess remains the most comprehensive account of this ambitious and talented woman who inspired, entertained, and shocked millions.

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Jennifer Preston worked as a reporter and editor for the New York Times for nearly two decades before becoming vice president of journalism at the Knight Foundation in 2014. At the Times, she spent almost seven years as a senior editor and was named the company’s first social media editor, responsible for digital journalism and social media storytelling, in 2009. Previously, Preston was a reporter for New York Newsday, the Philadelphia Daily News, and Philadelphia’s The Bulletin. She has received several awards for reporting including the New York Press Club’s Gold Typewriter Award for Public Service and the New York State Bar Association’s Award for Investigative Reporting. In 2013 Fast Company named her one of the top twenty-five women to follow on Twitter. Preston is the author of Queen Bess: An Unauthorized Biography of Bess Myerson.