Fans of All My Children and One Life to Live can finally pick up the autobiography of those iconic soaps’ legendary creator, the late Agnes Nixon. The book, entitled My Life to Live: How I became the Queen of Soaps When Men Ruled the Airwaves was released on Tuesday, March 21. The book is chock-full of information on Nixon, the soaps she created, plus lots of behind-the-scenes nuggets that fans will no doubt enjoy.
A Full Life
Nixon completed the autobiography not long before she passed away last year on September 28, according to Michael Fairman. Her publisher, Penguin Random House Books, notes that the book details Nixon’s sometimes rocky path to soap success, from her father’s disapproval of her writing ambitions to the envy of her male colleagues in the television industry, as she blazed a path to acclaim.
Fans might be surprised to know that, as a young girl, she initially concocted imaginary stories for her paper dolls. Who knew that her then verdant imagination would lead her to later create two very successful soaps, and also co-create the soap Loving. She also held writing positions at Another World, As the World Turns, Guiding Light, and Search for Tomorrow.
An Iconic Character and a Pioneer Tackling Contemporary Issues
The book also goes into detail about how Nixon created the iconic character and AMC mainstay, Erica Kane (Susan Lucci) and how she went about choosing Susan Lucci for the role. It also delves into how she broke new ground in daytime television by incorporating then-controversial topics in storylines, such as drug addictions, LGBT rights, HIV/AIDS, and women’s health issues.
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