Anything Goes

Behind the glittering melodies and champagne wit, Cole Porter's life was as daring, complicated, and intoxicating as any of his songs. Born into Midwestern privilege but drawn irresistibly to the salons of Paris and the bright lights of Broadway, Porter reinvented what popular music could be--smuggling sly innuendo, cosmopolitan sophistication, and a touch of rebellion into tunes that the world couldn't stop humming. Unique for composing both music and lyrics, Porter's songs sparkled with elegance, but they also hinted at hidden desires, secret worlds, and the tension between respectability and indulgence. From the Jazz Age's most decadent parties to the golden age of American theater, Porter moved effortlessly among royalty, artists, and outcasts--always observing, always transforming life into lyric. Author Paul M. Kaplan presents the first major biography of Cole Porter in over two decades, investigating Porter's unconventional marriage, his private struggles, his devastating accident, and the iron will that carried him back to triumph.