The L Word Book: A Photographic Journal by Jennifer Beals
By B&TF
The news is finally here. For months we’ve been waiting and speculating about Jennifer Beals’ book of photographs she took on the set of our beloved show The L Word. As some of you might remember, Jennifer mentioned a few times that she was taking photos during the six years they were filming but she didn’t have any intention of making it into a book.
This tradition began several years ago when Jennifer played a role of a friend and a photographer in the movie “Anniversary Party” and she took a lot of pictures on the set. After the movie she made those photos into a book and gave it to the cast and crew. She began doing the same on the set of The L Word and after six years the collection was growing bigger and better.
After several requests, questions and encouragement from fans and her fellow cast members, Jennifer finally realized that her photographs are not only some wonderful memories from the six years on the show but also a great opportunity to raise some money for the charities that she supports.
Jennifer first mentioned that she will think about doing a book at L5 Convention in Blackpool. She saw how much money was raised just from a few of her photos that she brought to support Mia Kirshner’s I Live Here Foundation. The generosity of fans was overwhelming and the idea of doing a book for fans to raise more money for charities was finally final.
Later, at the GLAAD Awards in Los Angeles in April, Jennifer told me that she had over 250 photographs, including some of herself and she was looking for a publisher. I’m not sure why she finally decided to do an on-line book, which was her first idea, but the book is now a done deal.
In December, the fans of The L Word and admirers of Jennifer’s photography can purchase the book on this site http://lwordbook.com/. When the book is available, the fans can add their own photos of their families, friends, pets, The L Word memorabilia to make the book also personal for them. Then the book will be printed especially for you and you will have your own personalized copy. The actual date or the book release and the price will be available later on this site.
Here’s a foreword by Jennifer Beals where’s she’s talking about the photos she took on the set of The L Word and what it meant to her.
During the six years we were shooting The L Word, I kept a photographic journal of the cast and crew, born out of a profound desire to create a bulwark against my rapidly eroding memory. It was an era of my life I was eager to preserve: I wanted to remember the cast, the readthrus, the dinners, the rehearsals — everything. I took pictures and saved my scripts, callsheets, and memos and organized them every year. I used them for reference as the seasons moved on, but frankly I held onto them because I knew I would get a kick out of looking at them as the years passed. Mostly, I wanted to remember the joy, because no matter where the storylines went, we always managed to have fun.
Years ago, I started a tradition of making of making a photo book, to give as a gift to the cast and crew, after completing projects that were near and dear to my heart. As I started working on my cast-and-crew present for The L Word, I realized this wouldn’t be like the others. The L Word was about the power of storytelling. And it was particularly unique because there were two streams of stories being told. Clearly we were telling your stories, but in some way we were telling our stories — the story of a group of colleagues who became friends while endeavoring to make something worthwhile. Somewhere along the line there was a kind of convergence. Somewhere underneath the plotlines of The L Word ran our own stories of friendship and struggle. These photographs evoke the various bonds and battles we as a cast endured.
The L Word as a series was, at its core, about community and that played out behind the scenes as the cast formed its own community. But the series also was about all of you who made our collective journey possible. That is why I wanted to make the book available to fans of the show.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Beals
On the site there’s also a little explanation written by Jennifer about the photos and what the fans can do with the book.
The L Word BOOK includes never-before-seen photos, cast commentary, and the ephemera that composed our daily lives on the show — bits of scripts, callsheets, production memos.
Fans of the show have an opportunity to be a part of the book. When you order your L Word book you can add your photos (friends, family, lovers, dogs, pets…). This way everyone can have their own specialized, personalized L Word volume. Hopefully it will provide a new way of viewing a journey that belongs to all of us.
A series of large format prints and limited edition prints will also be available of select photos from the book. These prints will be available for purchase through this site later this year.
The proceeds of the book and prints will go to several different charities including the Matthew Shepard Foundation, Mia Kirshner’s I Live Here, a Project of Operation USA, and The Pablove Foundation, because I wanted to give back to the organizations that have meant so much to me.
When I talked to Janina Gavankar a few months ago, she mentioned that she got an email from Jennifer about the book and Janina found it really exciting that ALL of the proceeds from the book’s sales will go to the charities, which is unheard of and absolutely amazing.
I know that a lot of the fans are anxiously waiting for the book to be finally available for purchase, including myself, so we all can participate in the journey that Jennifer and her fellow cast members took during those memorable six years.
Now we all can be part of that journey and we encourage you all to support Jennifer’s cause to raise money for Matthew Shepard Foundation and I Live Here Foundation by buying the book. I think just the photo of Jennifer taking a self-portrait in her trailer is worth it.
I followed TLW for the full six years. I fell in love with Tina and Bette. I am from Pennsyvania (Philadelphia) and when I heard Jennifer was going to be at the L5 with Laurel, I jumped on the opportunity to see Jennifer and Laurel in person. I thought I was the biggest fan but realized they had many big fans. What Jennifer has done, not just playing Bette Porter, but giving so much of herself to the gay/lesbian community, being involved in some great charities, and now doing this fabulous book, once again shows what a beautiful person she is inside and out. I absolutely love and admire Jennifer for playing a lesbian role not just for the $$$, but because she was a person who actually cared for a community that often gets looked down upon. I have to hear from my own family I am living a life of sin because I am a lesbian and basically saying I am going to hell if I don’t change. It’s bad enough fighting politically with the world but from our own loved ones sometimes is unbearable. Jennifer spoke openly at different events speaking on the behalf of gay/lesbians so beautifully, that it’s people like her in the world that gives me hope that one day the world would be different. That all people would be loved no matter who you are, what you are and who you love. I am so happy that JB is putting this book out for everyone. I put my 8 yr old toy poodle down about 8 months ago. It broke my heart. I said Emmie (my toy-poodle) was an angel in a fur suit like all pets. I say the same thing about Jennifer, she in some ways has been an angel too, well not in a fur suit but as a good human being.
Well. although I love the idea of Jennifer putting this book together and its a great idea I also feel very let down by it.
I was also at L5 and took part in the auction of ‘rare one of a kind’ photographs that Jennifer took. I won the ’semi nude self portait in the trailer’ – and Jennifer’s words about this picture was that its ‘the only one in existence’, ‘one of a kind’, and also her comment of ‘if I ever see this on the internet I will know who put it there!’ was very firm – she certainly meant it when she said it, it was obviously something close to her heart. Well, we talked when she was signing the picture for me, I had my photo taken with her, with the signed photo and I assured her that the picture was going to go on my wall and stay there and I would not even think about putting on the internet.
The reason for feeling let down is that this unique picture that I purchased at the charity auction is going to be in the book, its on the internet…, and it wasn’t me that put it out there. I feel very annoyed and let down. I actually felt and do feel very protective of this picture.
Yes I admire Jennifer and have done since her Flashdance days, I admire her stance and support within the LGBT community, but seeing that picture that is MY ‘one of a kind’ leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
Sour grapes?? Maybe. But I paid a lot of money for something that no one else would ever have, yes I do have the original signed photograph but the thing that pisses me off more than anything is that I kept my side of the bargain. That picture is not on the internet because of me.
Sorry Jennifer, but my admiration for you has become a little tarnished.
i ordered the l word book a week ago and i have not received it in the mail yet nor has my credit card been processed! does anyone know how long it takes?
I got JB’s L Word book a week ago and it is a real gift. So much info on things that happened behind the scenes. The whole cast hated the way season 6 ended. If you get the book and want to let Jennifer know what you think, you can send your review to jbphotobook@tibette.com. Include your first name (at least) and where in the world you are located. JB is eager to hear comments about it.
Jobadge, you should probably write to JB too. I’m so sorry you have been hurt.