Adah Menken was America's original superstar. In the 1800s,
her modern flair for action, scandal, and unpopular causes
revolutionized show business. On stage, she was the first
actress to apparently bare all. Off stage, she originated
the front-page scandal and became the most famous, highly
paid actress in the world--the darling of NYC, San
Francisco, London, and Paris. At just 33, this femme fatale
died. Longfellow, at her bedside, composed a farewell poem.
Born in New Orleans to a "kept woman of color" and to a
father whose identity is debated, Adah became a true
daughter of Texas in her teens, learning to shoot and ride.
In her 20s in the Midwest, she became a protege of Rabbi
Wise, founder of Reform Judaism. Adah wrote heartfelt verse
and essays in defense of the Jewish people. Later, in New
York's Bohemian scene, she became the disciple of Walt
Whitman and a revolutionary figure in her own right.
