Out on a Limb (book)
| Author | Shirley MacLaine |
|---|---|
| Subject | Spirituality |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Publisher | Bantam Books |
Publication date | 1983 |
| ISBN | 0553240951 |
Out on a Limb is an autobiographical book written by American film actress Shirley MacLaine in 1983. It details MacLaine's journeys through new-age sprituality. The book follows McLaine from California to various locations including New York, Hawaii, and Europe, culminating in a life-changing trip to the Andes mountains in Peru. Central "characters" include "David" who is, according to McLaine herself, a composite character, "Gerry Stamford", a married man and member of the House of Commons, with whom McLaine was having an affair, and real-life close friend and politician, Bella Abzug.
The book received both acclaim and criticism for its candor in dealing with such topics as reincarnation, meditation, mediumship (trance-channelling), and even unidentified flying objects. This is the book that made Shirley MacLaine the butt of many a joke, especially by the late-night comedians. Once, when David Letterman would not let up on the new-age subject, MacLaine responded by saying, "I think Cher was right; You are an ass-hole!"
"Out on a Limb" was adapted for television in 1987. The five-hour ABC Television miniseries starred Shirley MacLaine (playing herself), John Heard as "David Manning", and Charles Dance as "Jerry Stamford ". MacLaine kept a diary during the filming of the miniseries. These notes were later turned into the follow-up book, "Dancing in the Light".