Oh The Drama Of It All
The Sunday Styles section of the Chronicle does it again! Not content to rest on its laurels after watching poor Jennifer Bumblebee Siebel decimate herself, Styles next turns its gimlet eye on two other prominent members of the Swells set: Denise Hale and the inimitable bicycle-intimidator Dede Wilsey. Sunday Styles RULES.
Turns out Pat Montandon, mother of Sean Wilsey and ex-wife of Dede's late husband Al Wilsey, has decided to pen a book of her own, not-derivatively-at-all titled "Oh The Hell Of It All," which dishes even more dirt on Dede Wilsey. Is such a thing even possible?? And not to be left out, the stepdaughter of Swells lady Denise Hale (the Jessica Simpson of the Swells set, to Ann Getty and Dede Wilsey's Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, respectively, which makes Susie Tompkins Buell, um.... Mandy Moore, we guess.) Linda Hale Bucklin, has released a tell-all book as well. Fun!!!!!
So many good quotes in this article, we gotta summarize it awards style, after the jump. Categories include: best quote, best life-changing moment, best mixed-doubles tennis partner over 60 -- and much much more!
Picture of Pat Montandon with Lyman Casey and then-husband Al Wilsey at her Gone With The Wind party from the Chron, courtesy of Ms. Montandon.
Best quote, overall: Dede Wilsey, on Pat Montandon's book: "Now you know where Sean [Wilsey] gets his delusional gene." It's that type of tact that makes Dede the power fundraiser she is today!
Best catfight: Dede, then with the last name of Traina, coming to Pat Montandon's Gone with the Wind party dressed as Scarlett O'Hara, while Pat's then husband was dressed to match as Rhett Butler, and then saying, "This should be .... my lil ole man" while batting her mascaraed eyes at Al Wilsey.
Best comeback: Dede in response, who says, "I did wear that dress. That's the only part of the story that's true."
Runner-up for best comeback: Denise Hale, saying in response to Linda Hale Bucklin's allegations that Denise prevented her from seeing her father when he was in the hospital after a stroke." "[That's] crap. There was no guard on any door of the hospital."
Best life epiphany moment: Linda Hale Bucklin, realizing that her father had overly-high expectations for her, while deciding whether or not to shoot a bear in Alaska.
Best life-epiphany moment, runner-up: Linda Hale Bucklin, riding a temperamental horse that her father gave her to prove that she was tough.
Best Angelina Jolie: Pat Montandon, who is adopting a 31-year-old named Starling Bradshaw as her daughter.
Best "eat it, haters": Pat Montandon, defending herself from charges that her peace activism was all for attention: "That irritates me. But on the other hand, it's not what other people think about me, it's what I think about me. I like myself."
Best affair: Pat Montandon with wacky lawyer Melvin Belli, who not only hired White House counsel Harriet Miers to work for him but also married Montandon in a Shinto ceremony. Other contenders: Dede's alleged affair with Al Wilsey (DQed as unconfirmed) and Linda Hale Bucklin's father's affair with Vincent Minnelli's wife.
Best reconciliation: Linda Hale Bucklin, who says her father forgave her, but only after his death.
Best non-reconciliation: Dede Wilsey: "I don't approve of writing books that hurt people, because from my experience they are total fabrications. If you feel that strongly about it to put it on paper, write yourself a letter."
Best tennis player: Linda Hale Bucklin, who was ranked number 1 in the nation in mixed doubles in the over-60 age group in 2006. "I feel better than I ever have.... I'm playing better tennis. Life is wonderful."
Best next project: Pat Montandon, who is working with SF Board of Supervisors president Aaron Peskin on a group called "Peace for the Planet."
Best reason for writing a book: Pat Montandon: "Why not? I'm not getting any younger."
If you gotta see all this in person, Pat Montandon is reading at:
--826 Valencia with Sean, 6-9 p.m., Wed. April 18 ($100, it's a benefit);
--Cody's Books SF, at 7 p.m. on Thurs. April 19 (their last event before shutting down)
--Orinda Books, 3 p.m. on Sat. April 21
--Book Passage in Corte Madera, 2 p.m. on April 22
--and the Palo Alto Borders at 7 p.m. on April 23.
Linda Hale Bucklin has only one reading in the area, and it's not until May 10, but if you're interested, mark it on your calendar for 7 p.m. at the SF Book Passage (in the Ferry Building).