NIKKI  NASH
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BOOKLIST REVIEW​​​

Nash was born into a life some might consider a fairytale. Hollywood-born, raised by eclectic parents, Nash brushed shoulders with Black Panther members, notable stars of the 1960s, and pioneer conspiracy theorists by the time she was a teenager. Her father, a famous trombonist, and her mother, a politically revolutionary housewife, raised Nash and her brothers to follow in their unconventional footsteps. At 14, Nash's aspirations were entirely focused on Warren Beatty. It wouldn’t be long before her plan to have the star in her life forever came true. Nash invites readers into her colorful life with relatable wit and a fast-paced yet meandering narrative. Her candid exploration of the complexities of young women is so intimate, it evokes a productive discomfort as she presents the raw reality of obsession, battling an eating disorder, sexualization, and maternal connection. Readers expecting a Beatty exposé may be surprised; while a recurring figure, Beatty is more a symbol of youthful desire and parasocial longing than a central character. Dotted with star-studded moments, Nash’s honest reflections steal the spotlight.

— Abby McCabe

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KIRKUS REVIEWS (Starred)

Nash reflects on wild times in Hollywood and her relationship with Warren Beatty in this rollicking memoir.

Like many girls in the 1960s, the author was spellbound by Warren Beatty and obsessed with meeting him in real life. Unlike many girls, Nash grew up in Tarzana, California, with eccentric parents whose social circle included radical left-wing politicians and minor Hollywood stars. For her, Warren Beatty would be—in some ways—attainable. By 1974, the author was working at the Sunset Strip’s Old World Restaurant (where she knew Beatty was a patron) and trying to get her acting career off the ground. It was there that she began a decades-long, on-and-off relationship with Beatty, which would endure for the rest of her career as an actor, comedian, and associate director working in television production. Nash uses Beatty as the throughline as she fleshes out wonderfully outlandish stories from her madcap childhood (which featured “typical family stuff” like Black Panther fundraisers and dressing up like a nun to be able to buy liquor underage) and her time as an adventurous young woman in 1970s Los Angeles. The author spent her days on movie sets or skydiving before attending parties at Jack Nicholson’s Mulholland mansion, all while slowly feeling the pull toward addictions to alcohol, Quaaludes, and binge-eating. Nash takes readers through the ’80s, ’90s, and up to the current day, chronicling her experiences with recovery and the healing potential of comedy, which led her to finally call out the big star that had been stringing her along for years. The author’s skill as a comedian is on full display here—she peppers every page with perfectly timed punchlines that communicate her quirky personality. (When a producer’s call catches her off guard, she breezily responds that she’s painting, but explains, “I was eating—but I wanted to sound interesting and busy.”) Although she writes with deep emotion about her addiction issues, it may feel that Nash sometimes waves the darker aspects of Hollywood away with jokes; still, her consistent, irreverent voice makes the memoir delightful. Just as she describes one of her encounters with Warren, her wonderful stories feel like “remnant[s] of stardust mixed in with a cozy blanket of nostalgia.”

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A dazzling kiss-and-tell that brings vintage Hollywood to life.

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LOS ANGELES BOOK FESTIVAL WINNER

TOP HONORS

VALLEY GIRL MEMOIR WINS TOP HONORS AT THE LOS ANGELES BOOK FESTIVAL LOS ANGELES

Author Nikki Nash recalls her life in Collateral Stardust: Chasing Warren Beatty and Other Foolish Things (Sibylline Press). Her world of musicians, actors, conspiracy theorists, political fundraisers, and alcohol-fueled parties hosted by her unconventional trombone-playing father and politically radical mother come to life in this work.

This coming-of-age story is a revealing, honest account of the inner workings of Hollywood and is well worthy of top honors.

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PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

Former Conan O'Brien Show staffer Nash (72 Raisins) delivers a gossipy and engrossing account of her life in Hollywood from the 1970s through 2019. Her portraits of Robert Altman, Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson, and dozens of other stars bring them down to earth through sparkling anecdotes in which Nash isn't afraid to paint herself as young, naive, and opportunistic. The most enduring profile subject is Beatty, whom San Fernando Valley native Nash met and seduced when she was 18, then kept up with casually even through his relationships with Julie Christie, Goldie Hawn, and Diane Keaton. Elsewhere, Nash writes of how her steely intelligence led to steady work in the entertainment industry, from production jobs on the TV show Mary Hartman, Mary Mary Hartman and the Academy Awards to side pursuits in stand-up and improv comedy.

Nash's story of getting sober after years of drug and alcohol addiction, and her late-in-life epiphany regarding her musician father and frustrated-housewife mother, whose depression impacted her own early aimlessness, shape this self-aware, fascinating account of brushing up against the edge of fame. Written with humor, vulnerability, and verve, this satisfies. (Aug.)

https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781960573421

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FOREWARD REVIEWS 

Nikki Nash’s frank, funny memoir Collateral Stardust is about growing up in an offbeat Los Angeles family.

    Nash was the sensitive oldest child in an unconventional family in the 1960s. Her father was a show-business trombonist and her mother was engaged in left-wing politics. Their epic, boozy house parties included Hollywood types and countercultural activists. Her mother was smart but unfulfilled and depressed, and Nash’s understanding

and compassion for her developed over the decades.

    Nash got into teenage mischief: When the habits shucked by rebellious nuns were left at their house, she and a friend put them on and hit the liquor store. She applied for jobs whose circumstances were sleazier than the postings let on. She drifted through relationships and jobs and ended up working in television production. Drugs and alcohol played a

role in her life until she got help to quit and recovered from an eating disorder.

    Nash’s adventures in dating and personal growth are covered in a self-aware manner. While others in her generation just dreamed of Warren Beatty, she concocted a plan that led to a real, lasting relationship with him. He is but one among the book’s frequent celebrity cameos, though: Director Robert Altman was a frequent guest at the Nash family’s parties, as were members of the Black Panthers. Once, Nash and her fiancé padded down a hotel hallway in

pajamas to watch football with Frank Sinatra. She also met Ann-Margret, whose independence she admired and whose song lyrics are the framework for a chapter.

    A cool and entertaining coming-of-age memoir, Collateral Stardust relays good times and hard ones with insight and style.

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