“The Way You Wear Your Hat: Sinatra And The Lost Art Of Livin'”
(Bill Zehme, Harper Collins Publishing, 1997)
By Mahnuel Muñoz
Bill Zehme (1958-2023) had the honor of being the last to interview Frank Sinatra, in 1994 no less. On one occasion, the singer declared: “I think my true ambition is to transmit what I know to others. “It took me a long, long time to learn it, and I don’t want it to die with me.” Sinatra was not referring to the art of song that he had perfected, but to life itself and how to navigate it.
Inspired by these words, and feeling that “men had become softer and needed help, a leader, they needed Frank Sinatra,” Zehme wrote to the artist to propose a series of basic questions, “the kind that can save your life.” “. Frank agreed and directed his publicist Susan Reynolds to pass on the questions. When his busy schedule and his desire allowed, Sinatra completed the questionnaire. It took several months, but finally the result allowed Zehme to create a fascinating intimate portrait that reveals the keys to Frank Sinatra’s life and professional philosophy.
The book is divided into eight thematic chapters, developed from the answers Sinatra gave to Zehme’s questions. As we advance through the almost 240 pages we learn about the way in which Sinatra dealt with the early mornings of debauchery and also loneliness, how he extracted lessons from every cry and laugh; We learn about his high concept of friendship, love and family, the ritualistic tone of his clothes, his shots of whiskey and his unfiltered Camel puffs; of course, his relationship with women and the obsessive pursuit of perfection in his work through effort.
I truly believe that many of the lessons Frank gives us in this unusual book—the most profound and universal ones—can make us better people. What I am absolutely certain of is that it allows us to understand more and better the human being behind the character.
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