Lawrence Schulman Will Release 2 Volume Book That's Beyond Entertainment – Reflections on Judy Garland

BearManor Media Publishes The 2-Volume Garland – That’s Beyond Entertainment – Reflections on Judy Garland by Lawrence Schulman

BearManor Media, to commemorate the centennial in 2022 of Judy Garland’s birth, is proud to announce the publication of the 2-volume book Garland – That’s Beyond Entertainment – Reflections on Judy Garland by award-winning music producer, critic, and translator Lawrence Schulman.

Different from other works devoted to Judy Garland, to date, in that it is not a traditional birth-to-death biography, Lawrence Schulman’s long-awaited 2-volume look at the legendary singer, Garland – That’s Beyond Entertainment – Reflections on Judy Garland, aims to remove her from the simplistic realm of such epithets as “world’s greatest entertainer” and “Miss Show Business” and reconsider her as one of the greatest singers of the 20th Century’s Great American Songbook, one who took us beyond entertainment to a level of artistry unique in classic American popular music. The importance of Judy Garland is amply highlighted in this detailed, richly-illustrated study that covers Schulman’s writings on Garland between 1993 and 2023 that concentrate on her recordings, and not all the hoopla, hagiography, and tragedy usually attached to her short 47-year life. Utilizing published articles, reviews, liner notes, interviews, program notes, talks, and prefaces, the Schulman opus, which includes a Foreword by John H. Haley and an Afterword by James Fisher, took thirty years to write, and revolutionizes the trite take on Garland as having had just “a talent to amuse.” A read which meticulously includes all the facts but does not exclude amusing anecdotes and unsettling stories that shed light on this complicated artist, Garland – That’s Beyond Entertainment – Reflections on Judy Garland resembles Garland in that it is indeed entertaining, but also spotlights an artist whose frightening talent takes us over the rainbow to a reality in song that is devoid of complaisance or artifice. 

Lawrence Schulman has produced, compiled, and written the liner notes for numerous Judy Garland releases. Born in the Bronx and 26 years a resident of Paris, he has degrees from Stony Brook University, the Sorbonne, and CREAR in Gouvieux, France. He writes for the ARSC Journal and translates for the French website OpusHD.net, which specializes in high-resolution classical releases. He recently translated the French biography of Judy Garland by Bertrand Tessier, Splendor and Downfall of a Legend, which was published by BearManor Media. He lives on Mount Desert Island in Maine.

Press reaction to advance copies of the book has been unanimous:

“Few figures in twentieth-century American popular culture continue to fascinate audiences with such verve as Judy Garland. Compiling a robust archive of writing that showcases the author's breathtaking encyclopaedic knowledge on all things Judy, Lawrence Schulman's Garland - That's Beyond Entertainment - Reflections on Judy Garland proves to be a must-read tome for anyone keen to understand (or be reminded of) the thrall this electric and eternal performer elicits still. A gargantuan effort as attentive to minute recording details as to broad cultural readings of the artist (not to mention fascinating and juicy anecdotal tidbits sprinkled throughout), Schulman's body of work here all but anoints him as the preeminent expert of a figure who has no shortage of them.”

— MANUEL BETANCOURT, film critic, culture writer and author of 33 1/3: Judy at Carnegie Hall, and others

“Schulman’s highly readable and deeply researched and analyzed collection of his varied essays and reviews provides a feast for even the most informed of Garland admirers and, at the same time, an indispensable guide for those who have just caught Garland fever.”

— JAMES FISHER, Professor Emeritus at the School of Theatre at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and author of The Theater of Tony Kushner, Al Jolson: A Bio-Bibliography, and others

“Lawrence Schulman's book is a deep dive into the lore, the legacy, and the legend of one of the world's greatest and most iconic entertainers.  It's absolutely essential for Judy Garland fans - and who isn't a Judy Garland fan?”

— Will Friedwald, journalist and author of Sinatra! The Song Is You – A Singer’s Art, A Biographical Guide to the Great Jazz and Pop Singers, and others

"Schulman’s writings about Judy Garland and his tireless engagement on behalf of her legacy have greatly enriched our appreciation of the artistry and the career of one of the supreme vocalists of the twentieth century."

— WALTER FRISCH, Columbia University, author of Arlen and Harburg's Over the Rainbow, and others

“Erudite and indefatigable, Lawrence Schulman is the poet of Judy Garland.”

— JOHN H. HALEY, head of Harmony Restorations LLC, has worked on numerous Garland releases and is the former Editor of the Sound Recordings Reviews section of the ARSC Journal

“Every so often a critic comes along who is able to blend a clear-eyed, objective intelligence with a fan’s ebullience. Such a man is Lawrence Schulman. The result is a most rewarding appraisal of over a dozen Judy Garland recordings, remastered and, in the case of the famous Carnegie Hall concert, re-pitched to give us the true sound of that amazing voice. Bravo, Mr. Schulman, fine work!”

— John Meyer, songwriter, playwright, and author of Heartbreaker: A Memoir of Judy Garland and Operation Ruby Slipper

The book has been edited by Stone Wallace and designed by Sarah Joseph, who created the covers of both volumes. The cover photo of Volume I comes from the collection of Kim Palmerston Lundgreen; the cover photo of Volume II comes from the collection of Lawrence Schulman. The interior photos come from the collections of Kim Palmerston Lundgreen and Lawrence Schulman.

Founded in 2001 by Publisher Ben Ohmart, BearManor Media is known for publishing books on movies, television, Old Time Radio, theater, animation, and previously unpublished scripts. The BearManor Media catalog now features more than 900 outstanding subjects from the obscure to the eminent.

All BearManor Media books can be purchased at their website at: BearManor Media. Garland – That’s Beyond Entertainment – Reflections on Judy Garland can be purchased at:

Volume I (hardback):    Amazon US      BearManor Media

Volume I (paperback):  Amazon US       BearManor Media

Volume II (hardback):   Amazon US      BearManor Media

Volume II (paperback): Amazon US       BearManor Media

Kindle edition: forthcoming on Amazon US