I Was Better Last Night is very quilt-like. Fierstein shares his life less in conventional chapters than in colorful patches: 59 of them, stitched together with photos and a plush index. The sum of this is warm and enveloping and indeed two-sided: One is a raw, cobwebby tale of anger, hurt, indignation and pain; flip it over and you get billowing ribbons of humor, gossip and fabulous, hot-pink success.

Heartfelt and dishy.

... scrumptious.

Four-time Tony Award-winning playwright and actor Harvey Fierstein knows how to tell captivating stories that are hilarious and heartbreaking. I Was Better Last Night is filled with the same energy, quick wit, wise observations and big heart that are hallmarks of his plays and musicals. This is a theater memoir for the ages.

... full of joy, humor, and vivid details of a figure that, like Puccini’s Tosca, lived for art.

Fierstein traces his arc through a series of 50 short but emotionally packed interludes.

Richly detailed.

Raucous.

Not content to revel in the success of his most famous roles on Broadway, Fierstein also gives insightful, unflinching glimpses into his artistic development and creative process. Among the strongest sections are the author’s revelations about the evolution of his beloved Torch Song Trilogy.