LIVE Magazine #249 December 9 thru January 2, 2016-17

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LIVEMAGAZINE
EXCLUSIVE by Kate Porter
It’s said that life has a funny way of happening when you aren’t looking and
I can personally attest to that since, for me, one such “happening” occurred
Christmas Day of 2010. As I happily walked into a room of holiday revelers at a
friends home, I was handed a glass of white wine. I began to look for my Host
and as I stepped down into the large living room and moved into the festive
group, I noticed and passed one of her other guests, a tall blonde with a warm
smile. Suddenly, from behind me I heard “Hey Kate.. you know everyone! Know
anyone who edits books? Alexis has a dynamite story to tell and needs an Editor!”
My friend, Joey English (who actually DOES know everyone!) hugged me and
taking my arm, turned me around to face…“The Blonde”!
Indeed “warm”, SHE also hugged me as Joey enthusiastically introduced us. They
were both then delighted when I answered Joey’s question with “An Editor? Yes,
I certainly do. ME!” I often edited with my best friend of many years, Barbara
McClure, Publisher and Editor of the “Desert Woman” magazine.
Cutting to the chase, a month later, Barbara and I were both committed to
why she wrote such a personal commentary.
“polishing” “Joi Lansing:
a Body to Die For”, the
500 page “word diamond”
that our new friend, Alexis
Hunter, had finished writing
only a few months before.
Little did any of us know
the emotional adventure
the three of us were
about to take together.
(Apparently, based on the
over 100 5 star reviews on
Amazon, the reader takes
the same kind of “ride!”)
Alexis was (and is…) an
excellent writer and the
book had been written
intimately from her very
core. The details were
myriad and the tale, though
a love story for the ages,
was playful and intimate
one minute, yet painful and
heart tugging the next. It
was clear that the book
was not just Joi’s story, but
Alex’s story as well.
Alexis recently did a written
interview for the Huffington
Post that shares intimately
“After I lost Joi,” Alex wrote, “I could not stop thinking of her. I had tapes running
in my head over and over because I didn’t want to lose one moment I’d had with her. As
years passed, I finally felt I had to put it down on paper so that I could continue my life. I
knew Joi would want me to do that.”
“She’d been so happy and so proud of our relationship. One night at “Ye Little Club” in
Beverly Hills, we were watching Joan Rivers (a good friend of hers) and she had put us at
a table right in front of the stage. That night Joan gave a shout out to Joi and the whole
room exploded in applause. Joi, always gracious and appreciative of her fans, stood and
smiled. Then, knowing she was being watched by everyone in the room, Joi held my hand
all night! I was always uncomfortable for her because I was afraid it would hurt her in the
business, but, in some way, she was so proud of our love, she wanted to tell the world,
whatever the cost.
Well, now, the book has allowed this to happen. I know she would be proud of me. Thru
this book I’m able to keep her memory alive and now she’s a bigger star than she ever
was…something she always wanted and deserved. Most of all though, I believe Joi would
want me to tell the story of why she died so young. I know she would want people to
know the horrors of injectable silicone. She was only 43. She waited so long for real love
and then we only had four years together. She would be devastated to hear about how
popular the dangerous and irresponsible practice of injecting silicone directly into our
bodies has become once more.”
“Joi Lansing: a Body to Die For” is a title that can be read two different ways. Sadly, it
turned out to be prophetic.