Anti Diva: An Autobiography

Almeta Speaks is a blues-jazz singer and recording artist, an
Emmy-award-winning PBS producer, and a Ph.D. candidate at the Ontario
Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto.

Carole Pope’s Anti Diva, like her music, is both gritty and lyrical.
In a detached and insular manner, she writes about a time before the
cynicism of “me tooism” took hold. For readers titillated by sexual
outings, Pope’s lesbian encounters may appeal. Music lovers will find
more interesting the backstage insights; the portrayal of the music
industry, with its charlatans, hangers-on, and exploitation; and the
descriptions of festivals (one such festival evokes recollections of a
laid-back time of weekend sun and fun, undisturbed by beeping cell
phones and laptops). Ultimately, Anti Diva is the story of a woman who
survived in an industry dominated by men.