(Southern Illinois University Press, 2011; 256 pages) ISBN: 9780809330164–Amazon

In My Life in Vaudeville, CU English professor Paul Levitt (Phil’57, MA’60) edited Ed Lowry’s account of his exciting life in the entertainment industry as an actor, musician and comedian. The book offers several unique insights into the vaudeville lifestyle during its decline in the 1920s and 1930s including the relationship between vaudevillians and their audiences. Levitt’s introduction to the book perfectly lays the foundation for Lowry’s story, giving readers a necessary historical perspective of the vaudeville circuit.