Known for her versatile talent and legendary performances, Puerto Rican actress, singer, and dancer Rita Moreno has been inspiring and entertaining audiences for over 70 years. She made her professional debut at the age of 13 in the original Broadway production of Skydrift in 1951, and quickly became an in-demand triple-threat – appearing in iconic films like Singin’ in the Rain, The King and I, and West Side Story, for which she won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
Moreno’s also been lauded for her work on stage and television, winning a Tony Award for her role in the musical The Ritz, as well as an Emmy for her performance in The Rockford Files. In 2014 she published the bestselling memoir Rita Moreno – charting her humble island beginnings to her upbringing in the Bronx, to landing her big break and rising in Old Hollywood despite persistent racial and sexual barriers.
In a list of favorite books for The Week, Moreno spoke on her first brush with feminine psychology, the discipline needed to find enduring love, and the difficulties of cultural change. From Erich Fromm to Amy Tan, explore her reading list below, and complement with the bookshelves of Dolly Parton and Jane Fonda.
Rita Moreno’s Reading List
Feminine Psychology and Neurosis and Human Growth by Karen Horney
“Where does a young Latina in the 1950s find a healthy feminine role model? Struggling to figure out who I was, I eagerly read an article by German psychoanalyst Karen Horney — later published in Neurosis and Human Growth — on what she called ‘the tyranny of the should.’ Her writings helped change the course of my life. Intentionally or not, Dr. Horney was a trailblazer of the feminist movement.” -RM
The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm
“Hollywood heat and sexual attraction do not a lasting relationship make. Psychologist and philosopher Erich Fromm made me realize that enduring love takes hard work and the committed discipline of a bodybuilder. Fromm distills the elements of true love: care, responsibility, respect, and knowledge of the other person.” -RM
The Bonesetter’s Daughter by Amy Tan
“Usually it’s impossible to understand the difficulty of cultural change unless you’ve lived it — in my case by leaving the island of Puerto Rico for the shores of big America. In this 2001 novel, Amy Tan shows how human experience differs in American and Chinese cultures, exposing the reader to a level of insight usually only known experientially. A must-read.” -RM
The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon
“Hearing my late husband, Lenny, laugh out loud while reading this book made me so curious that I couldn’t wait for him to finish. ‘Stop kvetching and buy your own copy,’ Lenny said. So I did. Michael Chabon’s novel about an imaginary Jewish settlement in Alaska is infused with colorful detail, humor, and many surprises.” -RM
Ironweed by William Kennedy
“The plight of the homeless and the disenfranchised of any society is troubling — especially in America, where these people are often nearly invisible. We might even step over them on the way to the grocery. Ironweed, though a hard read, exercises the soul and brings to life the themes of grace, empathy, and redemption.” -RM
(via The Week; photo by Chris Pizzello)
Looking for an Amazon alternative? Support local, independent booksellers by shopping Rita Moreno’s reading list on Bookshop.org: