Rare Birds

“A fetching family history that showcases a multigenerational cast of passionate oddballs.” – San Francisco Chronicle

“Bessie portrays his relatives – both famous and not – as striking examples of American individuality, ingenuity and creativity…. This heartfelt, warmly intelligent kaleidoscope of intimate portraits never glosses over the rough edges.” – Publishers Weekly

“Bessie tells a great story in his memoir.” – Family Tree Magazine

“Bessie’s fascination with his extraordinary relatives has given life to these vivid family portraits.” – Louisville Courier-Journal

“Certainly one of the more colorful collections of folks you’ll encounter.” – Marietta (OH) Times

“Examines good times and hard times with an understanding eye and an indulgent heart.” – Movie Magazine International

“His breathless enthusiasm, sometimes maddening naïveté and flair for irony inform the entire memoir, as do the splendid family snapshots he has painstakingly assembled.” – New York Times Book Review

“One hundred and fifty years of American life are illuminated in the delightful family history of film writer, director, producer, and animator Bessie.” – Library Journal

“Spreading untidily across the country, producing capitalist moguls and card-carrying Communists, marrying, divorcing, coming out of the closet, keeping in touch and supporting each other when they chips are down, they remind me of the craziness of my own family and they will remind you of yours.” – Prime Time (Santa Fe, NM)

“What is remarkable is not only his voice – it is all in the practiced cadences of a born raconteur – but the number of interesting people he is related to…. Would make a great choice for discussion groups exploring family chronicles.” – Booklist

Dan Bessie has been a film writer, director, producer, and animator since apprenticing on Tom and Jerry cartoons at MGM in 1956.