Did She Invent “Fierce?” See “Grace Jones A-Z: The Life of an Icon”

By Steve Wide with Illustrations by Babeth Lafon; Smith Street Books; $29.99

A is for Androgyny. B is for banned. C is for cowl. D is for disco.
When you’re as fierce an iconoclast as Grace Jones, expressing yourself may require rewriting the alphabet. That’s what this exhaustively researched and imaginatively illustrated book does, using the ABCs to present the world according to Jones. And what a world it’s been! From making a splash as a model to her disco-divadom during the Studio 54 era to her expect-the-unexpected careers in music and film, she has led a life like no other. G is for Jean-Paul Goude, the inimitable photographer who created some of the most indelible images of Jones (including her Metrosource cover). H is for Keith Haring, who made Jones’ body one of his most memorable canvases. L is for Dolph Lundgren, who Jones discovered, made her bodyguard and introduced to the bright lights of Hollywood (before allegedly trying to retrieve him from an LA hotel with a loaded gun).

M is for movies — including Conan the Destroyer, A View to a Kill and Boomerang. Y is for Yves St. Laurent, who helped rocket her to stardom. This is just a taste of the Jonesian oeuvre captured by this whimsical little tribute (in part because many of the letters have multiple reference points). Fans will enjoy reliving their favorite Grace Jones moments and even latecomers may find themselves slaves to her rhythm.