The Woman Who Knew Everyone: The Power of Perle Mesta, Washington’s Most Famous Hostess
by Meryl Gordon
(Grand Central Publishing, 7 January 2025)
Author Interview by Anna Roins
PERLE MESTA: THE WOMAN WHO KNEW EVERYONE is a deeply researched biography of the socialite, political hostess, activist and United States envoy to Luxembourg, by New York Times bestsestselling author Meryl Gordon.
The Washsington socialite grew from being a grand party hostess to be one of the most powerful political forces of her time.
The wealthy, globe-trotting Washington widow was one of the most famous women in the United States, garnering as much media attention as Eleanor Roosevelt.
Renowned for her world-class parties featuring politicians and celebrities, she was very close to three presidents – Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower and Lyndon Johnson. Truman named her the ‘first female envoy’ to Luxembourg, which inspired the hit musical based on Perle’s life – “Call Me Madam” – starring Ethel Merman. This ran on Broadway for two years and later became a movie!
A pioneering supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment, she was a prodigious Democratic fundraiser and rescued Harry Truman’s financially flailing 1948 campaign.
In this intensely researched biography, author MERYL GORDON chronicles Perle’s lavish life and society adventures in Newport, Manhattan and Washington while highlighting her essential – but nearly forgotten contribution to American politics and the feminist movement.
AUTHORLINK: Meryl, thank you for your time today! We congratulate you on another fantastic biography, THE WOMAN WHO KNEW EVERYONE: THE POWER OF PERLE MESTA (2025). This biography recounts the eventful life of a feminist, Equal Rights Amendment supporter, legendary social butterfly, political savant, and United States envoy to Luxembourg from 1949 to 1953 – Perle Mesta!
She turned her gift for hosting parties in the nation’s capital into a unique form of activism, becoming one of the most remarkable women in the United States and inspired the musical, starring Ethel Merman, “Call Me Madam,” and a sobriquet that she was “The Hostess with the Mostes’ on the Ball.”
When did you first consider writing her story?
GORDON: In the winter of 2019, I attended another revival in New York City of Call Me Madam, the 1950 musical written by Irving Berlin, which was loosely based on Perle Mesta’s life. Seeing the musical inspired me to research her history.
AUTHORLINK: Ah, how wonderful! Perle Mesta, came from money and married into yet more money – which she was willing to spend on entertainment — so much so that she had nearly exhausted her millions by the time she died. Not only did Perle throw a great party, but she also became a civil rights supporter who helped to integrate Harry S. Truman’s 1949 inaugural festivities. One of her great gifts was recognizing political talent.
What do you believe was her objective or her motivation and to get into politics?
GORDON: Her father William Skirvin was an ardent Republican and took her to political conventions. She spent time in Washington DC during WW1 with her businessman husband George Mesta, who was an adviser to President Wilson. She was fascinated by the political world and wanted to be influential herself.
AUTHORLINK: Do you believe readers will find Perle Mesta as endearing as her many party guests did? Why? She certainly had plenty of resilience, empathy, and determination to use her influence to do good.
GORDON: I hope so. Although she was wealthy, she was not a snob and socialized with people from different walks of life. She was mocked for her weight and appearance and under-estimated but she took the high road, and was often triumphant.
AUTHORLINK: You have a dynamic and remarkable career as an award-winning journalist. We enjoyed your interview with American journalist and business professional Tony Schwartz, author of ‘Trump: The Art of the Deal (1987)’, which is credited to Donald J. Trump and himself. It is a part memoir and part business advice book. It was the first book credited to Trump, and it helped to make him a household name. You have also had round-table discussions with American journalist and talk show host Charlie Rose about Hilary Clinton. In addition, you have profiled influential political figures such as Kofi Annan, Mike Bloomberg, John Kerry, and Academy Award actors like Nicole Kidman!
However, in more recent years, you have been enjoying writing biographies. How did that change come about? Is this a genre you believe you will stick with?
GORDON: I wrote for magazines for many years but it is so much more satisfying to be able to invest a lot of time and energy into a biography. While my books are edited by my publisher, I feel that I have more control over the final product.
AUTHORLINK: What made you decide to write your first book ‘Mrs. Astor Regrets: The Hidden Betrayals of a Family Beyond Reproach’ (2008)?
GORDON: I wrote an article for New York Magazine about the Astor scandal, when Brooke Astor’s grandson sued his father and claimed he was not taking good care of Brooke. I wondered, how does a famous society family fall apart in public? Publishers were fascinated and several got into a bidding war for my book.
AUTHORLINK: Ah, we see. So, we assume soon after your article, you pitched a book about the same subject and it created interest? You have now written biographies of Bunny Mellon, ‘Bunny Mellon: The Life of an American Style Legend’ (2017), Huguette Clark, ‘The Phantom of Fifth Avenue: The Mysterious Life and Mysterious Death of Heiress Huguette Clark’ (2014), and Brooke Astor. How would you compare the three women, in comparison to Perle Mesta?
GORDON: All four women were born at a time when women had very few opportunities and they all wanted to create meaningful lives. Brooke Astor became a philanthropist, Huguette Clark was a talented artist, Bunny Mellon was an avid gardener who designed the White House Rose Garden and Perle Mesta became a diplomat and close friend to three presidents.
Alas, towards the end of their lives, all four of them were taken advantage of financially, which in three situations, led to court cases.
AUTHORLINK: How would you describe your research process?
GORDON: I start by creating a time line, charting the events in the lives of my subjects, logging in every article I’ve read. So when I get to any given year, I can see what happened. I try to interview anyone I can find who knew my subject. Brooke Astor was given a birthday party for 100 guests when she turned 100. I was able to interview more than 50 of those guests. So I could describe the scene and introduce the most important people in her life.
AUTHORLINK: That is interesting, thank you. What is your writing process like every day? Or is it different with every book?
GORDON: It’s daunting to start writing a book, putting down that first sentence. For my first book, I dragged on it for weeks, then accidentally broke my pinkie finger in a door that closed. After I got the splint, I started writing immediately because I knew if I used this as an excuse, I’d never write the book.
For my second book, New York City was mostly blacked out because of Hurricane Sandy, but my apartment had power. With the city shut down and my NYU classes cancelled, it seemed like a good time to start writing.
For my third book, my husband had the flu and I had nothing else to do other than give him tea and chicken soup and had free time.
Researching the Perle Mesta book was daunting because she died in 1975 and most of her contemporaries were long gone so this required a lot of archival research. The book took longer than my others because the presidential libraries were closed during the pandemic.
AUTHORLINK: That is so fascinating. You trooper! Which one (if not all!) of your books would you love to be made into a movie? They would all be so wonderful to watch as a series, given the expansive timelines each one of these incredible women had.
GORDON: My biography of Brooke Astor has been repeatedly optioned, but no luck yet. It’s such a dramatic family story and I hope it is eventually picked up again.
AUTHORLINK: We have a good feeling it will. There are so many stories out there, and not many seem that interesting to be honest. However, this does. Can you tell us what you are working on now? Is it another biography? We love that genre – especially those eras.
GORDON: I hope to write another biography but at the moment, I’m on book tour. My Perle Mesta bio received strong reviews, so I’m getting speaking invitations all over the country, from North Carolina to Oklahoma to California. It’s great fun.
AUTHORLINK: Oh, that’s wonderful! Meryl, thank you so much for sharing your wealth of knowledge and time with us today at AUTHORLINK. We wish you continued success in THE WOMAN WHO KNEW EVERYONE: THE POWER OF PERLE MESTA (2025) and in all your future endeavours!
GORDON: Thank you
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Meryl Gordon is an award-winning journalist and tenured NYU journalism professor who has also been a contract writer for New York Magazine.
She has profiled influential figures such as Kofi Annan, Mike Bloomberg, and John Kerry, as well as stars such as Nicole Kidman, Susan Sarandon, and Maggie Gyllenhaal. She has written major features for the New York Times Magazine, Gourmet, Elle, Marie Claire, and more. She is the author of four biographies, two of which have been New York Times bestsellers. Her work has appeared in New York magazine, Vanity Fair, and The New York Times.
A native of Rochester, New York, and a graduate of the University of Michigan, Meryl has worked as a newspaper reporter, magazine writer, and TV and radio reporter. She has covered various topics, including national politics, influential New Yorkers, police and courts, economics and business, fashion, food, celebrities, pioneering women, and book reviews.
She is based in New York City.
You can find out more about Meryl Gordon at https://www.merylgordon.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/meryl.gordon.5
A TOWN & COUNTRY MUST READ BOOK OF 2025
AN AMAZON BEST BOOK OF THE MONTH – BIOGRAPHIES & MEMOIR