Francine Prose is equally well-known for her fiction (BLUE ANGEL, LOVERS AT THE CHAMELEON CLUB, Paris, 1932) and for her literary criticism (READING LIKE A WRITER). The author is embarking on a biography of Cleopatra, an object of persistent assumptions throughout history. Centuries after her death, our image of Cleopatra is one of an irresistible siren: voluptuous, excessive, and luxe. Prose wants to rethink this myth with a narrative account of Cleopatra’s life. In her book, Prose will attempt to separate Cleopatra from her legend and her literary representations, questioning those aspects of her life and her character that we have taken for granted. The book will be published by Yale University Press.