PORTLAND – The dusty world of etiquette is about to get a star-studded makeover.
Actress Liv Tyler and her grandmother Dorothea Johnson have written a book called “Modern Manners,” which will hit bookstores in May 2012.
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“The book is not a staid, old-fashioned type book,” said Johnson, a Falmouth resident who is the founder of The Protocol School of Washington and the etiquette expert for the Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Tyler, who lives in New York, is known for her roles in numerous films, including “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy and “The Incredible Hulk.” She can be seen now in James Gunn’s dark comedy “Super,” which premiered to rave reviews at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Tyler models for Givenchy and is celebrity spokeswoman for the denim brand G-STAR.
Tyler was raised in Portland and attended the Waynflete School until sixth grade, when she moved to Manhattan. She is the daughter of Aerosmith’s lead singer, Steven Tyler, and model and singer Bebe Buell. Buell was Playboy magazine’s Playmate of the Month in November 1974.
The book will be published by Rodale. In a prepared statement, Rodale said the book will “help us to communicate more effectively in today’s fast-paced digital world.”
Johnson said many publishers vied for the book, and she and Tyler “decided to go with Rodale because they’re very big with publishing self-help books. They also published Liv’s good friend Alicia Silverstone’s book, ‘The Kind Diet.”‘
“Modern Manners” will have a foreword written by Tyler and a number of dos and don’ts. One section, called “Lazy Language,” will take on informal word contractions, such as “wanna” and “watcha.”
When she was younger, Tyler lived with Johnson in Washington, D.C., for two years.
“Everybody comments on her good manners,” Johnson said. “Regardless of her parents, she’s had a very conservative upbringing.”
Staff Writer Avery Yale Kamila can be contacted at 791-6297 or at:
akamila@mainetoday.com
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