Lois Erdmann Wright is an American artist, author, and television personality. She is best known for her appearance in the 1975 independent documentary film '' Grey Gardens'' by

Albert and David Maysles Albert Maysles (November 26, 1926 – March 5, 2015) and his brother David Maysles (January 10, 1931 – January 3, 1987; ) were an American documentary filmmaking team known for their work in the Direct Cinema style. Their best-known films i ...

. She is the author of the memoir ''My Life at Grey Gardens: 13 Months and Beyond''. She hosted ''The Lois Wright Show'' for LTV Public Access in East Hampton for over 30 years; broadcasting her final show on December 19, 2018. As an artist, she has exhibited at Guild Hall in East Hampton and at the

National Arts Club The National Arts Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and members club on Gramercy Park, Manhattan, New York City. It was founded in 1898 by Charles DeKay, an art and literary critic of the ''New York Times'' to "stimulate, foster, and promote public ...

in New York. Her art focuses mainly on

Edith Bouvier Beale Edith Bouvier Beale (November 7, 1917 – January 14, 2002), nicknamed Little Edie, was an American socialite, fashion model, and cabaret performer. She was a first cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Jacqueline Onassis and Lee Radziwill, Lee ...

and

Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale (October 5, 1895 – February 5, 1977) was an American socialite and singer known for her reclusive and eccentric lifestyle. Known as Big Edie, she was a sister of John Vernou Bouvier III and an aunt of Jacqueline ...

of Grey Gardens.

Personal background

Wright is the niece of the late Dr. John F. Erdmann, who was Professor of Surgery and Director of Surgery at the New York Post-Graduate Medical College and Hospital from 1908 until 1934. Dr. Erdmann lived at Coxwould in East Hampton and is best remembered for performing a "secret surgery" on President Grover Cleveland aboard the Steam Ship Oneida in 1893. Wright is also the sister of the late William Wright. In the summer of 1949, William Wright conducted the first and only audio recorded interview of

Jackson Pollock Paul Jackson Pollock (; January 28, 1912August 11, 1956) was an American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. He was widely noticed for his " drip technique" of pouring or splashing liquid household paint onto a hor ...

at Pollock's home on Springs Fireplace Road in East Hampton, New York. William Wright was portrayed by actor David Cale in the film biopic '' Pollock'' starring Ed Harris.

Career

Wright has been called "the Palmist of the Hamptons," and read palms and tarot cards throughout the area, including East Hampton's Sea Spray on the Dunes, Montauk's

Gurney's Inn Gurney's Inn is a Long Island oceanfront resort, in Montauk, New York. U.S. President Richard Nixon wrote his acceptance speech at the Skippers Cottage at Gurney's Inn. The oceanfront resort includes a seawater pool and group accommodations fo ...

, Southampton's The Old Post House, and in Grey Gardens. She read several celebrity palms, including that of Bette Davis, who once said that Wright "read her palm better than anyone from Hollywood to East Hampton". Wright has hosted a television show for East Hampton LTV cable access since 1984. She started as a psychic, reading palms, and talking about her days at Grey Gardens. Over time, the setting changed to various locations, such as The Old West, where Wright interviewed celebrities, including artists, writers, and politicians, among others. ''The Lois Wright Show'' was the longest running cable access show on LTV until its end in 2018. As an artist, Wright's work has been shown at the Sag Harbor Gallery, Guild Hall in East Hampton, and the National Arts Club in New York City. Her art mainly focuses on the subjects of '' Grey Gardens'' –

and

– and seascapes off the coast of Montauk.

''Grey Gardens''

Wright was featured in the 1975 documentary film '' Grey Gardens'' by

and the follow-up film ''

The Beales of Grey Gardens ''The Beales of Grey Gardens'' is a documentary film by Albert Maysles, David Maysles and Ian Markiewicz, released in 2006. Background This film is a follow-up to the celebrated 1975 documentary ''Grey Gardens'' about Jackie Kennedy's aunt a ...

''. In the first film, '' Grey Gardens'', Wright was a guest during a birthday celebration for "Big Edie",

. In ''

'', Wright is shown to be a close friend of the Beales, and is spotlighted for her talents as a palmist. According to her book, ''My Life at Grey Gardens: 13 Months and Beyond'', Wright lived with the Beales at Grey Gardens, from May 1975 until June 1976. She remained close to the Beales until Big Edie's death on February 5, 1977 and Little Edie's death on January 9, 2002. In a ''New York Times'' article,

Sally Quinn Sally Sterling Quinn (born July 1, 1941) is an American author and journalist, who writes about religion for a blog at ''The Washington Post''. Early life Sally Quinn was born in Savannah, Georgia, to Lt. General William Wilson "Buffalo Bill" ...

recalls Wright appearing unexpectedly at Grey Gardens and informing her that she was bringing a message from Big Edie. Wright said that Big Edie wanted Quinn to have the house, that Quinn was meant to have it, and that Big Edie was watching over her and that everything would go absolutely perfectly. Wright is the subject of the 2010 children's book ''Bijoux Goes to Grey Gardens'' by J.C. Burdine. The story depicts Wright accompanying a small French bulldog on an adventure through an estate in East Hampton. In the 2017 film ''That Summer'' directed by Göran Olsson, Wright is telephoned by the Beales and enticed to come over for the filming of the documentary, but she declines. An entire scene is devoted to the conversation between the Beales and Wright.

Published works

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Filmography

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Lois 1928 births Living people Painters from New York (state) Palmists People from East Hampton (town), New York Tarot readers Writers from New York (state)