"Frida Kahlo has been celebrated as a proto-feminist, a misunderstood genius, and a leftist hero, but during her lifetime she was better known--at first, at least--for being Diego Rivera's wife. Still, as shown in this wide-ranging collection of interviews, she was not only a groundbreaking, prolific, and personal artist in her own right, but a savvy cultivator of her public image. In discussions with critics, artists, and journalists from throughout her career, she emerges from Rivera's shadow as a woman who confidently declares that she herself is her only influence. With an introduction by Kahlo biographer Hayden Herrera, this is a look at the real woman behind 'Friedamania,' in her own words." -- from publisher.