The Strange Life and Legacy of Astrology Queen Linda Goodman
A critique of Courtney Ann LaFaive's book "Follow the Signs: Searching for Linda Goodman, America's Forgotten Astrology Queen" (University of Iowa Press) delves into the life of the astrologer who popularized zodiac signs. Linda Goodman, born Mary Alice Kemery on April 9, 1925, in Morgantown, West Virginia, passed away at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs on October 21, 1995. Her groundbreaking work, "Linda Goodman's Sun Signs" (1968), was the first astrology book to make the New York Times best-seller list, with sales exceeding thirty million copies. After becoming a recluse in Cripple Creek, Colorado, she developed an obsession with physical immortality, promoting fruitarianism and breatharianism. LaFaive, an assistant professor at the University of North Dakota, combines biography, memoir, and criticism, ultimately depicting Goodman as a flawed individual. The review also highlights a 2025 Pew Research survey indicating that 30% of adults consult astrology or fortune tellers each year.
Key facts
- Linda Goodman died on October 21, 1995, at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs.
- She was born Mary Alice Kemery on April 9, 1925, in Morgantown, West Virginia.
- Her book 'Linda Goodman's Sun Signs' (1968) was the first astrology text on the New York Times best-seller list.
- Her books sold over thirty million copies during her lifetime.
- She hid her age and birth year from the public.
- Her daughter Sally died in 1973 in Manhattan, ruled a suicide.
- Goodman became a recluse in Cripple Creek, Colorado, and advocated physical immortality.
- Courtney Ann LaFaive's biography 'Follow the Signs' was published by University of Iowa Press.
Entities
Artists
- Linda Goodman
- Courtney Ann LaFaive
- Sally Goodman
- Sam Goodman
- William Snyder
- Carl Sagan
- Scarlett O'Hara
Institutions
- University of Iowa Press
- University of North Dakota
- New York Times
- People
- Miami News
- Pew Research
- NASA
- Yves Saint Laurent
- Betty Crocker
- Lindaland
Locations
- Colorado Springs
- Colorado
- Morgantown
- West Virginia
- Manhattan
- New York City
- Cripple Creek
- Maine
- Mesopotamia