Bibliography of works on Madonna

This article is about biographies and other literary works on Madonna. For a bibliography of works by Madonna, see Madonna bibliography. For academic works about Madonna, see List of academic publishing works on Madonna.
This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Works on Madonna
Madonna smiling with a microphone in front of her mouth
The literature on Madonna is substantially large and unfathomable,[1] inspiring "a mini publishing industry all her own"[2]
Books in English65
Non-English books20
Essays and other works9

This is a list containing the different written works about Madonna, including biographies and other literary forms.[a] Many authors have written more than one book about Madonna and these have been published in multiple languages other than English, including German, French, Dutch, Spanish and Italian.[b][3] The releases have sometimes become bestsellers and have faced varied reception from critics and academics. The staff of Xtra Magazine commented that "she has inspired a mini publishing industry all her own".[2] Maura Johnston said that "the appetite for books on Madonna is large, and the variety of approaches writers, editors, and photographers have taken to craft their portraits is a testament to how her career has both inspired and provoked".[4] On the report of Eric Weisbard "only Madonna books proliferated" compared to her other contemporary fellows from the 1980s.[5] Evelyn Briceno from La Tercera described her as a character worthy of biographies, photo books and various analyses.[6]

According to critic Paul Northup who wrote in Third Way magazine, "eminent authors and academics have pored over her tirelessly since she burst onto the pop scene in the early Eighties."[7] The continual interest by many writers towards Madonna was expressed by Rodrigo Fresán in 2008: "and the years go by and life changes but something remains constant: one continues to write about Madonna",[8] while J. Randy Taraborrelli wrote in 2018, "I have never stopped writing about Madonna since that day I first met her thirty-five years ago".[9] The literature about Madonna is "extensive" according to associate professor Robert Miklitsch of Ohio University,[10] and Stephen Brown from University of Ulster described "is almost mind-boggling in its abundance".[11] Pamela Church Gibson from University of the Arts London realized it saying in Fashion and Celebrity Culture (2013), "there is a veritable library of literature available" on Madonna.[12]

Biographies released about the singer include Madonna: An Intimate Biography (2002) by Taraborrelli, Madonna (2001) by Andrew Morton, Madonna: Like an Icon (2007) by Lucy O'Brien, Madonnaland (2016) by Alina Simone, Life with My Sister Madonna (2008) by her brother Christopher Ciccone and Madonna: Bawdy and Soul (1997) by Karlene Faith. Morton's biography was criticized by Madonna herself and she was also against the release of Ciccone's book, which ultimately led to a rift between the siblings.[13]

  1. ^ Hall & Hall 2010, pp. 445–446
  2. ^ a b Hays, Matthew (September 14, 2022). "Inside the mind of the 'Encyclopedia Madonnica' author who can't stop adding entries (Madge was great in 'Evita'!?)". Xtra Magazine. Archived from the original on September 15, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  3. ^ Hammer & Kellner 2009, p. 321
  4. ^ Maura, Johnston (August 16, 2018). "These Are the Best Madonna Books". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on August 16, 2018. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  5. ^ Weisbard, Eric (2021). Idol for academic analysis and a changing public sphere. Duke University Press. ISBN 978-1478021391. Archived from the original on May 21, 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2022 – via Google Books. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  6. ^ Briceno, Evelyn (August 13, 2018). "#Madonna60: 4 libros para saber más de la Chica Material". La Tercera (in Spanish). Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
  7. ^ Northup, Paul (April 1998). "Reviews: Madonna Ray of Light". Third Way. 21 (3): 28. ISSN 0309-3492. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  8. ^ Fresán, Rodrigo (December 7, 2008). "Mujer material". Página 12 (in Spanish). Archived from the original on May 30, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  9. ^ Taraborrelli, J. Randy (2018) [2001]. Madonna An Intimate Biography of an Icon at Sixty. Pan Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-5098-4279-7. Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2022 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ Miklitsch 1998, p. 13
  11. ^ Brown, Stephen (2003). "On Madonna'S Brand Ambition: Presentation Transcript". Association For Consumer Research. pp. 119–201. Archived from the original on April 19, 2017. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  12. ^ Gibson 2013, p. 153
  13. ^ Wong, Curtis M. (July 9, 2015). "Here's Why Madonna's Gay Brother Is Defending Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis". HuffPost. Archived from the original on May 30, 2018. Retrieved May 30, 2018.


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