Review

It's an insider's view, but not in a showy way. Though her approach to conveying her story is deeply personal -- it's always clearly her perspective, not that of some objective historian -- her writing also has a wonderful you-are-there quality that seems to capture the flavor of each episode she describes. [Her stories] should be read in the flow of the book and accompanied by the spectacular photos spread throughout. There's never been a collection of offstage pictures of the Dead, crew and family (and other SF groups) quite like this one.- Blair Jackson, Blair's Golden Road Blog, dead.net



" If you want the inside story of the Grateful Dead from the band's glory years, read "Dancing With the Dead" by Rosie McGee, by far the most perceptive and vivid account from any Dead insider. Plus the photos are fantastic." - Joel Selvin, San Francisco-based music critic, author and music columnist for San Francisco Chronicle from 1972 to 2009.



... this memoir by a freaky, female Zelig is a joyful, occasionally heartbreaking, always honest backstage pass to the fabled long, strange trip. In this hip who's who we meet Phil Spector, Lenny Bruce, Owsley, Kesey, Hendrix, Wavy Gravy, and of course her Dead family. Most importantly, we get to know Rosie - an unrepentant and wise free spirit. - High Times Magazine



"Congratulations to longtime band family member Rosie McGee on the print publication of her fine memoir, Dancing With the Dead. It's a wonderful read, with dozens of photographs that document the band's first ten years. McGee was there at the beginning and watched the Dead develop, and her thoughtful commentary provides a fascinating perspective on that early, formative period in the band's life and work." - Nicholas Meriwether, scholar, archivist and Chair, Grateful Dead Scholars Caucus.



Rosie McGee tells her story in a fashion that lets you see what she saw, through both the lens of her camera and of her memory... with such gentle humility, grace, and honesty that you feel like you were there. Dancing with the Dead: A Photographic Memoir is a beautifully crafted and told recounting that demystifies and rehumanizes the early years of the Grateful Dead. It is a sweet, thoughtful, and thoroughly enjoyable read, and a great addition to the literature about the period. - Steven Gimbel, Chair of Philosophy, Gettysburg College; "Dead Letters", Journal/GD Scholars Caucus.

About the Author

I was so lucky that my parents chose San Francisco when we arrived in the U.S. as French immigrants. How could they know that their sheltered younger daughter would grow up to rebel beyond their wildest fears, running off to join the circus of the Bay Area’s most notorious band? – Rosie McGee Her candid photographs of the Dead have appeared in books, documentaries and publications including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and Rolling Stone magazine. Rosie McGee loves being back in the San Francisco Bay Area after a 20-year absence. She has a counterculture son living in Eugene, OR: he had no need to rebel.