Jazz performer Billy Tipton has a secret that, if discovered, will destroy everything he holds dear: his musical career, his most intimate relationships, his reputation --his very life. Under his stylish suits and sleek hairstyle and lady-killer persona lies the body of a woman -- an identity he assumed to get work in jazz bands starting in the 1930s, and that he keeps hidden for the rest of his life, even from the women he loves, in the pursuit of fame.

After nearly twenty years of hard work, relentless travel, and ulcers caused by his constant fear of being "outed," Billy's star finally rises. Leader of his own jazz band, a multi-record deal in hand, and a job offer as the permanent opening act for one of the world's most popular performers, Billy stands on the cusp of fame. But is the price too high?

THE FIVE WIVES OF BILLY TIPTON (a working title), my current work in progress, explores in fictional form the true story of the U.S. pianist, saxophonist, comic, and singer who lived in disguise for more than fifty years, until he died. Filled with humor and pathos, it asks: in a world in which all must play our assigned roles, what does it mean to live an authentic life?