--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I can't say I wasn't warned. Alarms…" description: "\"I can't say I wasn't warned. Alarms started clanging the day I signed to write 'His Way: The Unauthorized Biography of Frank Sinatra' (Bantam Books, 19..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/693/kitty-kelley-18933_alarm_i-can-t-say-i-wasn-t-warned-alarms-start_338630.jpg" --- # I can't say I wasn't warned. Alarms started clanging the… ![“I can't say I wasn't warned. Alarms started clanging the day I signed to write 'His Way: The Unauthorized Biography of Frank Sinatra' (Bantam Books, 1986).” quote by Kitty Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/693/kitty-kelley-18933_alarm_i-can-t-say-i-wasn-t-warned-alarms-start_338630.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/693/kitty-kelley-18933_alarm_i-can-t-say-i-wasn-t-warned-alarms-start_338630.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/693/kitty-kelley-18933_alarm_i-can-t-say-i-wasn-t-warned-alarms-start_338630.jpg) > “I can't say I wasn't warned. Alarms started clanging the day I signed to write 'His Way: The Unauthorized Biography of Frank Sinatra' (Bantam Books, 1986).” [Kitty Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-kelley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author warns of looming trouble as she begins a controversial biography, hinting at danger and backlash. **In simple terms:** Writing a risky biography invites danger. Key Takeaway Prepare for backlash when exposing truth. Themes risk exposure biography danger Mood cautious investigative Type nonfiction biographical When to use this quote - publishing controversial works - legal defense - public scrutiny - reputation management Key Concepts media ethics celebrity culture Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do biographers have? - How to handle threats when publishing? A Different Perspective Public reaction can be hostile and legal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Biography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biography/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day/) ## Related quotes > [I don't give you editorial control. I want to meet you. I want to interview everybody who's ever known you. I want to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-kelley/i-don-t-give-you-editorial-control-i-want-to-meet-you-i-want-to/) [Kitty Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-kelley/) > [I just want everybody to know that I'm opposed to an unauthorized biography on anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-just-want-everybody-to-know-that-i-m-opposed-to-an-unauthorized/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [I think of the Bible as an unauthorized biography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/i-think-of-the-bible-as-an-unauthorized-biography/) [John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) > [I would love to do an unauthorized biography about Congress... It's like a secret society up there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-kelley/i-would-love-to-do-an-unauthorized-biography-about-congress-it-s-like/) [Kitty Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-kelley/) > [People forget that unauthorized does not mean untrue and authorized does not mean authentic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-kelley/people-forget-that-unauthorized-does-not-mean-untrue-and-authorized/) [Kitty Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-kelley/) > [The difference between authorized and unauthorized biographies is the difference between riding in carriage or squatting in steerage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-kelley/the-difference-between-authorized-and-unauthorized-biographies-is-the/) [Kitty Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-kelley/) > [I think that I'm busy in the present, and I don't want to go back. Well, there's been an unauthorized biography, and you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-finney/i-think-that-i-m-busy-in-the-present-and-i-don-t-want-to-go-back-well/) [Albert Finney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-finney/) > [“We went to a Barnes and Noble, where I picked up an unauthorized biography of M.C. Hammer, and not wanting to overload her on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/we-went-to-a-barnes-and-noble-where-i-picked-up-an-unauthorized/) [Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/) > [Save it for my unauthorized autobiography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/save-it-for-my-unauthorized-autobiography/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [I'm writing an unauthorized autobiography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/i-m-writing-an-unauthorized-autobiography/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [“the Director said you went on an unauthorized ‘quest.’ What on earth is a ‘quest’?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-bach/the-director-said-you-went-on-an-unauthorized-quest-what-on-earth-is/) [Shelby Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-bach/) > [“God is too cool to join any of his unauthorized fan clubs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-is-too-cool-to-join-any-of-his-unauthorized-fan-clubs/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I'm looking for backing for an unauthorized auto-biography that I am writing. Hopefully, this will sell in such huge numbers that I will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-m-looking-for-backing-for-an-unauthorized-auto-biography-that-i-am/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I hate it when my hair is engaged in unauthorized activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-poundstone/i-hate-it-when-my-hair-is-engaged-in-unauthorized-activities/) [Paula Poundstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-poundstone/) > [“Someday, I want to write an unauthorized autobiography of myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcmullen-sullivan/someday-i-want-to-write-an-unauthorized-autobiography-of-myself/) [David McMullen-Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcmullen-sullivan/) ## More by Kitty Kelley > [When Caroline Kennedy endorsed Barack Obama in 2008 as her father's rightful heir, she laid upon him the mantle of Camelot and the enduring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-kelley/when-caroline-kennedy-endorsed-barack-obama-in-2008-as-her-father-s/) [Kitty Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-kelley/) > [Once I decide to do something, I can't have people telling me I can't. If there's a roadblock, you jump over it, walk around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-kelley/once-i-decide-to-do-something-i-can-t-have-people-telling-me-i-can-t/) [Kitty Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-kelley/) > [John F. Kennedy brought style and charisma to the White House and a first family that captivated the country: a handsome, witty president, an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-kelley/john-f-kennedy-brought-style-and-charisma-to-the-white-house-and-a/) [Kitty Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-kelley/) > [The authorized biographers - the ones hand-picked to write the sanitized version of a subject's life - sit up front with the swells while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-kelley/the-authorized-biographers-the-ones-hand-picked-to-write-the/) [Kitty Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-kelley/) > [A hero is someone we can admire without apology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-kelley/a-hero-is-someone-we-can-admire-without-apology/) [Kitty Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-kelley/) > [People forget that unauthorized does not mean untrue and authorized does not mean authentic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-kelley/people-forget-that-unauthorized-does-not-mean-untrue-and-authorized/) [Kitty Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-kelley/) > [I was raised Irish Catholic and went to Holy Names Academy, an all-girl's private Catholic school. I loved the nuns there and I love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-kelley/i-was-raised-irish-catholic-and-went-to-holy-names-academy-an-all/) [Kitty Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-kelley/) > [Shortly after Senator Eugene J. McCarthy died in 2005 the age of 89, I became an honorary member of the committee starting a fellowship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-kelley/shortly-after-senator-eugene-j-mccarthy-died-in-2005-the-age-of-89-i/) [Kitty Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-kelley/) > [I only choose to write about people who are alive, are extremely powerful and as such have influenced our lives. I try to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-kelley/i-only-choose-to-write-about-people-who-are-alive-are-extremely/) [Kitty Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-kelley/) > [Studies have been done showing that there really are gender differences, that women do bring more congeniality and compromise to the table.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-kelley/studies-have-been-done-showing-that-there-really-are-gender/) [Kitty Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-kelley/) > [Gay marriage has jumped out of the closet on to the front page. Everyone from the president of the U.S. to retired four-star general…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-kelley/gay-marriage-has-jumped-out-of-the-closet-on-to-the-front-page/) [Kitty Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-kelley/) > [The rumors of Frank Sinatras violence and his ties to organized crime were such that journalists joked in print about me ending up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-kelley/the-rumors-of-frank-sinatras-violence-and-his-ties-to-organized-crime/) [Kitty Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-kelley/) > [I'm not surprised, but I am disappointed that Katharine Carr Esters claims that she was 'tricked' into divulging her true feelings about Oprah and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-kelley/i-m-not-surprised-but-i-am-disappointed-that-katharine-carr-esters/) [Kitty Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-kelley/) > [My biography of Frank Sinatra is not paean to his music but rather an illumination of the man behind the music, who once described…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-kelley/my-biography-of-frank-sinatra-is-not-paean-to-his-music-but-rather-an/) [Kitty Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-kelley/) > [Barack Obama and Michelle Obama don't go to Georgetown... The Clintons did, indeed. And the Clintons go out and about in Washington now. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-kelley/barack-obama-and-michelle-obama-don-t-go-to-georgetown-the-clintons/) [Kitty Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-kelley/) [Explore all 33 Kitty Kelley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-kelley/) ## More Alarm quotes > [“We kiss until the alarm sounds off on my phone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/we-kiss-until-the-alarm-sounds-off-on-my-phone/) [Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/) > [I don't use an alarm, though sometimes Alexa wakes me, especially if I have to get up at a certain time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-rainbow/i-don-t-use-an-alarm-though-sometimes-alexa-wakes-me-especially-if-i/) [Randy Rainbow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-rainbow/) > [The fire alarm definitely just went off...I think I'll stick to microwaveable popcorn from now on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-bailey/the-fire-alarm-definitely-just-went-off-i-think-i-ll-stick-to/) [Candace Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-bailey/) > [There's gonna be a lot of slow singin' and flower bringin' if my burgalar alarm starts ringin'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biggie-smalls/there-s-gonna-be-a-lot-of-slow-singin-and-flower-bringin-if-my/) [Biggie Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biggie-smalls/) > [I have slight attention-span issues, so I will often wander off, and then I will be alerted - in inverted commas - when the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-perkins/i-have-slight-attention-span-issues-so-i-will-often-wander-off-and/) [Sue Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-perkins/) > [As Secretary of Housing, I do have to express alarm, signal the alarm if you will, that the potential for homelessness to grow is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cisneros/as-secretary-of-housing-i-do-have-to-express-alarm-signal-the-alarm/) [Henry Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cisneros/) > [To-night I am going to take a party to the headquarters of the fire department, where I have a cinch on the captain, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-h-davis/to-night-i-am-going-to-take-a-party-to-the-headquarters-of-the-fire/) [Richard H. Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-h-davis/) > [We've already seen digital picture frames pre-loaded with viruses; I'm not eager to have my refrigerator hacked or my alarm clock turned against me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/we-ve-already-seen-digital-picture-frames-pre-loaded-with-viruses-i-m/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [You lock your windows before you leave. You put on an alarm if you live in the country because you know that there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-sheindlin/you-lock-your-windows-before-you-leave-you-put-on-an-alarm-if-you/) [Judy Sheindlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-sheindlin/) > [Waking up naturally to light is way better. It feels way better than waking up to an alarm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mat-fraser/waking-up-naturally-to-light-is-way-better-it-feels-way-better-than/) [Mat Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mat-fraser/) > [It's gonna be awesome! A suspected pedophile dunks my kids head in a bucket so when she dies she can live in an invisible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-gould/it-s-gonna-be-awesome-a-suspected-pedophile-dunks-my-kids-head-in-a/) [Dana Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-gould/) > [I'm like a fire hose when the alarm goes off in a battle against a woman. Don't ever count me out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-riggs/i-m-like-a-fire-hose-when-the-alarm-goes-off-in-a-battle-against-a/) [Bobby Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-riggs/) > [Sleeping is my drug, my bed is the dealer, and my alarm clock is the police..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchell-sakundiak/sleeping-is-my-drug-my-bed-is-the-dealer-and-my-alarm-clock-is-the/) [Mitchell Sakundiak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchell-sakundiak/) > [“Tip #2: No more alarm clocks”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-helen-conroy/tip-2-no-more-alarm-clocks/) Mary Helen Conroy > [I don't set the alarm to get up. I get up when I feel like it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/i-don-t-set-the-alarm-to-get-up-i-get-up-when-i-feel-like-it/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) Browse all 272 Alarm quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I can't say I wasn't warned. 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