The biography 'Miss May Does Not Exist: The Life and Work of Elaine May, Hollywood's Hidden Genius' by Carrie Courogen provides an engaging study of the enigmatic Hollywood figure Elaine May. May, a groundbreaking comedian, writer, and filmmaker, had an unconventional upbringing and found herself at the University of Chicago in the 1950s, where she helped pioneer the style of comedy known as 'improv.' Teaming up with her comedy partner Mike Nichols, the duo of 'Nichols and May' achieved success with hit comedy records and a successful Broadway show before pursuing solo careers. May brought exacting perfectionism to every project, from acting to directing to writing plays. While she had successes, her failures were legendary, including the arduous film shoot for 'Mikey and Nicky' and the high-profile flop 'Ishtar.' May never directed a feature film again but continued to work on other projects and was recognized as a maverick director. Courogen's biography aims to restore May to her rightful place as a Hollywood icon [1d1bc4d1].