Marilyn Monroe reading Ulysses, Long Island, New York, 1954. Photo by Eve Arnold.
Stephen J. Gertz, author of the BookTryst blog, has posted an in-depth and fascinating blog post about Marilyn Monroe and her love of books and reading in anticipation of the October 12th publishing date of “Fragments: Poems, Intimate Notes, Letters by Marilyn Monroe,” edited by Stanley Buchthal and Bernard Comment.
This article provides a great surprise for those of us who bought Marilyn’s “dumb blonde” routine without question. It even includes a full list of the titles on her bookshelves!
Stephen writes, “Her love of books was genuine, and if it seems that she lost no opportunity to be photographed while reading it was only a desperate need to be taken seriously as a human being and as a thinking, intellectually curious, down-to-earth woman with something extra beyond her obvious physical charms that motivated her; she should be forgiven. The magic castle of Hollywood and her image had become a prison and she did what many of the incarcerated do to keep from going insane. She retreated into the private world of books and explored her thoughts and feelings as a diarist and journal-keeper.”
Find the article here:
http://www.booktryst.com/2010/10/marilyn-monroe-avid-reader-writer-book.html
I am a huge fan of marilyn monroe, she had a great love of books and poetry.
You have really interesting blog, keep up posting such informative posts!