Category Archives: Influences

Reading With Marilyn

Posted on March 28, 2013 by marina72

A few years ago, I made a list of all the books owned or read by Marilyn Monroe (some 436 at last count) for ES Updates. At the time, I wondered if anyone else would be interested. In recent weeks, my list has … Continue reading →


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‘Mad About Marilyn’: Issue 26

Posted on January 12, 2013 by marina72

‘American Blondes’, my essay comparing Marilyn Monroe with Lana Turner (originally posted here), is republished in the latest issue of the excellent Mad About Marilyn fanzine, which also features Marilyn’s 1956 interview with Elsa Maxwell; a profile of photographer Gene Lester; and a feature on … Continue reading →


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‘Something Had to Give’

Posted on January 21, 2012 by marina72

Something Had to Give is a new, fully illustrated biography by UK author Richard Kirby, now available to order in paperback from self-publishing website Lulu. It is 553 pages long and there are hundreds of photos reproduced in black and white … Continue reading →


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American Blondes: Marilyn and Lana Turner

Posted on October 9, 2011 by marina72

Read my comparison of two Hollywood sex symbols here


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Happy Birthday, Norma Jeane

Posted on June 1, 2011 by marina72

Norma Jeane Mortensen was born in Los Angeles, California, on June 1, 1926. Today would be her 85th birthday. To mark this anniversary, I’ve written three new articles: Aunt Ana and Christian Science; John Florea; and Marilyn Monroe Books. Today … Continue reading →


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The Goddess in the Library

Posted on October 16, 2010 by marina72

The publication of Fragments has renewed interest in Marilyn’s literary side – and as one blogger noted this week, MM owned more than 400 books. “The magic castle of Hollywood and her image had become a prison and she did … Continue reading →


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Marilyn and Mae: Great Film Comics

Posted on September 15, 2010 by marina72

‘Austerlitz notes that his biographical chapters are intended to create a conversation among comedy’s most influential practitioners. Arranged in rough chronological order, the effect is cumulative. Mae West’s brazen sexuality primps the pillow for Marilyn Monroe’s bombshell self-awareness; unlikely bedfellows … Continue reading →


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Marilyn in Washington

Posted on September 10, 2010 by marina72

“I recently traveled to Washington, DC for vacation, and visits to museums, monuments and even walking down the streets of the US capitol provided associations to Marilyn in varying ways. From Abraham Lincoln to Emilio Pucci, Marilyn’s connection to Washington … Continue reading →


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Michael Chekhov Festival in Connecticut

Posted on August 27, 2010 by marina72

The life and work of Michael Chekhov is celebrated this weekend in Ridgefield, Connecticut. The nephew of playwright Anton Chekhov, Michael was born in Russia in 1891, studied under Stanislavsky. He later developed his own theories of acting, and moved … Continue reading →


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Marilyn Miller

Posted on July 12, 2010 by marina72

A profile of the Broadway star whose name inspired Marilyn Monroe’s, at NPR


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