What a fantastic review, Brock! I can only imagine the extensive reading, research, and analysis you undertook to represent the topic so well. I love how it resonates with the deep emotional nuances of Marilyn's life and captures the complex themes of Joyce Carol Oates's book. Well done! 👍
A month of planning, really . . . The other books and reviews all leasing to this one. I hope it motivates people to go back and read Anger and Babitz as well . . . I like the monthly themed approached because each work builds on the next. Blonde is special. It sets a new standard.
March's theme is "Mountains and Man" - so look out for something very different soon! :)
You are doing a great job! I’ll restack some pieces later this evening so that more people see it ❤️ I understand how much work it takes to write an article like that, especially with all the reading involved…
"Read 4 hours a day, write 4 hours a day" (From Stephen King's "On Writing.")
I swear by it. And still do. Keeping both gears running . . . It makes the prose come out more smoothly - FAR more smoothly - than when I do not read. Can you relate?
Oats could have easily created a fictionalized starlet, she kind of used Marilyn to sell books. My favourite Marilyn movie is The Misfits and I think if more people saw that film, they’d understand what a deep and really good actress she was.
(necrophiliac entertainment) I liked this line.
Good review you have some deep insights.
The only grave I’ve ever visited still to this day was Marilyn’s. We stumbled upon it wandering through Westwood, drinking a bottle of vodka like bad teenagers.. 😎
Thank you very much for the comment and engagement, Dave. This essay meant a lot to me. I think that it should be canonized because we're seeing a rise in autofiction. I'm frightened about the changes this could have to biographies, and even fictionalized biographies in the future. Think about the digital trail that would be left today.
You're not the first person to earnestly recommend The Misfits to me since publishing this essay! I'll get to it :)
See: I went through this period (my teens) where I JUST watched films. Then in my twenties it was JUST books. I have some big gaps in my film knowledge. I kind of "fell in love with cinema again" in 2020 or so.
No, we can't read and see everything. But I try the best I can . . . I probably would have watched it as prep were I planning a film review of Blonde but the book held all my attention for a long time. 738 pages and I wasn't going to miss a detail. Stunning, stunning prose. You may even see some stylistic influence on my recent work ;)
What a fantastic review, Brock! I can only imagine the extensive reading, research, and analysis you undertook to represent the topic so well. I love how it resonates with the deep emotional nuances of Marilyn's life and captures the complex themes of Joyce Carol Oates's book. Well done! 👍
A month of planning, really . . . The other books and reviews all leasing to this one. I hope it motivates people to go back and read Anger and Babitz as well . . . I like the monthly themed approached because each work builds on the next. Blonde is special. It sets a new standard.
March's theme is "Mountains and Man" - so look out for something very different soon! :)
You are doing a great job! I’ll restack some pieces later this evening so that more people see it ❤️ I understand how much work it takes to write an article like that, especially with all the reading involved…
"Read 4 hours a day, write 4 hours a day" (From Stephen King's "On Writing.")
I swear by it. And still do. Keeping both gears running . . . It makes the prose come out more smoothly - FAR more smoothly - than when I do not read. Can you relate?
Oats could have easily created a fictionalized starlet, she kind of used Marilyn to sell books. My favourite Marilyn movie is The Misfits and I think if more people saw that film, they’d understand what a deep and really good actress she was.
(necrophiliac entertainment) I liked this line.
Good review you have some deep insights.
The only grave I’ve ever visited still to this day was Marilyn’s. We stumbled upon it wandering through Westwood, drinking a bottle of vodka like bad teenagers.. 😎
Great read.
Thank you very much for the comment and engagement, Dave. This essay meant a lot to me. I think that it should be canonized because we're seeing a rise in autofiction. I'm frightened about the changes this could have to biographies, and even fictionalized biographies in the future. Think about the digital trail that would be left today.
You're not the first person to earnestly recommend The Misfits to me since publishing this essay! I'll get to it :)
what....you never seen The Misfits!!!! That's by far Monroe's best film. Her and Clyde Montgomery. Im intrigued to know what you think of that film.
See: I went through this period (my teens) where I JUST watched films. Then in my twenties it was JUST books. I have some big gaps in my film knowledge. I kind of "fell in love with cinema again" in 2020 or so.
I get it. it does seen like you've seen and read a shit ton. No one can consume everything. i think you gonna love this one.
No, we can't read and see everything. But I try the best I can . . . I probably would have watched it as prep were I planning a film review of Blonde but the book held all my attention for a long time. 738 pages and I wasn't going to miss a detail. Stunning, stunning prose. You may even see some stylistic influence on my recent work ;)
Great review.
I appreciate it. You know this one took me all my energy. Tough letting go, if anything.
The best Norma Jean interview ever in this book. A lot of great interviews in this book honestly. Prized possession.
https://www.amazon.com/Norton-Book-Interviews-Anthology-Present/dp/0393038769
Thanks man. I'll be coming back to Norma. This woman tears and breaks my heart but I'm in love with her.
You and the rest of us.