“Fame will go by, and, so long, I’ve had you fame. If it goes by, I’ve always known it was fickle. So at least it’s something I experienced, but that’s not where I live.”
Marilyn Monroe.
On August 3rd 1962, Life Magazine would release their final interview, just 24 hours before Marilyn passed. Both interview and photoshoot actually took place in July of ‘62, in Marilyn’s Brentwood home. Photographer Allan Grant spent hours capturing her, playful, relaxed and seemingly happy self.
She still looks as fresh and young as she did 10 years earlier. The only difference is the on-trend 1960’s bouffant.
She talks about every stage of her life. Little snippets at different ages. How she preserved childhood, and how people have perceived her before and during the Marilyn years. It feels genuine, honest and not contrived by the press. You can read the whole interview here.
It’s remarkable how much we know about other people, and well everything, today. The internet, smart phones and social media have made it as easy as the click of a finger to retrieve an answer, share news or let out a cry for help. People have always jumped to their own conclusions from what is displayed to the world; whether it be 1961 or 2021, but it is far easier to make the judgement now.
The more I read, and discover, confirms just how unhappy she really was. Even in this interview, she talks about happiness quite a bit. It seems she is still on the journey to finding what being happy means for her. The gratitude for the men she has loved and families that she has entered is crystal clear. But performing quite obviously brings her the most bliss.
And that is something I can totally relate to. This past few months have shook me high and low, but what I keep coming back to is the work. Being on stage, and escaping the mess. For me, there is nothing better.
Shot in my Maine “home” for this summer, the corner window seemed to be a good enough fit.
Strangely, this interview was released at the best time. I’m glad that it was her own words, about her that people read the day before her soul moved on. Most importantly, I am pleased that the one thing she loved the most can live on forever. Her work.
I can’t wait to get onto the stage tonight and “think, by God, I’ll sing this song if it’s the last thing I ever do, and for all the people.”
Sending love and light,
S
if you’d like to support these moments please click here
monroemoments.wordpress.com 