Linda Leith

The pressing matter that was preoccupying Nan and Desmond was that Marilyn Monroe had died. She had taken an overdose of barbiturates and had been found dead in her bed.

“Suicide” was a new word to me, and I could see that my parents were in a state of shock, more upset than I had seen them in years. I hadn’t realized they cared that much about Marilyn Monroe, though I did know who Marilyn Monroe was.

I also knew that Desmond thought Marilyn Monroe was sexy. Nan must have thought so, too. She would not have dreamed of dying her auburn hair blonde, but she had taken to wearing her hair in a similarly soft, wavy style. My mother was lovelier than ever, that summer. Her body had always been both trim and curvaceous, and she was flaunting it more than usual. Her sundresses had plunging necklines that showed off her breasts, and her high-heeled sandals drew attention to her legs.

Sexy. Nan looked sexy.

“Sexy” wasn’t an entirely new word to me, but it was a word that had only now acquired meaning. I studied the photographs of Marilyn Monroe in the Irish Times and listened in on my parents’ conversations in the lounge bar with more than my usual concentration.

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Excerpt from The Girl from Dream City: A Literary Life, by Linda Leith (URP 2021)

Marilyn Monroe was born Norma Jeane Mortenson on June 1, 1926 and died on August 5, 1962, aged 36. If she had lived, she would be celebrating her 100th birthday this week. Happy Birthday. Rest in Peace.