They Knew Marilyn Monroe

Book excerpt: Taking an innovative approach to the life and legend of Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962), this biographical dictionary concentrates on her circle of friends, acquaintances and coworkers--1618 in all. Distilled from hundreds of celebrity biographies are references to, and quotes about, the iconic Hollywood sex symbol from such diverse personalities as architect Frank Lloyd Wright, Israeli diplomat Abba Eban, beat poet Jack Kerouac, novelist Somerset Maugham, jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, counterculture guru Timothy Leary and evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson, to name but a few. All of these remarkable people have, in one way or another, crossed paths with the magnificent Monroe. The entries in this volume (with source listings for further reading and research) confirm the fact that Marilyn Monroe remains a figure of enduring fascination five decades after her death.