Tara Hanks

About ten years ago, I regularly read poems and short stories at the Caxton Arms in Brighton. Then when I started writing novels, the urge to perform dwindled. Just a few months after moving back to Brighton, I was asked to read at the ABCtales Evening at St Michael And All Angels’ church on July 5^th, as part of the Clifton, Montpelier And Powis Festival. Seven Dials has long been my favourite area of Brighton, so I was very glad to return and be recognised on my home turf.

ABCtales was one of the first websites I searched for when, always the late developer, I discovered the internet way back in 2003. Editors Tony Cook and Mark Brown encouraged me from the start, and I regularly posted my draft chapters. ABCtales offers aspiring writers a chance to share and receive feedback on their work, and many of its eclectic membership have gone on to achieve publication and acclaim. Read the rest of this entry »

In Marilyn Monroe’s case, a picture really is worth a thousand words. Some of the most sumptuous photography books have been graced by her luminous presence. Marilyn Monroe: Platinum Fox, by Cindy De La Hoz, is dedicated to Marilyn’s image and film career, rather than her private life. It is wonderfully designed in a vivid, retro style evoking the 1950s, the decade when Marilyn became the world’s sexiest cultural icon. Twentieth Century Fox was the studio where her career began and ended, and each of her productions, from bit parts to blockbusters, are covered in detail.

Some film stills and publicity shots included here have never been seen before. The text lacks some depth, but is light and entertaining, with plot summaries, character profiles, snippets of dialogue and trivia from behind the scenes. The main drawback of the book is it doesn’t cover some of the great work Marilyn achieved outside her home studio, from early gems like The Asphalt Jungle to classics like Some Like It Hot. But it is still a great introduction to Marilyn’s meteoric career, and a testament to her extraordinary love affair with the camera.

Related books: Blonde Heat - The Sizzling Screen Career Of Marilyn Monroe by Richard Buskin; Marilyn At Twentieth Century Fox by Lawrence Crown.

An evening of live literature featuring writers from www.abctales.com

The next ABCtales evening will be held at St Michaels Hall, Victoria Road, Brighton on Saturday July 5th - starting at 8 p.m. Admission £3 (£2 concessions). Tara Hanks, a long time ABCtales member, will be reading from her latest book, The Mmm Girl - the story of Marilyn Monroe, in her own words.

There’s still room for readers so if you want to come along and read (maximum time 10 minutes) then email tcook@abctales.com

The evening is part of the Montpelier, Clifton and Powis Festival. All are welcome so do come along. St Michaels Hall is just five minutes walk from the station and right in the centre of the City.

Hope to see you there!

MarilynFan.org was founded in 2003, by Dutch-based web designer Marloes De Vries. With stunning, innovative layouts, unique information and a high-quality photo gallery, MarilynFan is one of the best sites around, and should be the first stop for anyone wanting to learn more about Marilyn Monroe.

Now MarilynFan is back in a new, blog-style format, and Marloes has recently interviewed me regarding my novel, The Mmm Girl. You can read the article in full here

Cornell Capa has died in New York, aged 90. The brother of war photographer Robert Capa, he was a distinguished artist in his own right. He used the term ‘concerned photography’ to describe his work, which blurred the line between image and reality. This shot of Marilyn Monroe is a good example - though it appears to catch her off-guard, she was acting in a scene from The Misfits.

As part of the Magnum group, Capa covered a diverse range of subjects, from the Kennedy presidency to the hidden lives of disabled children. You can view his work here

Read his obituary in The Guardian, here

The Immortal Marilyn: The Depiction Of An Icon, by John De Vito and Frank Tropea, offers new insight into the cultural significance of Marilyn Monroe. As the title suggests, it is not a biography, but an iconography of the star, charting the various representations of her on stage, screen and in documentaries. Read the rest of this entry »

Two new articles for my series, ‘Another Side Of Marilyn’, are now on the Immortal Marilyn website. The first, for my ‘Films Marilyn Considered’ column, covers the 1954 epic The Egyptian. And ‘Dear Mr Gable’, for my ‘Marilyn’s Heroes’ topic, considers her admiration for the king of Hollywood, Clark Gable.

Read more

Portrait by Jim McDermott

It was a hot, peaceful, optimistic sort of day in September. It was around 11 in the morning, I remember, and I was drifting down the Boulevard St. Michel, thoughts rising in my head like little puffs of smoke, when suddenly a voice bellowed into my ear: “Sally Jay Gorce! What the hell? Well, for Christ’s sake, can this really be our own little Sally Jay Gorce?” I felt a hand ruffling my hair and I swung around, furious at being so rudely awakened.

This is the opening paragraph of Elaine Dundy’s delightful first novel, The Dud Avocado. First published in 1958, it is based on the author’s memories of life as a young American in Paris. Elaine Rita Brimberg was born in New York in 1921, and later moved to Europe to become an actress. She married the legendary English theatre critic, Kenneth Tynan, and moved in glamourous circles. As Elaine found success in writing, her marriage began to deteriorate. After their divorce in 1964, Elaine returned to New York and worked in journalism, writing acclaimed biographies of Peter Finch and Elvis Presley. Her biography, Life Itself, was published in 2001. She died at her Los Angeles home on May 1st, 2008.

To learn more about Elaine Dundy, click here

Read an extract from The Dud Avocado

Read an extract from Life Itself

My review of Elvis And Gladys

A Tupelo friend remembers Elaine Dundy, here

Hard Candy is the latest album from Madonna, and marks the final phase of her 25-year contract with Warner Brothers. In many ways it is like a greatest hits compilation, composed of new material. Various stages of her evolution, from club darling to pop tart, provocateur to mystic, are remixed and revisted here. Read the rest of this entry »

“A captivating, gripping piece of literature…The Mmm Girl will have you hooked from the first chapter…jam-packed with emotion…Marilyn’s life was short but this book will stay with you for much longer…” - Kemptown Rag

An article about The Mmm Girl appears in the latest issue of Kemptown Rag, a lifestyle magazine distributed in Brighton. You can read it here

Visit the Kemptown Rag website here