Marilyn Monroe Takes a Seat on the Couch of Alma H. Bond, Ph.D.
Baltimore, MD (PRWEB) October 15, 2013 -- Thousands of works have been generated in the name of Marilyn Monroe―such was her allure, her captivating charm. In a sea of images and text, of film and fantasy, the mysteries surrounding the life and death of the real woman have become the stuff of legend. Decades after her too-soon departure, her star shines on. Her luminous presence remains a fixed point for hopeful young dreamers and world-wise commentators alike.
Somewhere between the wishful lies, dry facts, and myriad speculations, there is a real story. These threads of truth are woven ever more spectacularly into the legend of Marilyn Monroe, and equally entwined with the history of Norma Jean Mortenson.
Who could sort through this tangled tale? A seasoned biographer, practically a legend in her own right, has taken on this sizable challenge.
October 15 will see the release of an ambitious new title from Alma H. Bond, Ph.D. "Marilyn Monroe: On the Couch" gives us a view from inside the intimate setting of a psychoanalyst’s office as she interviews, counsels, and of course analyzes a patient of such rare qualities that her very presence threatens to enchant the professional whose help she seeks.
Marilyn Monroe appears immediately in the book and, true to form, steals the scene. From here, the book is largely written in her fictional perspective as she navigates in unflinching detail her memories of a troubled childhood shuffled between temporary homes, the first sparks of her impending electric career, and the layered dangers of love and political intrigue. All of this is rendered in first person, giving the reader the impression of listening in on a conversation with Marilyn herself.
And yet the Marilyn that emerges in Bond's story is not a victim, but a highly intelligent and driven woman far ahead of her time. Her acceptance of female sexuality as an important and natural part of life helped to lessen the repressive sexual atmosphere in the United States and elsewhere, as well as bring about the Cultural Revolution of the 60's. She also was one of the first women in this country to smash "the glass ceiling" and challenge a major studio, 20th Century-Fox, by single-handedly establishing her own motion picture company, Marilyn Monroe Productions.
Marilyn was a true original who operated on her own ideas. So too is Alma Bond. Bond, perhaps more than any other writer, holds a unique understanding of the time and place that birthed Norma Jean and created Marilyn Monroe. Alma is now 90 years old; if Marilyn were alive today, she would be 87.
With a psychoanalytic career spanning nearly four decades and twenty-one published books under her belt, Bond is uniquely qualified to enter the mind of Marilyn Monroe. From Jackie O to Michelle Obama, the guest list on Bond’s metaphorical couch has read like a who’s who of the western world’s most interesting and important women. Her skill, intelligence, and contemporary perspective are what set this work apart from all other attempts to quantify the intricate―and intimate―story of this iconic figure.
Marilyn Monroe: On the Couch is available in hardcover and ebook format through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and booksellers internationally.
Bancroft Press has been a leading general interest publisher for more than twenty years.
Bruce Bortz, Bancroft Press, http://www.bancroftpress.com, 410-358-0658, [email protected]
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