Channeling Marilyn: Why This Story is So Important to Me by Mima Tipper

A few years ago, I sat with my then young daughter looking through a fashion magazine—I think it was Teen Vogue—and noticed yet another ad paying homage to Marilyn Monroe. That got me thinking about Marilyn’s on-going fame, and a question whispered at me: What would Marilyn’s spirit think of this ad?  

This wasn’t a surprising thought for me. Ever since I saw my first Marilyn film—I’m going to guess it was “How to Marry a Millionaire”—I’ve been a huge fan of her and her films. She really had some acting magic beyond her glowing beauty. But still, what is it about her? There are loads of gorgeous, talented, glowing actresses on the planet and through history. Why is she the one? She died tragically over seventy years ago, yet she is even more famous and popular today than ever, and loads of actresses, models, singers, artists and beyond endlessly copycat her, or trade off her image. 

As I came across more and more references to Marilyn—like I’d become a magnet for them—thoughts of her brief, tragic, yet ultimately hugely glamorous life and career filled my mind. I continued to note her appeal and influence on popular culture, and I began to read articles and books about her. This is when my writer-self began pondering in earnest not only what her spirit would think of her fame today, but also, if given the chance to return to the living world, who she would visit and why. 

Who Marilyn’s spirit would visit became the first point of Channeling Marilyn’s importance to me, because her visit had to relate to girls and young women and their self-image. So, figuring that a young woman would receive Marilyn’s visit, how would that visit play out? As I thought, envisioned and drafted, the story took on many layers and, over the years of writing, I began thinking of my Marilyn spirit in new and deeper ways. She became an actual entity to me.

One that wouldn’t want this story to be a rehash of all the news and views of her actual life. It would be about her afterlife. How her fame during her life could affect her spirit existence. Then I had to think: what could happen to a spirit given a second chance to be on this mortal earth? 

What I realized is that I wanted to give my Marilyn a “different” story. To think of her life and her contribution to film and acting through a different lens. Of course, her “life” and impact would be part of that story, but not the focus. I mean, who actually knows all that happened to a young girl named Norma Jeane? Certainly, there are many historical facts, but nothing that has been printed about her or told about her has the full story of her life.

I wanted to focus on who her spirit could be, and what that spirit would need in her fictional afterlife. What she would discover. As my Marilyn says in the novel, “being a spirit isn’t an exact science,” so what issues would crop up? There would be mystery, intrigue, and discovery. There would be a relationship between two beings—one living, one dead—who need each other. Of course, in my fiction, there is a price to those tethering threads, and to that choice to spend time on the mortal plane, especially for one whose fans exceed millions. And naturally, there’s a price to pay for the mortal who invites the spirit to stay. 

The second point of importance came at me in a slanted, mostly subconscious manner. Though my niece Maggie Feiss died tragically young about a year before I began writing this book, it didn’t occur to me until the much later and also super tragic loss of my young nephew Michael Burke that to some degree Channeling Marilyn was a grief narrative. For the years I was writing Channeling Marilyn, I told people that I wanted to give Marilyn a different story.

It wasn’t until I started reading more about tragic loss and grieving that I learned that a tool often used in grieving a loss is writing—particularly writing a “different” story for the lost loved one, or for really any loss. It occurred to me then that giving Marilyn a different kind of ending was a way to process my grief, particularly over the loss of my niece and nephew.  

So, there I was thinking I was writing a fun, yet poignant novel, only to learn over time and over many drafts that part of the story included a very personal grief narrative. And that part of processing my grief was wanting Marilyn to have a different “end” than the one the real world focused on in lurid detail.

How I wanted her to be up there in some after-life place enjoying how her fans still adore her and treasure her contribution to film and popular culture. I believe I want that for my young niece and nephew, as well as for others gone too soon. Not Marilyn’s fame, but the feeling or knowledge maybe that there are those on this mortal plane who still love and remember them. Who are still learning from them and being influenced by them. That their story isn’t over. That we are here keeping the flame burning, maybe getting to know them in new ways. Keeping them close without keeping them from moving forward or keeping ourselves from moving forward.

In writing Channeling Marilyn, I had the opportunity to think deeply about what I imagined Marilyn’s spirit would want and need at this point in her afterlife, and give it to her.   

And so, there they are, my two top reasons for why the importance of this story pushed me to spend the time and effort to write and publish Channeling Marilyn. To finish, I’d like to share the response of a reader of an advanced copy that sums up one of my most important hopes for the book: “I think Marilyn would feel honored.” Kind words, yes, and in my deepest heart, I hope they are true. 

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Mima Tipper is the award-winning author of the YA novel “Kat’s Greek Summer” and the upcoming YA novel “Channeling Marilyn.” Beyond devoting most of her time to writing, Mima helps at Inklings Children’s Books in Waitsfield, Vermont, volunteers at her local library, and is committed to promoting literacy and supporting the writing community. Find her at www.mimatipper.com.

CHANNELING MARILYN

Seventeen-year-old Lexa Donovan’s timid, plus-size life goes sideways when the spirit of Marilyn Monroe takes up residence in her body in this laugh-out-loud funny paranormal YA tale perfect for fans of Lisa Schroeder and Ashley Poston.

High school senior Lexa Donovan longs to be more than a bit player in her own drab life—and when she’s chosen to be part of her school’s spring production of Bus Stop, she thinks her wish has come true. But her thrill turns to panic when she’s tapped to play the leading role, sexy showgirl Cherie. One thing tall, plus-size Lexa knows for sure is that she is the exact opposite of the most famous Cherie ever: sex-goddess Marilyn Monroe.

Lexa wants out before she makes a fool of herself in front of everyone. But then something entirely unexpected happens: The spirit of Marilyn Monroe appears—ready and willing to be Lexa’s personal acting coach—and talks her out of quitting.

Soon, Lexa’s life becomes a screwball comedy, with her bouncing between Marilyn’s acting “help,” her crush on her gorgeous co-star Brian, and her unexpected attraction to the mysterious Jeremy Leith. Comedy shifts to drama, though, as Lexa’s fear of humiliation—fueled by Brian’s jealous girlfriend—morphs into full-on stage fright. A fright that grows dangerously intense when Marilyn starts having decidedly un-spiritish feelings that have nothing to do with Lexa or the play.

Before the curtain rises on opening night, Lexa and Marilyn will have to learn to trust their own hearts and act on what each truly needs to move on—in life and in death.

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Category: On Writing