I read “Blonde” after watching the first part of this interview a few days ago and reading more about this accomplished author. I decided to read her backlist and started with this one because I heard this book was short listed for the Pulitzer Prize. I loved the book and now can’t wait to watch the movie. Thank you for introducing this British reader to such a wonderful American author.🌺

This wonderful author should recieve the Nobel Prize for Literature. She is an inspiration. Thank you for all the interviews Eric👍

The book Blonde is simply overwhelming. It's the summa of JCOates, a great piece of modern literature. From a great book is very hard to make a movie at same level. I pass. She deserves a Nobel for lit

Blonde made me appreciate Marilyn in a new way, and see her as a tragic figure. My opinion of MM rises as my opinion of men like JFK declines. I’ve also read “We were the Mulvaneys” which I loved. When I see a book by Joyce at the op shop I grab it. Thanks Joyce.

This was wonderful. I hope to read the book before seeing the film. Loved hearing JCO speak about Marilyn Monroe’s identity and how she wrote the novel. Sounds like it was an overwhelming and all encompassing experience. 😊💙

I listened to this book and read it also. It represented Marilyn in a much deeper manner. Her life was much richer, tragic and broader than the shallow depiction seen in movies.

This was really fascinating, thanks so much for organising and filming this.

such a great interview! I recently finished the book and it was incredible! This interview makes me appreciate it all the more.

Great to hear JCO! Thanks for letting her speak! One of American Lit's GOATS!

Excellent​ video, Eric.​ Kudos to​ the​ Master.​ It​ makes me​ want​ to​ read​ the​ book​ and​ watch​ the​ movie​ later.​ Im​ sort of​ interested​ in​ Monroe and​ seeing​ how​ Oates​ could​ balance fact​s and​ fiction​ elements that​ boost​ the​ novel.​ Please​ do​ more​ of​ these​ biographical novels.​

The book is fantastic and Joyce Carol Oates is one of my favourite writers, I don’t understand why she is not more popular ! Great video, thank you very much!

Thank you, Eric; brilliant interview and I'm so excited to see the movie, as I really loved the book and plan to read it again.

Fantastic interview Eric! I finished this novel a few days ago and truly enjoyed it. I’m thinking of adding Babysitter to my rather large TBR. I lived in Detroit till I was about 12 years old so it might interest me.

Thank you both for this video :)

Merveilleuse auteur ! Magnifique ouvrage! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

I'm so grateful for this video! I'm really considering reading the book but I'm a bit intimidated by it too, this helps! Wonderful video as always.

fascinating discussion. the whole ritualistic sacrifice angle on Marilyn's position in society and the popular imagination is something i find really fascinating, and hearing about joyce carol oates's writing experience was also enlightening - made me feel like maybe i should write all my wild epics while i'm still in my 30s and save the comfortable cosy stuff for when i'm older! i had no idea Melville was around my age when he wrote Moby Dick!

I would love to read that original 1400 page manuscript. Hopefully this uncut version will be published some day.

Well done Eric wonderful interview with two awesome respected people 🤩

Just waiting for the book to become available at the library.

Awesome vlog ‼️ I can’t wait to watch this film ‼️

I find it so great that your love of reading lead you to this channel and then to being able to interview an author you love multiple times. Really gracious of her as well.

Thanks. It was you that introduced me to the brilliant writings of Oates. I haven’t read this nor seen the film. Would be interesting to see how the film compares as it really got a panning for being the ultimate ‘male gaze’. Have you seen the film? What did you think?

I’ve never realized what a tragic figure Marilyn Monroe was. I’ve not read anything by JCO but this intrigues me. If I can find a copy that’s not a movie tie-in edition I think I’ll pick it up.

Recently I was watching a documentary on some writer whose work I enjoy, I don't remember who now. But one of the critics said, his criticism was that there was just too much of this writer's work. And I thought that was so stupid, but that is a criticism that I have heard leveled at Joyce Carol Oates. Should a writer be criticized for writing too many masterpieces or an artist be criticized for painting too many paintings? Only if the work has suffered dilution and been thinned out by the artist spreading herself or himself too thin, but if the results turn out to be prodigious, what then? Joyce Carrol Oates writes great books.

It's great to listen to Mrs. Oates.

This should be bigger. ✨

Why do ppl hate the movie when it sounds just like the award winning book?

👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

This book is extremely exploitative and after hearing about the movie it will be too. A movie/book talking about how exploited she was while actively exploiting her the entire time… This is an assassination of her and her legacy. Utterly shameful and distasteful. I hope it bombs!

I struggle to find how this book is a great accomplishment. To fictionalize so many actual people is literally hijacking real life for one’s own agenda. I find that, irresponsible. Especially when the focus becomes trauma. I just watched the film and was completely horrified by the writing. It was disgusting. Every male is depicted as a grotesque pervert. Every woman, mocking. Marilyn or Norma Jeanne dives head first into trauma. For a woman to have had over 15 abortions in her lifetime, the movie depicts each abortion as forced - going down to the pov from inside her vagina. Literally every man rapes her. Every man is “daddy”. The scene depicting JFK anally raping Monroe is gawd awful. No where is there redemption or a moment of happiness. The wind up the skirt of Seven Year Itch is pure, sadistic perversion wrapped in more tones of rape. Literally, the movie seems to be a platform to “this is what will happen if women embrace their sexualities - you will be a victim and nobody will be there to protect you.” It’s irresponsible to depict Norma Jeanne as having no agency to her decisions. Painting her as the angel victim constantly naive, constantly taken advantage of, comes from a negative predisposition of femininity and women in general. To indulge in the repeated victimization of any woman, much less a famous one where you rewrote her entire life, is not taking on the patriarchy, it’s just amplifying it for your own sadistic pleasures.

How can she talk about people getting things wrong in writing and movies and not discuss the hypocrisy of this director fabricating so much under her name? Lies. Lies! People are watching this Netflix film as a biography and if you look into it, ALL FICTIONAL! Talk about the fact you are raking this poor girls (and men that you have no proof of real sexual assault) lives through the false media mud!?

Greatest novel of the past century?

It's hard to comprehend the hubris of an author who simply "reimagines" the life of a real person. Perhaps someone should "reimagine" the life of Joyce Carol Oates after she dies and just make up anything they feel like about her and then just add a tagline that says "oh by the way, this is fiction".

Is Joyce Carol victim-blaming when she called Monroe "needy" and justifying men's aggression and violence when saying that, in response to a "needy woman, some men just can't stand?". it sounds like this...