"Takes a look at Marilyn Monroe's happy time in the Big Apple, during which she took classes with Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio, befriended the greatest actors and writers of her day and broke her contract with Fox Studios to form her own production company, a groundbreaking move that revolutionized the entertainment industry, "--NoveList. "In November 1954 a young woman dressed plainly in a white oxford and dark sunglasses and a black pageboy wig boards a midnight flight from Los Angeles to New York. As the plane's engines rev she breathes a sigh of relief, lights a cigarette, and slips off her wig, revealing a tangle of fluffy blond curls. Marilyn Monroe was leaving Hollywood behind, and along with it, a failed marriage and a frustrating career. She needed a break from the scrutiny and insanity of LA. She needed Manhattan. In Manhattan, the most famous woman in the world can wander the streets unbothered and spend hours at the Met getting lost in art and afternoons buried in the stacks of the Strand. Marilyn begins to live a life of the mind in New York; she dates Arthur Miller, dances with Truman Capote, and drinks with Carson McCullers. Even though she had never lived there before, in New York, Marilyn is home. In Marilyn in Manhattan, the iconic blond bombshell is not only happy but also successful. She breaks her contract with Fox Studios to form her own production company, a groundbreaking move that makes her the highest-paid actress in history and revolutionizes the entertainment industry. A true love letter to Marilyn, and a joyous portrait of a city bursting with life and art, Marilyn in Manhattan is a beautifully written, lively look at two American treasures--New York and Marilyn Monroe--and sheds new light on one of our most enduring icons."--Jacket.