An interview with Michelle Morgan.
Reblogged from https://read.rifflebooks.com/list/117002
Michelle is an author based in the UK, who has also written the book, "Marilyn Monroe: Private and Confidential."
Ethan Ampel: WHAT BOOK (IN THE HISTORY OF BOOKS) DO YOU WISH YOU HAD WRITTEN?
Michelle Morgan: Definitely "Gone with the Wind." Who wouldn't want to have written that book?!
EA: WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE ATTEMPTS TO HUMANIZE CELEBRITIES (A LA USWEEKLY'S "STARS--THEY'RE JUST LIKE US!")? WHAT'S THE TRUE MOTIVE BEHIND SUCH CHARACTERIZATIONS (BEHIND SIMPLY SELLING PAPERS) AND HAVE THEY FAILED?
MM: I haven’t read those articles, but I’m a firm believer that of course celebrities are humans, just like us. The whole premise of my Marilyn Monroe biography was to show people that she was a living, breathing person, as opposed to an icon, legend and someone on our movie screens. Everyone has feelings, regardless of whether they are celebrities or not. It really does irritate me a lot when people talk about famous folk as if they are aliens from another planet. They are not, they just have different jobs to most of us. Strip that away, and they are still human beings; they still have to go to bed at night, close their eyes and be completely alone in their minds. Regardless of what someone does for a living, take everything away and we are all exactly the same.
EA: WHAT BOOK HAS BEEN ON YOUR "TO-READ" LIST FOR A WHILE?
MM: I have many books that I haven’t read yet, (as my husband will tell you!) but one that I can think of at the moment is a biography about Bonnie and Clyde, which has sat next to my bed for a long time, but I haven’t got round to reading it yet. I will though, one of these days.
EA: THE JOURNALIST VANESSA GRIGORIADIS ONCE THEORIZED THAT BRITNEY SPEARS CIRCA 2007-2008 SUFFERED FROM A DISEASE CREATED BY FAME, YET TO BE NAMED, IF NOT THE ADULT ONSET OF A GENETIC MENTAL DISORDER. DO YOU THINK THAT THE FORMER IS POSSIBLE?
MM: I believe that everything done in the public eye is exaggerated, and that much stress can be caused by being famous. I am not remotely as famous as Britney Spears, and yet I have had my share of detractors, just like any other creative person. The moment you put anything ‘out there’ is the moment trolls start crawling out of the woodwork to give you their opinions of it. This is very hard when the comments are untrue or just plain ridiculous. I would imagine that being as famous as Britney Spears can be heart-breaking at times, and will put that particular person under all kinds of stresses and strains that a non-famous person wouldn’t ever encounter in their lifetime.
EA: WHAT CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY WOULD YOU RECOMMEND MORE THAN OTHERS?
MM: I read a book recently called ‘Amy, My daughter’ by her father, Mitch Winehouse. That book really touched me a lot. Although I wouldn’t consider myself a big fan of Amy’s music, I was always very interested in her life and what she did whilst on this earth. The book told the story from Mitch’s point-of-view, and showed Amy to be a very troubled but beautiful human being.
EA: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE METHOD OF PROCRASTINATION?
MM: At the moment it is playing an iPad game called Hay Day. I’m totally addicted, and so are most of my family. Apart from that I love reading of course, or watching old TV shows like Sex and the City, Frasier and Friends.
EA: WHAT IS THE STRANGEST THING YOU'VE LEARNED WHILE RESEARCHING A BOOK?
MM: When I wrote The Mammoth Book of Hollywood Scandals, there were some very strange stories that I came across, regarding disturbing deaths etc. One that stands out was about Albert Dekka, who was found locked in his bathroom, dead and with a variety of needles, ropes, writing etc, all over his body. It is a death that has never been fully explained, as he was in a locked bathroom, and yet died in a way that would have been quite difficult to do himself. It will never be understood, but it was certainly one of the strangest stories I came across.
EA: WHAT'S YOUR DAILY WRITING ROUTINE?
MM: I usually start writing around midday, after I’ve answered emails etc. I don’t really have a routine, apart from turning up at my laptop and hoping I can find words to put on the page. I usually write until 3 pm and then my daughter comes home from school. I always try to be in bed by 10 pm, where I write for a little while before going to sleep. I find that writing in bed relaxes me. My dog curls up at my feet, and everything is quiet, so I can get a lot done then, until around midnight when my body starts shutting down for the day.
EA: IF YOU COULD GIVE YOUR YOUNGER SELF ONCE PIECE OF ADVICE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
MM: I’d tell myself to not worry so much. In fact I’d give that advice to my present-day self too because I am the world’s worst worrier!!
A
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