Handwritten letter in pencil by Marilyn Monroe, unsigned, one page, both sides, 3.75 x 6.75, no date (circa 1956-1957). Addressed to Dr. Margaret Hohenberg, in full (struck through words are in brackets): "I’ve been wondering myself why I don’t write to you. [I thought it has to do with the part that] I’ve been feeling I was taken away from you or that you sent me away from you [with your permission]. On the whole, things are going rather well so far. M.C.A., our agents, and Stein, our lawyer [are], have dealt dealing with Natasha but, we’ll see—I have a strange feeling about Paula. I mean, she works differently than Lee. Anyway I keep feeling I won’t be able to do the part when I have too it like a horrible nightmare. [at the top, Monroe continues on about Paula Strasberg: “but she is a wonderful and warm person—which also bewilders me”] Also I guess I didn’t write you before this because I was waiting to see if I would get shot-first. Arthur writes me every day, at least [that] it gives me [a little] air to breathe, I can't get used to the fact that he loves me and I keep waiting for him to stop loving me though I hope he never will, but I keep telling myself, who knows?" In fine condition. This letter is published in the 2010 book Fragments: Poems, Intimate Notes, Letters (pgs. 202-203).
An insightful letter from Monroe that features several notable associations: psychoanalysis Dr. Margaret Hohenberg treated Monroe from 1955 until the spring of 1957, when the latter began seeing Dr. Marianne Kris; Lee and Paul Strasberg were the husband-and-wife acting coaches and confidantes of Monroe, helping the young actress bloom into one of Hollywood’s most sought-after stars; prior to joining the Strasbergs, Monroe had studied under Columbia Pictures head drama coach Natasha Lytess, with whom Monroe, in 1956, had to sever ties with when the former reportedly became too obsessive; amid a whirlwind of media publicity, 30-year-old Marilyn Monroe married playwright Arthur Miller on June 29, 1956. His steadying presence allowed her to find the family she always wanted, and his support and guidance led Monroe to her acclaimed role in Some Like It Hot. The couple’s relationship, marred by Monroe’s addiction to sleeping pills, ended in divorce five years after it had begun. A content-rich handwritten letter from Monroe that dates to a particularly important period of her short yet legendary career.
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