‘Blonde’ is a Raw Portrayal of ComplexTrauma

Unfortunately, it’s also exploitive

Associated Press 09/54 / Monroe during the shooting of the Seven Year Itch/ copyright Public Domain

Them, by Joyce Carol Oates, is a poignant, sorrowful depiction of the traumas and hardships of American life. It was a life-changing read.

Years back, when I began reading Blonde, Oates' fictionalized account of Marilyn Monroe, I was surprised that I couldn’t get through it. It wasn’t just bleak. There…