My B Side

Marilyn Monroe by Bert Stern for Vogue, 1962

"She was a total surprise. Marilyn had lost a lot of weight, and the loss had transformed her. She was better than the full-bodied, almost overblown actress I had seen in the movies. In her pale-green slacks and cashmere sweater she was slender and trim, with just enough softness in the right places. A scarf around her hair. She wore no makeup - nothing! - and she was gorgeous. She was the real thing. I was awestruck. "Hi", I said, "I'm Bert Stern." I offered her my hand. She took it and I looked into her eyes. They were blue, green-blue. I forgot I was married, forgot my dream life in New York. I was in love. I took a deep breath and said, "You're beautiful." She looked straight at me, parted her lips. "Really?" she replied. "What a nice thing to say." …"Well, how much time have you got?" "All the time that we want!" That was when I understood that she had nothing else to do. She wasn't going anywhere. She was mine. …Little did she know how my life would come to be defined by the photographs I took of her. Fifty years ago she came into my life, and I must admit she's still there."