Dark Sparkler

The lives of more than twenty-five actresses lost before their time—from Marilyn Monroe to Brittany Murphy—explored in a haunting, provocative new work by an acclaimed poet and actress.

Amber Tamblyn is both an award-winning film and television actress and an acclaimed poet. As such she is deeply fascinated—and intimately familiar—with the toll exacted from young women whose lives are offered in sacrifice as starlets. The stories of these actresses, both famous and obscure-tragic stories of suicide, murder, obscurity, and other forms of death—inspired this empathic and emotionally charged collection of new poetic work.

Featuring subjects from Marilyn Monroe and Frances Farmer to Dana Plato and Brittany Murphy—and paired with original artwork commissioned for the book by luminaries including David Lynch, Adrian Tomine, Marilyn Manson, and Marcel Dzama—Dark Sparkler is a surprising and provocative collection from a young artist of wide-ranging talent, culminating in an extended, confessional epilogue of astonishing candor and poetic command.

This collection explores the tragic cost of fame through:

• Biographical Poems: Poems that give voice to the tragic final days of more than twenty-five actresses, from icons like Marilyn Monroe to cautionary tales like Brittany Murphy.
• Women in Film: Written by acclaimed actress Amber Tamblyn, who brings a raw, firsthand understanding to the exploitation and pressures faced by women in Hollywood.
• Original Artwork: Stunning and provocative illustrations commissioned for the book from cultural luminaries including filmmaker David Lynch and musician Marilyn Manson.
• Feminist Poetry: A fierce and empathic exploration of celebrity culture, mental health, and the sacrifices demanded of young women in the pursuit of fame.