Lynne Cullen’s When We Were Brilliant masterfully captures the profound friendship between film superstar Marilyn Monroe and documentary photographer Eve Arnold.
This biographical novel offers a tribute to female ambition, raw authenticity and the shared pursuit of lasting historical impact. Cullen, an acclaimed Georgia author, is celebrated for her meticulously researched historical fiction. She will return to Eatonton on June 9 as the Georgia Writers Museum’s “Meet the Author” presenter for When We Were Brilliant, where she will discuss her research and writing process.
According to The Washington Post, “Cullen’s illuminating historical novel reveals how two determined women, both underestimated in different ways, helped each other be seen more clearly — by the world and by themselves.”
Other popular novels by Cullen explore the hidden lives of similarly iconic figures, including The Woman with the Cure, Twain’s End, Mrs. Poe and I Am Rembrandt’s Daughter.
Cullen lives in Atlanta and was named the 1999 Georgia Author of the Year for The Mightiest Heart. In 2020, she received the Georgia Writers Lifetime Achievement Award. Her works have been translated into 17 languages and have earned numerous accolades, including NPR Great Read and ALA Best Book selections, Oprah Magazine Book of the Week, People Magazine Book of the Week and Indie Next selection.
Visit the Georgia Writers Museum online at georgiawritersmuseum.org to register for the event and pre-order a copy of Cullen’s new book for signing after her presentation. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. on June 9 for a 7 p.m. program start.
Tickets are $45 each, or $40 each for groups of two or more, and all tickets include gourmet cuisine prepared by Chef Brent.