'How can you say no to a letter like this': Rishad Premji on US author's letter to Marilyn Monroe

Wipro Chairman Rishad Premji shared a letter written to US movie star Marilyn Monroe by Nobel prize-winning author John Steinbeck. (Image credit: themarilynreport.com)

Rishad Premji on Saturday shared a letter written by Nobel prize-winning US author John Steinbeck to Marilyn Monroe. Though the letter has been doing rounds on social media for a while, Steinbeck's letter full of wit and charm caught Premji's fancy too.

"This is the way you charm your way into getting what you want. How could you say no to a letter like this!?" the Wipro Chairman tweeted.

This is the way you charm your way into getting what you want. How could you say no to a letter like this!? pic.twitter.com/kvPlIvD8ph

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— Rishad Premji (@RishadPremji) March 13, 2022

The letter, written in 1955, was found in Monroe's personal archive and was auctioned for $3,250 in 2016. It was one of many that Monroe saved throughout her life. When Monroe died in 1962, she left most of her estate, including the Steinbeck letter, to her acting coach, Lee Strasberg.

It starts off in a bashful tone where Steinbeck introduces his nephew-in-law, who was obsessed with Marilyn Monroe, and then proceeds to the actual request -- an autograph.

Read more: 'Talent is the foundation for all success for a company': Rishad Premji after chat with Indra Nooyi

"In my whole experience I have never known anyone to ask for an autograph for himself. It is always for a child or an ancient aunt, which gets very tiresome as you know better than I. It is therefore, with a certain nausea that I tell you that I have a nephew-in-law who lives in Austin, Texas, whose name is Jon Atkinson. He has his foot in the door of puberty, but that is only one of his problems. You are the other," Steinbeck wrote.

Elaborating on how his nephew-in-law idolised the American movie star, the author wrote that although he is aware that Monroe is not made of "celestial ether", his relative is not. "A suggestion that you have normal functions would shock him deeply and I'm not going to be he one to tell him," added Steinbeck.

"Now, I get asked for all kids of silly favours, so I have no hesitation in asking one of you. Would you send him, in my care, a picture of yourself, perhaps in pensive, girlish mood, inscribed to him by name and indicating that you are aware of his existence. Hi is already your slave. This would make him mine."

To persuade Monroe for the autograph, the Nobel prize-winning author even offered an incentive -- a guest key to the ladies' entrance of Fort Knox and a promise that he would "like you very much".

While inquiries have revealed that Jon Atkinson -- now a retired minister, living in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, with Joan, his wife of 57 years -- never received any letter from Monroe, vaguely remembers hearing about his famous in-law’s letter, but he’s not sure when.