Multilinguals’ Iserian Reading of the Marilyn Monroe Poem by Judy Grahn

This study examines Judy Grahn (1940- )’s poem “Marilyn Monroe” through the lens of the Iserian reading theory (1972), using two multilingual perspectives. The results indicate that instructors should pay close attention to the gap-filling stage when implementing the Iserian reading stages in their literature classes. While the paper includes two responses from the author and co-author, representing multilingual students, it highlights the significance of the implied reader’s background knowledge in navigating the various identities that arise during the reading process. A future article will delve into students’ responses to the Marilyn Monroe poem in detail and will be published in the upcoming volumes.