Journalist and biographer Richard Meryman (1926 – 2015) was one of the most respected interviewers of the twentieth century, pioneering the monologue-style personality profile that began with his interview of Marilyn. Many of his interviews became books, including two Joan Rivers autobiographies, Louis Armstrong's 1971 self-portrait, Elizabeth Taylor's self-titled 1964 autobiography, and four books on Andrew Wyeth. For twenty-three years Meryman was a correspondent, editor, and staff writer for Life magazine.