POZitive Attitudes

Lee Israel, who made her living in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s writing profiles of high-achieving women, has gone broke because she is no longer able to get her writing published, her writing style being considered outdated. After getting into a fight with her agent, who is unable to secure her an advance for her latest book, Israel turns to selling her possessions to cover her expenses. She tearfully parts with a cherished personal letter from Katharine Hepburn, fetching a substantial sum of money for it from a local dealer.

.

While conducting research for her upcoming book about Fanny Brice, at the New York Public Library, Israel stumbles upon a letter from Brice tucked away in one of the books she is reading. Israel sneaks it out of the library and attempts to sell it to the same dealer who bought her Hepburn letter. The dealer offers a low price for the Brice letter due to its lack of interesting content.

.

Israel begins selling letters that she has forged that appear to have been written by deceased writers, playwrights and actors. She laces her letters with intimate details and unguarded expressions of the purported authors’ thoughts and feelings to command a higher price from dealers. When a letter that Israel says was written by Noel Coward raises suspicion, people stop buying letters from her. After reports of her forgeries become more widespread, the FBI begins investigating her and warns dealers against buying her letters.