To follow-up on my previous post title, I reference myself with Plath and Sexton only on the basis of the historical context, and lineage, of women's poetry and the understanding that Poetry as an artistic expression of the human experience--and as such, the Poet draws from her own life for context and ideas, as either a focus or a springboard to another idea. Other than that, I do not associate or connect with either Plath or Sexton regarding their lifestyle or personal values. The more I've been reading about Sexton's life, the more appalled I am--at the same time I feel sorry for her. Not only did she engage in self-destructive behavior (though her mental illness did make her incapable of making safe decisions, for the most part), but she made really bad choices with her daughters--including sexual abuse. (Read Middlebrook's book regarding the details.) I plan to read Linda Gray Sexton's memoir next, Searching for Mercy Street: My Journey Back to My Mother, Anne Sexton. (That's one way to get back at your mom!)
Plath and Sexton were both extremely passionate about Poetry, obsessive even in some respects and perhaps unhealthy in ways.
Are we women poets all destined, statistically, to a lesser life expectancy?
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Poetry, Poetics, & the Writing Life ... "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
about this poet
- huskypoet
- Spokane, Washington, United States
- lover of the outdoors with a Husky dog named Emerson, freelance writer, college instructor, writer in residence
coffee break
inspiration
on the nightstand
- Winter, by Rick Bass
- The Middleman and Other Stories, by Bharati Mukherjee
- Good Poems, by Garrison Keillor
- The New Yorker (latest issue)
musical poetry
visitor stats
"When I'm writing, I know I'm doing the thing I was born to do." - Anne Sexton