Plath Profiles. Indiana University
http://www.iun.edu/~plath/vol2/index.shtml
I had a Plath inspired poem published at Indiana University's online publication, "Plath Profiles" whose 2009 (Vol. 2) issue went online in August.
I was so busy with work at the time, other than reading the index and my poem (of course!) I'd not had a chance to read anything else. This morning I read Peter Steinberg/Gail Crowther's piece about dealing with the archives of Plath which are literally scattered in places known and unknown around the planet. Excellent read and in parts the tangible minutia made me want to cry. It is afterall a sad story. Even if I'd read it before: "...in the end, she dies."
It was about twenty years ago I first read Plath's poetry, when I was taking my first college English course in my late twenties. Since then I've been a 'fan' (not scholar) immersed in the beginning by reading the bios available at that time and the highly edited Journal--which is now available in its original version. You start out getting angry, because there was so much blame to be laid on Hughes' shoulders, you do so with vigor, because someone has to take the fall for this brilliant poet's decision to kill herself. It was easy at the start to simplify and point a finger and unrealistically wish that you could change history. But then, more info becomes available and time gives way to a more complex reflection of life not being black or white. Ted&Sylvia become more human and less characters in a dramatic play we've watched over and over again.
I'm thankful there are "scholars" out there making this all 'right.' Correcting any errors, weaving together the pieces of what really did or didn't happen. The plain, 'hair washing' details and the important facts of when/where/how something was written. It is a labour of love interspersed with the intellect and care required to fill in the dots when it comes to the life and art of Plath.
I had a Plath inspired poem published at Indiana University's online publication, "Plath Profiles" whose 2009 (Vol. 2) issue went online in August.
I was so busy with work at the time, other than reading the index and my poem (of course!) I'd not had a chance to read anything else. This morning I read Peter Steinberg/Gail Crowther's piece about dealing with the archives of Plath which are literally scattered in places known and unknown around the planet. Excellent read and in parts the tangible minutia made me want to cry. It is afterall a sad story. Even if I'd read it before: "...in the end, she dies."
It was about twenty years ago I first read Plath's poetry, when I was taking my first college English course in my late twenties. Since then I've been a 'fan' (not scholar) immersed in the beginning by reading the bios available at that time and the highly edited Journal--which is now available in its original version. You start out getting angry, because there was so much blame to be laid on Hughes' shoulders, you do so with vigor, because someone has to take the fall for this brilliant poet's decision to kill herself. It was easy at the start to simplify and point a finger and unrealistically wish that you could change history. But then, more info becomes available and time gives way to a more complex reflection of life not being black or white. Ted&Sylvia become more human and less characters in a dramatic play we've watched over and over again.
I'm thankful there are "scholars" out there making this all 'right.' Correcting any errors, weaving together the pieces of what really did or didn't happen. The plain, 'hair washing' details and the important facts of when/where/how something was written. It is a labour of love interspersed with the intellect and care required to fill in the dots when it comes to the life and art of Plath.
posted by Laurie at
9:04 AM
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