Saturday, May 06, 2006

Recently Received and Recent Re-Reading

Jeannine Hall Gailey's wonderful, Becoming the Villainess .

Alex Stolis' e-chapbook
Winter Solstice , featured in the May issue of andwerve (which just about flattered me to death.)
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Anne Sexton's biography by Diane Middlebrook.

Rough Magic, by Paul Alexander, one of the biographies written on Sylvia Plath.

The two above made interesting re-reading from my new perspective--having two very young children close in age. Example? Ted Hughes has gone from being a typical bastard to a larger-than-life bastard.

I should buy Edna St. Vincent Millay's biography, Savage Beauty--I read it courtesy of our local library, but I want it for my own.

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G, send me the titles of those books, I'll probably forget to ask for them if I don't ask right now.

9 comments:

LoveandSalt said...

I'll send you Savage Beauty. I liked it, but I don't need to keep it.

I loved the line in her journal: "Awake all night with sore throat:--nofair!-- Last week it was a burned finger; the week before a sprained knee!--How am I to give up morphine when I need it all the time for one darned thing after another?"

gina said...

Oh dear. I don't recall what I said I liked and recommend. Sorry S. Jog my memory?

Ivy said...

I don't like Paul Alexander's bio of SP -- from memory, I thought it was pretty poisonous.

Suzanne said...

Yippee! Thank you, C. xoxo

G!

Ivy, I recall the other bio "Bitter Fame," being the poisonous one, this one seems more sympathetic. I'm going to re-read "Bitter Fame," too, though.

I'm on kick, I guess.

Next is Zelda.

LoveandSalt said...

Poor Zelda. Really.

Sheryl said...

The Middlebrook caused a stir in the nineties I think. It was due to her therapist breaching confidentiality. I remember being very interested in it.

I liked your lilac, too!

Kelli Russell Agodon - Book of Kells said...

I also enjoyed Savage Beauty very much (I did the library way as well). I remember though thinking the last couple chapters weren't enough about her writing/writing life. Still, great book.

Jeannine said...

Thanks for the book mention and link, Suzanne :) I want to hear what you think about Savage Beauty - a book I've picked up many times but never purchased...

Suzanne said...

De nada, Jeannine.

I remember enjoying Savage Beauty. I didn't know much about Millay other than her popular '...my candle burns at both ends...' and she had (to me) an interesting life. In fact, it was rather fascinating learning about her process and motivations. My only disclaimer is that I do enjoy biographies (obviously) so you may want to check it out of the library before you plunk down some cash.