Troubled patron saint of confessional poetry? Quintessential literary sad girl? Genius poet rightfully viewed as the heir to Emily Dickinson? In her tragically brief life, Sylvia Plath (1932-1963) somehow managed to inspire all of these images and more. In this episode, Jacke talks to Emily Van Duyne about her book Loving Sylvia Plath: A Reclamation, which delivers a nuanced, passionate exploration of the life and work of one of the most misunderstood writers of the twentieth century.

Additional listening:

Sylvia Plath (with Mike Palindrome)
Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes (with Heather Clark)
Plath, Hughes, and the "Other Woman" - Assia Wevill and Her Writings (with Julie Goodspeed-Chadwick and Peter Steinberg)
Sylvia Plath Day by Day (with Carl Rollyson)

The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at gabrielruizbernal.com.

Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/donate. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature.

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Big Gay Chat with Catherine McCafferty