Three Martini Afternoons At The Ritz
The Rebellion of Sylvia Plath & Anne Sexton
I was lucky enough today to talk with my friend Gail Crowther, about her book Three Martini Afternoons At The Ritz, which was published yesterday by Simon & Schuster. Gail’s book is a dual biography of Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton, and looks at their lives and work through the lens of— and I cannot say how much I love this— rebellion. Plath and Sexton were rebels in pencil skirts raising babies and writing some of the best poems of the 20th century, and Gail’s book explores that with vigor and joy. Click the link for our interview, during which we drink martinis (love Gail’s vintage glass; mine’s dirty with olive juice), don the reddest of red lipstick, and discuss Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, Ted Hughes, the Rosenstein papers, sexism, and why it’s necessary to distinguish between Sylvia Plath and “Sylvia Plath.”
Having written my dissertation about Sylvia Plath some forty years ago, I am really looking forward to reading Gail's book. Ashamed to say I know very little about Anne Sexton's life so a neat chance for further learning. Shaken not stirred, please!