Nerd Alert

Since I've already been called names due to my overuse of alliteration (see Katie's comment below) I thought I would take it one step further and share my latest obsession with you all. It began in college, but never had the opportunity to blossom. While taking a beginning level poetry class we read a Sylvia Plath poem. I immediately identified with her voice and understood what she was trying to say. I can't say that about all of the subsequent poems I have read of hers. When I found out that she committed suicide I was intrigued. While suffering from insomnia after having Will, I found solace in her writing. I wanted to know more about her. Why did she choose to leave this world, especially after having two children. I read The Bell Jar (fiction, but highly autobiographical) and loved it, but it only made me more curious about the woman. Next, I read Letters from Home. I read every word of it, but it still left me pondering about her death. Now I'm reading the letters of Ted Hughes, her ex, and an amazing poet in his own right. I'm such a voyeur, I know. I've done little to no writing since the kids were born. I haven't made time for it and even before then I usually only wrote when something "came" to me. I would have lines dancing around my head and feel compelled to write them down. When I ignored them, they vanished into thin air. After reading Plath's letters I realized how disciplined a real writer is. She would write every single day. Plath had an au pair so that she could write in peace after she had her children. You have to be very dedicated to your craft to produce a decent body of work. Of course, she did more than just produce a decent body of work. She was brilliant.

My obsession continues...I'll let you know what I think of Ted after I finish reading his letters.