TM: How do you think she’s been unfairly portrayed?
EW: Depressed, pathological, humorless. Neurotic — well, she
probably was neurotic. Competitive. Delusional — ambitious in a
delusional way. And then later on, as sort of like a nagging wife. And
then on another level, I think that she’s also diminished because of the
way she looks. It’s not like she was some great beauty, but she fit in
with the cultural standards of the time. Somehow, we always have a
problem with a woman who’s a writer who also wears make-up and likes
lipstick. That’s always been included as part of her pathology. People
pathologize everything with Plath and that’s always rubbed me the wrong
way.
- When Sylvia was a Millie: An Interview with Elizabeth Winder
Amazon says my copy of this JUST shipped and I am SO EXCITED. I'm really hoping it'll be what I thought Mad Girl's Love Song would be like.
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