A very Sylvia Plath birthday

It is almost my birthday so I thought I would make myself a Plath inspired cake. It was a fun, but rushed, job, and was also very tasty. Must work on my proprotions though. Alex said 'Mummy why did you make this cake?', I said 'Why do you think I made it Alex?' to which he replied 'because you really like that book Mummy, you have lots of it.' Good reply funny small boy.

Happy almost birthday to me; lovely presents as 'Still life with pots and fruit' and 'Howls and Whispers' have arrived!

Sylvia Plath - the pleasure of odds and ends

This post is named after one of Plath's drawings from the Mayor exhibition as it is one of bits and pieces.

By Mid-January some gems will have arrived. Hughes' Howls and Whispers and Plath's Still Life with Pots and Fruit and there WILL be pictures.

Also, I have yet to find the annotator of my copy of The Colossus, but did uncover a Plath connection in the process so far. The bookseller revealed the annotator was a 'Claire'. Dear friends in England went through property records from 1960 - 1963 for me for the address in the annotation (see earlier post) and uncovered a Claire there that I must chase down, and another dear friend uncovered a Claire living in the country who could be the annotator.

I contacted her, a lovely elderly woman, who was sadly not my annotator but who had met Plath, Hughes and Frieda through Elizabeth Sigmund. They had spent the day at this Claire's home when looking to move to Devon. This Claire seemed a little sad at not making much of an appearance anywhere in Plath's story, journals etc, but was happy to share her small connection with me and I was thankful for this. we have had several lovely email communications.

I found a Claire, a Plath linked generous Claire, but still wonder about the Colossus annotator.

the search continues...

All this and art too - The Mayor Gallery exhibit of 'Sylvia Plath's Drawings'

Yes, we Plathophiles know Plath for her way with words, but she had the ability to work visually as well which sometimes gets lost. You can see all of the images for this exhibition at the Mayor Gallery's site:

http://www.mayorgallery.com/Slyvia-Plath:-Her-Drawings/c638/index.html

Oh I wish I could go...

That said, purchasing something that Plath actually created, something immediate, something that was in her hand, that she has touched, was always thought to be beyond me.

Not anymore! All the pieces were for sale - I think all have now sold.

Next year I will be in possession of  'Still Life with Pots and Fruit' from 1957. Oh Joy!

More updates to come, I am slowly getting this blog back on track. There will be more pictures of the art piece once received and in place.

Happy Birthday Sylvia Plath and Nana Faye

Sylvia Plath would be the same age as my beloved Nana Faye, whose birthday was only 5 days ago.

• Sylvia Plath has 2 children, my Nana has 3.
• Sylvia Plath was a poet, author, and mother, my Nana worked in a crayfish factory, and is a mother, grandmother and great grandmother.
• Sylvia Plath sadly died young, my Nana is thankfully still here; alert, tender and feisty.
• Sylvia Plath conformed to, and fought against, the social expectations on women during her time, my Nana continues to surprise with a very modern outlook on the world and social behaviour.
• Sylvia Plath went from America, to England, the Continent and back and forth, my Nana has travelled Australia and Asia.
• Sylvia Plath expressed a literary dark humour, while my Nana has a cheekiness about her and an, often surprising, quick wit.
• Sylvia Plath experienced emotional upheavals and battled personal demons, however, my Nana is steadfast, stable and utterly optimistic.
• Sylvia Plath's work influences my teaching and literary tastes, yet my Nana influences my values, my beliefs and my very way of living.

Happy Birthday Sylvia, you live on in your work.

Happy Birthday Nana Faye, you are warm, wonderful and much more influential than you believe you are.

Nana Faye and Alex last Christmas.

Apologies for lack of Plathery

I musy apologise sincerely for my lack of updates - delightfully robust small children, a busy, busy workplace and definite lack of sleep all got in the way. I will get on the case this weekend.

Proof copy of Sylvia Plath's Winter Trees and...

A find!

Also, news coming soon about the search for the annotator of my 1960 copy of Sylvia Plath's The Colossus.

Plath's Senior Thesis '55 ~ The Magic Mirror

I recently had the honour to do business with the lovely, lovely Roy Watkins of The Embers Handpress. I purchased an unbound copy of Plath's Senior Thesis, The Magic Mirror: A Study of the Double in Two of Dostoevsky's Novels, printed in 1989, which he then kindly and most beautifully bound for me. 

Embers Handpress is a small private press in Wales, UK who, between 1974 and 1990, produced limited editions of modern and classic literature. Recently, after a break of fifteen years, they decided to start printing and binding once again and I am most glad they did. They currently have a brilliant online catalogue of Ted Hughes rarities and paraphernalia, which is incredibly tempting.

Do take a look at the site!

http://www.embershandpress.co.uk/

Sylvia Plath ~ Three Women

Plath's Three Women, published by Turret Press in 1968, is a beautiful piece. It was limited to 180 copies and contains an introduction by Douglas Cleverdon and Plath's verse play. The images within the book and on the cover are stunning, either black or gold. Their simplicity and elegance make this a most lovely package.

I would love to hear it on the radio as it was meant to be and often wonder, despite its length, whether I should tackle it as a poem with my students as the three voices work so effectively. However, it is often, and was, performed as a stage play mid this month, for more information, though the performance has past, please follow the link to relevant page on the wonderful sylviaplathinfo page.

http://sylviaplathinfo.blogspot.com/2011/07/sylvia-plaths-three-women-live-in.html

Holidays and hopefully much Plathery

Thankfully HOLIDAYS are here, so hopefully over the next three weeks I can make up for my lack of updates. Thank you for your patience.

WOW ~ Sylvia Plath WOW! 1960 Proof of The Colossus

Well, I am almost speechless! I very recently was lucky enough to purchase a rare PROOF copy of the 1960 Colossus. Exciting, exciting, exciting and coming soon. It is currently somewhere in the air winging its way here.

The seller revealed the person they purchased it from literally found it in the bottom of a box at a sale... WOW! Yes, it does occasionally happen.

The name on the front and the bookplate is 'Sadie Balkind'. I have discovered there is a scholarship named after her in New Zealand, where the book is coming from... the search begins.

Sylvia Plath soon!

I aim to update soon. Sorry for the lateness but much Plathery has been going on (me searching for and buying too much).

I have not forgotten, rather wistfully glanced at the computer before rushing off.

Children, children, children ~ Sylvia Plath for kids!

We can not forget that Plath also wrote quirky, fun pieces for children! Mrs Cherry's Kitchen, The Bed Book and The It-Doesn't-Matter Suit. This is Plath being playful!

Stunning ~ Sylvia Plath ~ The Crystal Gazer

I thought Lyonnesse was beautiful, and it is! However, The Crystal Gazer is even more so. It is huge, larger again than Lyonnesse, covered in beautiful flecked Japanese paper and lettered in gilt on the spine, the top edges of the pages are gold also. Note the Sylvia Plath penned picture as well! You must take a look at www.embershandpress.co.uk/ run by the wonderful Roy Watkins, from who this copy of The Crystal Gazer came. His pieces are stunning and I will be posting about his lovely copies of Plath's The Magic Mirror soon.

Sylvia Plath ~ The colossus '62

I like this version, not as much as the 1960 one, but I like it. It is a solid book, it is sturdy and the formatting is sharp. What astounds me though is the brilliant green of the boards underneath the dust jacket, stunning! It makes me wish they had used a dark green for the dust jacket to link to the boards and echo the green of the original.

Luulet ~ Estonian for a bit of Sylvia Plathery

I won this book on ebay, it fascinated me. The cover has something 1980s about it as does the abstract-angular image inside of a woman. It was printed, however, in 1990, so it is only moderately retro. As for the poems in translation, I was glad they came side by side, English - Estonian. I tried reading one to my 4 year old, he laughed at me. The 18 month old, well, he was more interested in playing peek-a-boo. Maybe I should try my students next...

Boo from behind the curtain!

Lovely ~ Sylvia Plath Lyonnesse

Lyonnesse is a beautiful limited edition printed by Rainbow Press in 1971. It is surprisingly large, A4ish in size and very arresting in the flesh so to speak. The paper is beautiful and textured, it is heavy, thick paper, it is a very tactile book, it needs to be experienced physically, one of those books that holding it enhances. Just lovely.

Sylvia Plath Miscellaneous!

I will post some special pieces that arrived this week, such as the beautiful Lyonnesse, once I have finished photographing them. I also aim to post some pictures of Luulet, a collection of Plath's poems translated into Estonian. No, I will not be posting a sound clip of my reading, I sound like the Swedish Chef, bork bork bork.

However, here are some lovely, lesser in price but equal in sentimental value, pieces. Which covers do you like best? I know this is only a small selection. I do like the original Ariel cover and am partial to the '66 Faber Bell Jar with the circles, which are pictured in earlier posts.

Beautiful ~ Sylvia Plath (Victoria Lucas) '63 Bell Jar

The very first Bell Jar is a coveted thing. It is bold and it is fragile, it is strong and it is crumbling, it is Sylvia Plath and yet it is Victoria Lucas. I know I shouldn't but I do have the need to keep getting this one off the shelf for another look.

My Sons are crazy ~ Sylvia Plath t-shirts

I have two Sylvia Plath t-shirts, yes I have t-shirts - oh and a mug too!

One was lovingly made by two beautiful students I taught years ago. They had a fragmented Plath picture on the front and the t-shirt was also filled with quotes from her poems. My youngest son gets to run around in an item of clothing that declares "Daddy, Daddy you bastard I'm through" and 'Dwarf baby. The knife in your back" amongst others that are more pleasant. It is a treasured present.

The other I purchased online and, well, it really does not fit. However, my other son can run around like a loony in it.

For some reason they both had to hold stones whilst we took these photos, perhaps they wanted to reflect Plath's The Stones? Or perhaps they really, really just like to throw them!

Coming soon ~ Sylvia Plath finds...

I am hopeless, it is true. I have a lovely copy of Plath's Three Women from 1968 by Turret Press coming, that was yesterday's yield to temptation, not to mention all the other items in transit. I am a hopeless Plath addict without a doubt.

I will upload some more photographs later today/tomorrow but first I will need to get my husband's assistance as my attempt at capturing my 1963 Victoria Lucas Bell Jar ended in blurriness. I have also dug out both Plath t-shirts so now I just need to get two small boys to stand still and smile.

I have also been Plathing it up this week as I have started a unit on Sylvia Plath's poetry with my students, there is no escape!