Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz - by Gail Crowther (Paperback)

About the Book

"A dual biography of poets, friends, and rivals Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton"--

Book Synopsis

Named a Best Book of the Year by the Los Angeles Times

In this vividly rendered and empathetic biography of two of the greatest poets of the 20th century--Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton--"the friendship and rivalry that the pair shared--not to mention the titular cocktails at a Boston hotel--is explored in fascinating detail" (Town & Country).

Introduced at a poetry workshop in Boston University, Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton formed a friendship that would soon evolve into a fierce rivalry, colored by jealousy and respect in equal terms.

In the years that followed, these two women would not only become iconic figures in literature, but also lead curiously parallel lives haunted by mental illness, suicide attempts, self-doubt, and difficult personal relationships. With weekly martini meetings at the Ritz to discuss everything from sex to suicide, theirs was a relationship as complex and subversive as their poetry.

Based on in-depth research and unprecedented archival access, Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz will leave you "hungering for more of what these two literary comets burned with: the power of a little poetry. Deliriously fast-paced and erudite, this is highly recommended" (Library Journal, starred review).

About the Author

Gail Crowther is a writer, researcher, and academic. She is the author of Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz: The Rebellion of Sylvia Plath & Anne Sexton, The Haunted Reader & Sylvia Plath, and the coauthor of Sylvia Plath in Devon: A Year's Turning and These Ghostly Archives: The Unearthing of Sylvia Plath. Gail divides her time between the North of England and London. As a feminist vegan, she engages with politics concerning gender, power, and animal rights.