I adore the poetry of Edna St VM, so even though I don't often like biographies, I picked this one up. Well worth the read. Her life was fascinating.

This is going out as a RABCK to FancyHorse.

RELEASE NOTES:

In the mail to FancyHorse. Enjoy! :-)

This book arrived while I was out of town. Thank you, MartiP, I'm looking forward to reading it.

I started this book a few days ago. I had not known much about Edna St. Vincent Millay - read a couple of her poems in high school, including the famous "burn my candle at both ends" one.

She was born in 1892; her mother and grandmother were both divorced. She was one of three sisters, and was called "Vincent."

I'll add more as I continue reading.

I'm almost finished, and I have promised this book to watchcat.

This book is an interesting story of a brilliant, talented woman, who was not kidding when she said she burnt her candle at both ends. She had a difficult childhood, a promising young adulthood, but her health was always fragile. She didn't help that by her self-destructive habits of smoking, drinking, promiscuity, and later, addiction to prescribed painkillers.

Sent to watchcat today! Enjoy!

Rec'd today from Fancy Horse. Many thanks! Will read, report back & offer book to another Bxer.

This is what happens when a biographer is given unfettered access to her subject's personal papers (Millay's were provided to Milford by the poet's sister Norma). They feel they have to use every darn bit of info, no matter how boring.

I found this book exceptionally tedious. And annoying. Too much info about things I care not a whit about (e.g., negotiations with publisher) and too little about the truly intriguing things. One example: Milford quotes from an early Edna Millay story called "Arline," a borderline molestation scene between a young girl and her mother's "male friend." Milford attempts to ascertain from Norma if this event or something like actually happened--but Norma plays coy. And that is the end of it, as far as this bio goes.

I love Millay's sonnets, but I knew nothing about her until I read this book, and have found her to be an exceptionally distasteful character. A user, sexually and otherwise. Surrounded by enablers. But the more I thought about "Arline," the more I wondered if, indeed, she had been molested/abused as a child. It would go a long way toward explaining her adult promiscuity and obvious emotional problems, culminating in morphine addiction.

Milford's book is exhaustive, and exhausting, but it left me with far more questions than answers.

I am revising my comments and adding a couple of stars. This is because, after reading "Savage Beauty," I decided to read more about Millay and ordered another bio titled "What Lips My Lips Have Kissed." Started reading that one yesterday and thus far it pales in comparison to Milford's. Perhaps I should have been kinder.



Am now sending this to another BXer as a Wish List surprise.

This was given to me as a very kind RABCK. I'm sorry it took so long to journal. Thank you so much!!