Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz by Gail Crowther

 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Title: Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz: The Rebellion of Sylvia Plath & Anne Sexton
Author: Gail Crowther
Release Date: 4.20.21
Publisher: Gallery


Publisher's Summary
A vividly rendered and empathetic exploration of how two of the greatest poets of the 20th century—Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton—became bitter rivals and, eventually, friends. Introduced at a workshop in Boston University led by the acclaimed and famous poet Robert Lowell, 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 is a remarkable and unforgettable look at two legendary poets and how their work has turned them into lasting and beloved cultural figures.


My Review
Formatted to focus on individual aspects of their lives, the chapters are sectioned to cover the youth, marriages, motherhood, writing, mental illnesses, and suicides of these two talented poets. 

Sex: Author Gail Crowther included numerous details about each poets' sex life, with both being "unusually sexually liberated for the time." Prior to reading this book, I didn't know that Plath had ever really written anything about her sex life but knowing her estranged husband controlled the publication of her posthumous journals, it is easy to see how those thoughts and writings didn't previously make it into the public eye. I had known about Sexton's rock-star style sex life, but I did not know that she sexually abused her daughter.  

Personal rant on Ted Hughes: Hughes repeatedly cheated on Plath and left her for their neighbor, Assia Wevill. He shrugged off all parental responsibility to galavant around Spain with Wevill while Plath had to downsize her home, move her children, and try to juggle their care and her work--all on her own. He told Plath of Wevill's pregnancy and then "went off to spend the weekend with another woman he was seeing, Susan Alliston, deliberately dodging being available for Plath in case she tried calling him" on the day of her death. He also prevented Plath's mother, Aurelia from receiving a letter that Plath wrote prior to her suicide, telling Aurelia if she kept bothering him for it she would never get to see her grandchildren. Also, since they were still legally married at the time of her death, Hughes held "full control over all her assets and copyright to her work" due to her not having a will, "a fact that many of her friends found astounding since it was out of character." According to Hughes, Plath's final two journals and an incomplete manuscript were “lost.” This control of Plath's voice even after her death is beyond infuriating to me. 

Another Round: I knew a lot about both Plath and Sexton but learned many new details about each woman while reading Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz. Each of these women faced her own personal and professional struggles, but the parallels in their lives were fascinating. One can't help but wonder if they each had better support systems and received access to modern mental health care, would that have been able to better handle some of the tragedies of their lives? Prior to reading this I wasn't aware that Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton ever crossed paths, let alone were in a writing workshop and would frequently have drinks together afterwards. Could you imagine being a fly on the wall for that?!