by Yehuda Koren
We have drawn from the following archives: correspondence of Ted Hughes, Keith Sagar and Assia Wevill in the Department of Manuscripts, the British Library, London; correspondence of Ted Hughes with Leonard Baskin, Janos Csokits, Frieda Hughes, Gerald Hughes, Olwyn Hughes, Bill and Dido Merwin, Lucas Myers, Aurelia Plath, Jane Prouty-Smith, Peter Redgrove; a postcard from Ruth Fainlight to Assia Wevill, 7 July 1967; a letter to Janet Malcolm, 2 March 1992; a letter to Mr Price-Turner, 5 April 1962; a letter to Leonard Scigaj, 28 July 1989; Ted Hughes’s preface about Susan Alliston, and his notes from August 1968 and April 1969, all in Ted Hughes Papers, Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA; letters of Sylvia Plath to her mother Aurelia and her brother Warren Plath and to Olive Prouty, correspondence between Aurelia Plath and Ted Hughes, Elizabeth Compton, Hilda Farrar, Winifred Davies, Dr John Horder, Jillian Becker, all in the Sylvia Plath Collection, the Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Sylvia Plath’s calendar and Dr Ruth Beuscher’s letters to Sylvia Plath 17 and 26 September 1962 in Sylvia Plath Collection, Mortimer Rare Book Room, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, USA; Nathaniel Tarn’s notes and correspondence with Assia and David Wevill, in the Nathaniel Tarn Papers, Department of Special Collections, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, California, USA; letters from Assia and David Wevill to Earle Birney, in the Earle Birney Papers, Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, University of Toronto, Canada; correspondence of Richard Murphy with Ted Hughes, in Richard Murphy Letters, McFarlin Library, Department of Special Collections, University of Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA; correspondence of Yehuda Amichai with Assia Wevill and Ted Hughes, in the Yehuda Amichai Papers, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, USA; files of the Tel Aviv Hospitality Committee and of the Religious Council, 1940–1947, Tel Aviv Municipality Archives, Israel.
Our deep thanks to Stephen Enniss, Curator of Literary Collection at Manuscript, Archieves and Rare Book Library, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia; and his assistants Elizabeth K Shoemaker, David Faulds, and additional thanks to Melissa H Maday for research assistance; Breon Mitchell, Director of the Lilly Library, Erika Dowell, Public Services Librarian, and a special thanks to Kathleen D Connor for research assistance at the Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana; Christopher Fletcher, Curator of Literary Manuscripts, the British Library; Karen V Kukil, Associate Curator of Rare books, Smith College; Roberto G Trujillo, Head, Department of Special Collections, the Stanford University Libraries, and his assistants Bill O’Hanlon and Polly Armstrong; Lori N Curtis, Head of Special Collections and Archives, and her assistant Milissa Burkart at McFarlin Library, University of Tulsa; Carl Spadoni, Research Collections Librarian, McMaster University Library, Ontario; Ellen R Cordes, Head of Technical Services, Anne Marie Menta, Public Service Assistant, and Ayehlet Cooper, for research assistance at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven; John Wells, Department of Manuscripts and Cambridge University Archives, and Raphael Sylvester, for research assistance at the Cambridge University Library; Chris Hives, student registration at University of British Columbia; Edna Haynal, librarian at the Thomas Fisher Rare Books Library, University of Toronto; Brenda Weeden, Archivist, University of Westminster; and John Barber, historian, Hertfordshire.
We are grateful to the following scholars and biographers, for their good and generous advice: Tracy Brain, Lynda K Bundtzen, Elaine Feinstein, Ronald Hayman, Judith Kroll, Diane Wood Middlebrook, Kate Moses, Anne Skea and Keith Sagar.
Most of the pictures in this book are from private collections. We are deeply grateful to the following for their ready help and generosity in providing photographs, letters, illustrations and other material: Celia Chaikin, John H Steele, Richard Lipsey, David Wevill, Patricia Mendelson, Martin Baker, Jane Donaldson, Jeremy Robson (for the photographs from the Israel poetry tour), Alton Becker, Elizabeth (Compton) Sigmund and Steve Enniss.
We are greatly indebted to the personal contribution of Tamara Chaikin, Eddie Levenston, Peter Skutches, our diligent agent Scott Mendel, David Hooper for his invaluable legal guidance, our supportive publisher Jeremy Robson, and our meticulous editor Anthea Matthison, who enabled us to make this book what it is.
Index
The page numbers in this index refer to the print edition, please use the search facility on your device to find the below key words.
AW denotes Assia Wevill, TH denotes Ted Hughes.
Afrasian 173
Alliston, Susan 115, 116, 137–8, 190
Alvarez, Al 85–6, 92, 97, 98, 101, 102, 111, 116, 142, 213, 214, 223
Ames, Lois 223
Amichai, Hannah 168
Amichai, Yehuda 186
AW translates 166–7, 168–9, 172, 173, 178, 179, 189
AW, friendship with vi, 19, 167–8, 172, 174, 224
‘God Has Pity on Kindergarten Children’ 222
Songs of Jerusalem and Myself 223–4
TH, relationship with vi, 165–6, 222
‘The Death of Assia G’ vi, 224
Anderson, Dr Jane 225
Andreas, Leila 21
Andreas, Wedad 20, 21
Anna Karenina (Tolstoy) 144, 159, 199
‘Arraignment’ (Morgan) 223
Archibald, Chris 63, 72
Archibald, Liliana 62, 63, 69, 72
Art of Loving, The (Fromm) 110, 132–3
Art of Sylvia Plath, The (Newman) 223
Arts Council 190
B’nei Pinhas (Sons of Pinhas) 31–2
Baker, Martin 180, 194, 195, 196, 208, 211
Balfour Elementary School 16, 19, 20
Bangs, Jennifer Margaret 202
Barraclough, Brian 212
Baskin, Leonard 226
Battleship Potemkin, The (Eisenstein) 179
BBC 82, 95, 96, 111, 112, 113, 146, 149, 173, 179
Becker, Alton 74, 75
Becker, Gerry 115
Becker, Jillian 115, 134
Belsize Park Gardens, London 145
Beuscher, Dr Ruth 110
Birney, Earle 48, 74, 149–50, 159
Bitter Fame (Stevenson) 225
Boland, Eavan 191
Bosher, John 45, 46, 47, 48, 50, 76
Boyd, Tom 172, 199
British Council 70, 75, 222
Brook, Peter 174
Browne, Sir Thomas 208
Bull, Esther 48
Bullmore, Jeremy 150
Burma 70, 72, 73–4, 75, 82, 87, 97, 122
Canada 41–52, 59, 61, 71, 106, 120, 129, 143, 176
Cape Goliard 166, 178
Chaikin (née Gutmann), Celia (sister) 41
AW, letters from 56, 106, 113, 160, 163, 165, 180
AW, relationship with 47, 56, 106, 160, 163, 164, 165, 180
AW’s funeral, attends 206
AW’s will, appearance and involvement in 177, 178, 198, 220
birth 4
childhood 5, 11, 12, 16, 18, 42
children 57, 113
father, relationship with 2, 13, 32, 40, 217
father’s death, explains 217
Hebrew name 10
jobs 45
John Steele, relationship with 25, 31
military duty 42
mother, relationship with 37
parents enforce move to Canada 43
Plath manuscripts, possession of 163–4, 165
Plath’s manuscripts, returns to TH 220–1
TH’s letters to 214, 215, 220, 222
Chalcot Square, London 81–2, 86, 97, 112, 122, 127
Chapters in a Mythology (Kroll) 224
Charles Hobson and Grey 188
Chekov, Anton 13
Chowns, Douglas 77
Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz, The (Andreae) 93
Cleverdon, Douglas 96
Colman, Prentice and Varley (CPV) 77–8, 95
Compton, Elizabeth 97, 119, 129, 130–1, 133, 152, 162, 163, 224
Compton, James 1
31
Compton, Meg 119
Cooke, Barrie 104, 105, 156, 215, 216
Cooke, Sonia 156
Cooper, Catherine 66
Cooper, Julian 66
Court Green, London 128, 129, 130, 132, 135, 136, 137, 146, 149, 151, 152, 153, 156, 157, 158, 160, 161–2, 168, 170, 175, 184, 187, 189, 190, 195, 201, 211, 221, 223, 225
Csokits, Janos 157, 170, 194
Daniels, Diana 76, 80
Davies, Winifred 134, 157
de Havilland, Walter 46
Death and Life of Sylvia Plath, The (Hayman) 225
Delta 67
Doctors Under Hitler (Kater) 6
Doolan, Moira 91, 95
Doonreagan House, Ireland 151–2, 154–6
Ellerington, Dan 181
Erikson, Arthur 51
Eugene Onegin 146
Faber and Faber 137, 220, 223
Fainlight, Ruth (wife of Alan Sillitoe) 86, 117–18, 157, 167, 195
Farrar, Hilda 116, 118, 129, 130, 133, 170, 219
Feinstein, Elaine 195
Festival dei Due Mondi 150
Film Sense, The (Eisenstein) 179
First Love (Turgenev) 125, 140–1, 143
First World War 3, 5, 6
Fitzroy Road, London 112, 115, 120, 124, 132, 137, 143, 145
Fontaine, Joan 46
Four Screenplays (Bergman) 134–5
Fraser, G S 67, 85
Gabirol, Ibn 179
Galateo (della Casa) 174
Gallagher, Sean 77
Garland, Patrick 165
Gems, Keith 23, 24, 25, 26, 27–8, 29, 33, 34, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 44, 52, 56, 64, 208
Gems, Pam 41, 52, 53, 54, 56–7, 58
General History of Quadrupeds, A (Bewick) 157
Germany 4–9, 14–15, 41, 55–6, 92, 107, 168, 185–7
Ghose, Zulfikhar 66
Gielgud, John 174
Graham, Martin 71, 72, 174, 177, 188, 195, 213
Grand Street 136
Great Arab Revolt 15–16
Greaves, Derek 65
Group, The 65–8, 69, 75, 81, 97
Gutmann, Celia see Chaikin, Celia (sister)
Gutmann, Elizabetha (Lisa) (mother)
AW, gives birth to 3–4
AW, relationship with 4–5, 13–14, 16, 19–20, 22, 24, 27, 29–30, 31, 32, 33–4, 37,
44, 47, 76
Canada, life in 45, 47, 59, 71, 106
cancer, diagnosed with 71
character 4–5, 13–14, 22, 24, 25
death 147
dowry 9, 41
finances 40, 41
German family, breaks with 15, 55
Germany, decides to leave 7
Hebrew name 10
housekeeper in England 42
husband’s family, relationship with 4
John Steele’s relationship with AW, encourages 24, 27, 29–30, 31, 33–4, 37, 44
meets husband 1
Palestine, life in 11, 12, 13–14, 18
Gutmann, Ephraim (grand-father) 1, 2, 3, 15
Gutmann, Grisha (uncle) 139
Gutmann, Dr Lonya (Leo) (father)
appearance 25
AW’s affair with Ted Hughes, reaction to 106
AW, relationship with 3, 4, 14, 16, 17, 19–20, 21, 22, 76, 106, 194
AW’s suicide note, appearance in 204–5
AW’s will, appearance in 209
Canada, moves to 44–5
character 2–3, 13, 16, 21, 22
England, visits 147, 158
death 217
death of daughter and granddaughter, reaction to 206
Dick Lipsey, relationship with 52
finances 40
flees Germany for Italy 7, 8–9
grand-daughter, relationship with 147, 163
Hebrew name 10
John Steele, relationship with 27, 29
Mozambique, leaves Palestine for 41, 42, 43
marries 3–4
Nazi Germany, life in 6, 7, 55
Palestine, decides to leave 34–5
Palestine, leaves Italy for 8–9
Palestine, life in 12, 18
reading 13, 52
youth 1–3
Gutmann, Nachman (great-grandfather) 1
Gutmann, Vanya (uncle) 2, 55
Haganah 32
Hamburger, Michael 149
Hamermesh, Mira 22, 23, 36–7, 167, 177, 195
Harper & Row 179
Harris, E Clare 212
Harrison Hot-Springs Resort 46
Hartz, Pat 66
Hazell, Thomas 154
Head, Thomas 68–9
Heaney, Marie 221
Heaney, Seamus 221
Heather Jenner Agency 191–2
Hedden, Brenda 152, 160, 175, 184, 189–90, 208, 219–20, 221
Hedden, Harriet 219
Hedden, Judith 219
Hedden, Trevor 152, 153, 160, 189
Hefetz, Yasha 3
Helle, Professor Anita 212
Herbert, Zbigniew 165, 200
Hitler, Adolf 5, 6, 10, 18, 55, 74
Hobsbaum, Hannah 66, 102
Hobsbaum, Philip 8, 66, 67, 69, 85, 102
Hollis, Tasha 137
Holub, Miroslav 165
Horne, Lena 29
Hughes, Edith 94, 133, 158, 162, 168, 169, 216
Hughes, Frieda 81, 82, 89, 115, 117–18, 119, 123, 128, 129, 133, 145, 148, 152, 155, 157, 162, 163, 169, 173, 175, 177, 182, 184, 194, 195, 213, 215, 219, 221
Hughes, Gerald 89, 110, 146, 147, 155, 188, 195, 215
Hughes, Joan 147, 195
Hughes, Nicholas 85, 91, 115, 118–19, 123–4, 129, 133, 145, 148, 152, 155, 157, 169, 177, 182, 213, 215, 219, 221
Hughes, Olwyn 113, 116, 118, 129, 130, 133, 138, 142, 147–8, 151, 152, 166, 170, 182, 201, 203, 211, 213, 216, 225
Hughes, Rebecca 177
Hughes, Ted vi, 85, 227
AW, RELATIONSHIP WITH:
arguments with xvii, 125–6, 128, 133–4, 175–8
attempts to live with 15, 118, 119, 121, 123–31, 135–7, 139, 151–2, 154–63, 165, 168–9
attraction towards 83, 88
begins affair with 90–3, 94, 95–105, 106–14, 121
child with 114, 119 see also Wevill, Shura
deterioration in relationship xvii, 159–64, 165, 168–70, 173–8, 186–200
exchanges books with 134–5, 136–7
first kisses 90–1, 92
first meets 81–3
inspires writing 3, 8, 47, 83, 87, 88, 91–2, 113, 225–7
separates from 169–70
sexual relationship with 98, 99, 102, 123, 182–3
similarities with 69
suicide, reaction to 203–4, 207–11, 213, 214, 215–16, 219–27
taste, admires 157, 187
travels to Germany with 185–7
travels to Ireland with 151–3, 154–6
travels to Spain with 106, 107, 108, 186
CHARACTER:
appearance 87–8, 124–5, 127, 156–7
destructive moods 125–6, 127, 173, 187, 215
dreams 127, 140, 154, 187
occult, interest in 98, 148–9
self-criticism 149
violence 98, 99, 102, 182–3
working practices 124–6, 139
FAMILY:
children, relationship with vi, 115, 117–18, 123, 134, 148, 155, 163, 182, 184–5, 187, 199, 213, 214, 215, 219–20
parents, relationship with 133, 156, 158, 159, 161–2, 165, 169, 170, 174, 191, 213, 215, 220
see also under individual name
FINANCES 107–8, 136, 140, 149, 152, 158, 163, 171, 182, 188
HOUSES 91, 94, 97, 101, 102, 103, 104, 107, 110, 112, 114, 128, 129, 130, 132, 135, 136, 137, 146, 149, 151, 152, 153, 156, 157, 158, 160, 161, 168, 170, 175, 184, 187, 189, 190, 195, 201, 211, 221, 223, 225
LOVE LIFE see under individual name
READING 89, 93, 134–5, 136–7, 139–40, 157, 158
SYLVIA PLATH,
RELATIONSHIP WITH:
abandons in Ireland 104–5, 106, 156
breakdown of marriage 85–6, 89–94, 95–105, 106–15
love of 126–7
marriage to 50
sexual relationship with 98
suicide, reaction to 115–19, 122, 126, 127, 128, 130, 131, 135, 149, 151, 174, 175, 187, 190, 200, 214–15, 220, 226–7
WORKS, LETTERS AND JOURNALS:
‘A Childish Prank’ 222
‘A Full House’ 149
archive, Emory University, Atlanta 134, 138, 184, 226
Beauty and the Beast 149
Birthday Letters 87, 98, 114, 115–16, 217, 226, 227
‘Buttercup’ 149
Capriccio 95, 216, 217, 226
‘Capriccios’ 98
‘Chlorophyl’ 95–6, 213
Creatures of the Air 95
Crow 156, 161, 162, 191, 220
‘Descent’ 47, 213
Difficulties of a Bridegroom 92–3, 113
‘Do Not Pick Up the Telephone’ 96
‘Dreamers’ 3, 8, 88, 91–2
‘18 Rugby Street’ 98
‘Fanaticism’ 181
film scripts 107, 140