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Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz: The Rebellion of Sylvia Plath & Anne Sexton

About the Book

Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz: The Rebellion of Sylvia Plath & Anne Sexton

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 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 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).

Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz: The Rebellion of Sylvia Plath & Anne Sexton
by Gail Crowther

  • Publication Date: January 11, 2022
  • Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction
  • Paperback: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Gallery Books
  • ISBN-10: 1982138424
  • ISBN-13: 9781982138424