A Crown for Ted and Sylvia

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A Crown for Ted and Sylvia is a book of poetry for Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes fans and for those obsessed by their compelling literary story. It examines questions about the politics of family and shifting perspectives over time, and asks why some families are fated to repeat certain narratives over generations. Finally, those who enjoy traditional forms, such as sonnets, villanelles, and pentinas, will find plenty of them here. "In a book full of surprises, Kim Bridgford reveals herself to be a wonderful religious poet. The title crown is a tour de force marked by some deeply memorable lines, and the series of poems on biblical themes called 'What Fresh Hell is This' is especially moving, as form and meaning coalesce into something far more than the sum of their parts. 'That's how it is. You are what you most fear. / You think you know your shining, private name: / You don't. It is the language of your secrets.' In remarkable lines such as these, Bridgford speaks with candor and depth of mysteries that need to be revealed." --Annie Finch, author of Spells and Among the Godesses "'You never know the truth, but try to guess.' And guess Kim Bridgford does in these moving poems chronicling the life and death of Sylvia Plath. A Crown for Ted and Sylvia simultaneously explores and expands the mythos of the Hughes-Plath saga, conjuring the dead and giving them voices, allowing them to speak for themselves and tell their heartbreaking tale. Formally elegant, classically severe, Bridgford's poems move by suggestion and indirection, implying much more than can be said, not just about these lost souls but about our own lives. There is a sibylline quality to this book. The repeating forms the poet favors--haunting villanelles, playful pentinas, and, of course, the regal crown--function like charms, strange enchantments hinting at mysteries that cannot be unraveled. It's a fact: 'You never know the truth, but try to guess.' These splendid poems bring us closer to that knowing." --Angela Alaimo O'Donnell, author of Lovers' Almanac and Still Pilgrim Kim Bridgford is the director of Poetry by the Sea and the editor of Mezzo Cammin. The author of thirteen books, she is the recipient of grants from the NEA, the Connecticut Commission on the Arts, and the Ucross Foundation. With Russell Goings, she rang the closing bell of the New York Stock Exchange, in celebration of his book The Children of Children Keep Coming, for which she wrote the introduction.