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Ted Hughes in the News

This seems to be a week for Ted Hughes. In today's Times, Ben Macintyre writes "Ted Hughes was a prophet of climate change".

Also, someone put two readings of Sylvia Plath poems by Ted Hughes on YouTube. The clip features Hughes reading "Wuthering Heights" and "Crossing the Water". "Wuthering Heights" is likely from the British Library CD Ted Hughes: Poetry in the Making - The Spoken Word. Haven't yet sorted out the origin of "Crossing the Water". Thanks to Gail Crowther for pointing out the availability of this.

There is no stopping people from doing this kind of thing, but I'd encourage people to buy the CD or borrow it from the library.
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  1. panther03 December, 2009 07:34

    Ben Mac'Intyre's article is interesting. He does unfortunately make a mistake which readers of this blog will probably spot-Ted Hughes very demonstrably was not living in America in 1962 ! Granted, he was influenced by SILENT SPRING.

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  2. P.Viktor03 December, 2009 08:44

    Thanks for highlighting this - I have never heard of Hughes reading Plath's work. I have linked back on my own site: http://pviktor.co.uk/p_viktor_/2009/12/ted-hughes-reads-sylvia-plath.html

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  3. Peter K Steinberg03 December, 2009 13:29

    From an email I received from Carol Bere...

    "Ted Hughes first read (and was impressed by) Rachel Carson's books, The Sea Around Us and Under the Sea Wind when he was in the U.S. with Plath in 1958. He read Silent Spring (pub. l962) when he was home in the UK."

    Thank you for the above!
    -pks

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  4. Anonymous04 December, 2009 01:58

    Hi Peter - thanks for the Youtube link, although I see your point re: buying the recordings, I didn't know this existed. I, too, have never heard Ted read Sylvia's work - what a thrill! And two of my favorite Plath poems, too.

    The article, too, was wonderful. I had no idea that Hughes was this clairvoyant when it came to shipping of produce, climate change, etc. Astonishing that he was so perceptive 50 years ago. Do you think Al Gore will try to claim credit? :-) kim

    ReplyDelete
  5. Christine Walde17 December, 2009 22:55

    Thanks for posting this, Peter. Hearing Hughes read "Crossing the Water" was quite riveting.

    ReplyDelete

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