One of the ways in which I try hardest to operate involves organization and consistency. The Rosenstein collection is organized alphabetically, as are most collections. We got all of boxes 2 (H-O) and 3 (P-R) first and today, will start seeing the files in box 1 (A-G). There is amazing, interesting material in spread out. But as we started in the middle and as I have been jumping around I have honestly felt a little disjointed. But there is nothing that can be done about that. If I had patience and other druthers, however, I would have considered holding off reading anything until I had anything and then starting in. I think the way I would have approached it would be to start with the earliest materials (on Otto Plath in this instance) and worked my way up chronologically if possible.
Ok, let's be honest... it is probably the England period from 1960 to 1963 that has the most interest for a lot of people. So reading the Roche and Macedo files were rich in this aspect (though the Roche stuff dipped back in time a bit to Smith in 1957 and 1958). But then, after that, I read the interview notes with Lisa Levy and Connie Taylor Blackwell, both of whom meant nothing to me before. Neither of them were mentioned in Plath's journals or letters or even, I do not think, in her pocket calendars. Maybe that does not mean anything, though?
Levy and Blackwell were Smith classmates of Plath's. Levy was a resident of Lawrence House and Blackwell was dating a roommate of Richard Sassoon. So, I went back in time from the London period which is a hard shift in time. I find the Smith period (and for that matter, Cambridge) endlessly fascinating. These years (1950-1957) represent, perhaps, the middle of Plath's life in a manner of speaking.
Levy talked a lot about being in Plath's presence, about her talking and listening. How she held her neck and moved her hands. How she asked for more information than she offered. She believed Plath was a manipulator; something that is mirrored by Clarissa Roche (she recalls instances were Plath was "getting one over on" someone, be it Prouty, Stephen Spender, or others).
Blackwell's interview I found really good. The information on the time spent at Smith, at Yale, in rooms, on trains, is beneficial. I liked a lot of what she said, particularly about her dedication to writing two hours a day at Smith, that she had "an incredible amount of methodical energy". This was a newsflash: Learned that she met Plath and Hughes at Yaddo. However, it was not explained in the typewritten notes what Blackwell was doing there, and she was not listed as being in residence the autumn that Plath was. Perhaps an explanation is in the Blackwell file in Box 1, which leads me to wonder why this material is stored separately?
These new voices---as well as additional people whose folders I have not yet seen---join other Smith students such as Marcia Brown Stern and Elinor Klein in the choir relating memories of Plath's years there. And it must be said that these new memories of people long forgotten or ignored, or even dead, is where a real value makes itself apparent in this collection.
All links accessed 27 January 2020.
Ok, let's be honest... it is probably the England period from 1960 to 1963 that has the most interest for a lot of people. So reading the Roche and Macedo files were rich in this aspect (though the Roche stuff dipped back in time a bit to Smith in 1957 and 1958). But then, after that, I read the interview notes with Lisa Levy and Connie Taylor Blackwell, both of whom meant nothing to me before. Neither of them were mentioned in Plath's journals or letters or even, I do not think, in her pocket calendars. Maybe that does not mean anything, though?
Levy and Blackwell were Smith classmates of Plath's. Levy was a resident of Lawrence House and Blackwell was dating a roommate of Richard Sassoon. So, I went back in time from the London period which is a hard shift in time. I find the Smith period (and for that matter, Cambridge) endlessly fascinating. These years (1950-1957) represent, perhaps, the middle of Plath's life in a manner of speaking.
Levy talked a lot about being in Plath's presence, about her talking and listening. How she held her neck and moved her hands. How she asked for more information than she offered. She believed Plath was a manipulator; something that is mirrored by Clarissa Roche (she recalls instances were Plath was "getting one over on" someone, be it Prouty, Stephen Spender, or others).
Blackwell's interview I found really good. The information on the time spent at Smith, at Yale, in rooms, on trains, is beneficial. I liked a lot of what she said, particularly about her dedication to writing two hours a day at Smith, that she had "an incredible amount of methodical energy". This was a newsflash: Learned that she met Plath and Hughes at Yaddo. However, it was not explained in the typewritten notes what Blackwell was doing there, and she was not listed as being in residence the autumn that Plath was. Perhaps an explanation is in the Blackwell file in Box 1, which leads me to wonder why this material is stored separately?
These new voices---as well as additional people whose folders I have not yet seen---join other Smith students such as Marcia Brown Stern and Elinor Klein in the choir relating memories of Plath's years there. And it must be said that these new memories of people long forgotten or ignored, or even dead, is where a real value makes itself apparent in this collection.
All links accessed 27 January 2020.
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