Anne Sexton

Women writers have often felt alienated from both the Bible and the canonical literary tradition that has been built on its foundation. Yet contemporary American women writers seem to be as haunted by the Bible as their nineteenth-century predecessors. This study of feminist biblical revision argues that women writers' contentious dialogues with the Bible ultimately reconstruct the writers' own basis of authority. The author traces the evolution of this phenomenon from the mid-nineteenth century to the present and analyzes biblical revision in works by Emily Dickinson, H.D., Anne Sexton, Sylvia Plath, Gloria Naylor, and Toni Morrison.

An entertaining & poignant social history of McLean Hospital--temporary home to many of the troubled geniuses of our age--and the evolution of the treatment of mental illness from the early 19th century to today.

Robert Frost has long dominated the public's image of New England poetry, but who are the poets who follow him in time and how have they expressed their visions of the landscape, the individual, and the community? This volume brings together the work of thirty distinguished poets to convey the vitality and variety of the region's poetic creation during much of the twentieth century. Henry Lyman has selected the poets, arranged their work chronologically by birth date, and written a brief preface to each section. The anthology is by no means comprehensive, nor is it an attempt to establish a "canon" of New England poets. Rather it is simply a selection of notable poems chosen for their clarity, depth, and common ground. The poems converse with each other from page to page, resulting in a cohesive, eminently readable text. For the student or general reader, there is no better introduction to the range and richness of New England poetry.

In Little Red Riding Hood Uncloaked Catherine Orenstein reveals for the first time the intricate sexual politics, moral ambiguities, and philosophical underpinnings of Red Riding Hood's epic journey to her grandmother's house--and how, from the nursery on, fairy tales influence our view of the world. Beginning with its first publication as a cautionary tale on the perils of seduction, written in reaction to the licentiousness of the court of Louis XIV, Orenstein traces the many lives the tale has lived since then, from its appearance in modern advertisements for cosmetics and automobiles, the inspiration it brought to poets such as Anne Sexton, and its starring role in pornographic films. In Little Red Riding Hood Uncloaked, riot grrrrl, femme fatale, and even she-wolf, as Orenstein shows how through centuries of different guises, the story has served as a barometer of social and sexual mores pertaining to women. Full of fascinating history, generous wit, and intelligent analysis, Little Red Riding Hood Uncloaked proves that the story of one young girl's trip through the woods continues to be one of our most compelling modern myths.

"In an innovative contribution to a crucial debate, Dana Becker turns a compassionate eye toward those women oft maligned in traditional theory & clinical practice. Her cogent analysis ... recasts responses to the limits placed upon girls & women in a culture of gender inequality." Rachel T. Hare-Mustin Author of Making a Difference "With precision & deliberation, leaving no stone unturned, Dana Becker lays out the history of BPD & the sordid history of the psychiatric profession's diagnosing of women." Sharon Lamb Author of The Trouble with Blame