Author Nancy Milford's in-depth research into the life of Edna St. Vincent Millay is truly remarkable.

By delving into a wealth of family letters, personal journals,珍贵的 photos, and engaging in conversations with Millay's sister Norma, Milford has been able to paint a vivid and detailed picture of this captivating woman's life.

The use of these primary sources allows the reader to gain an intimate understanding of Millay's thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

We are able to see her as a complex individual, with all her joys, sorrows, and struggles.

Milford's work not only provides a fascinating look into the life of a great poet but also offers valuable insights into the social and cultural context of the time.

It is a must-read for anyone interested in the life and work of Edna St. Vincent Millay or in the history of American literature.

This was a selection by my book club. I probably would not have picked up this book on my own.

To be honest, this book was more scholarly than I cared for. The description/advertisement/summary of the book makes it sound like Milford's going to give up the juice; however, she did the opposite. She left out details about the subjects of interest, particularly the affairs, and instead gave a ton of information about things the reader does not care about.

I really wish she had found a way to paraphrase all the excerpts from the letters or include footnotes. This would have made the reading experience much more enjoyable and less burdensome.

Also, the author seems to randomly come to the surface as part of the book rather than a narrator or observer, and it wasn't necessary. It disrupted the flow of the story and made it feel less cohesive. Overall, while the book had some interesting aspects, it could have been improved with better editing and a more focused approach.

UPDATE 7-08:

I'm not really reading this anymore. I may try again another day.

It seems that at this moment, my interest in reading this has waned. Maybe it's because of other distractions or perhaps I'm just not in the right frame of mind. But I do have the intention to come back to it at some point in the future. Who knows when that will be? It could be next week, next month, or even next year. Only time will tell.

UPDATE 2-09:

Another day came. And with it, a glimmer of hope that I might be more inclined to pick up where I left off. Maybe today will be the day when I finally engage with this material and find something of value within it. I'm looking forward to seeing what awaits me as I reopen this text and begin to read once again.

You know what really struck me the most about this book?

Edna St. Vincent Millay was a remarkable Jazz Age poetess. As I delved into the details of her lifestyle, it dawned on me that our society in the U.S. seems to have taken a step backwards when it comes to women.

I discovered that there were many women during that era who were leading the charge. They were striving to become doctors, taking control of their own finances, fighting for the right to manage their own bodies, and were empowered to think and act like men.

Moreover, I truly relished the poetry. Edna's life was most assuredly worth reading about. Through this exploration, I now feel as if I have a better understanding of some of the woman who lay behind those beautiful poems.

It is both fascinating and disheartening to see the progress that was made and then, in some ways, seemingly lost. But perhaps this serves as a reminder of the importance of continuing to fight for gender equality and the empowerment of women.

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Okay - just a few comments.

I really wished there had been some COLOR photos of Edna St. Vincey Millay. The author repeatedly wrote about her wild red hair and her beautiful green eyes dozens of times. So, I Google Imaged her to see if I could find a color photo. I did manage to find a color painting of her. I understand that color film was not widespread then.

Also, being a photo nut, I wish Mitford had included the photos she so painstakingly described throughout the book.

I picked up this book at our library's "blind date" book reading program. In this program, the books are wrapped in brown paper and then briefly described on the outside. This one said something like - poet, Pulitzer, jazz age - or something along those lines. I had, of course, heard of ESVM and read some of her poems but didn't know much about her. I decided to give this long book a try. It took me 3 weeks to get through. It wasn't exactly a page turner, but I liked it. It was cool how Mitford pieced together the letters with the narrative. I liked how the letters gave the various characters personality.

As a writer and former reporter, I was interested in the prodigious amount of research Mitford did on this book. This is especially in light of how she said in the very beginning of the book that her letters and other material were in such a big mess at Norma's house. This book felt like a big puzzle that Mitford pieced together through all the cables, letters, newspaper articles, interviews, and so on. Even with all the details, ESVM remains a mysterious person. I find the contrast between her personal life and her poetry truly fascinating.

I've been delving into the poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay recently. So, it was a pleasant surprise when I discovered this book in one of the boxes my aunt sent at the start of winter. I had very limited knowledge about the poet and her life. This biography, which took thirty years to write, has made me eager to reevaluate her poems.

Although I sense some shortcomings in Milford's biography, seeing the poetry in the context of a life that was often troubled yet always adventurous has added a new layer to my comprehension.

Millay was a voice for a new generation of women in the Jazz Age, those who were crossing boundaries and venturing into uncharted territory. She smoked in public and didn't hide her numerous lovers, both male and female. Marriage vows, whether her own or others', had little impact on her actions.

Her tumultuous life began in Maine. Her father abandoned the family early on, and her mother, a nurse, had to leave her three young daughters alone for long periods while she worked. The relationship among the four women influenced much of "Vincent's" life. There was turmoil between her and a difficult younger sister who felt overshadowed by Vincent's talent.

In Milford's portrayal, Cora Buzzell Millay, Vincent's mother, seems to grapple with pride and jealousy. At times, it appears that Vincent and her sisters went to great lengths to appease Cora's demands, perhaps out of fear of abandonment. There's a hint at one point that Vincent may have been molested by a man Cora was involved with.

What strikes me most about Vincent Millay's life is that genius often emerges from such circumstances. Talented individuals often seem compelled by a need for experience, and the depth of their work reveals an understanding of experience that many of us lack. We need these people to speak for us, through their pain, to express what we struggle to put into words.

Throughout her work, Milford disappoints me occasionally. She isn't a particularly organized writer. The book's presentation of the material is disconcerting, sometimes almost haphazard. Capturing a life is, of course, challenging, but the best biographers understand the "why" behind the "what happened," and these reasons elude Milford. It's up to the reader to read between the lines of the numerous excerpts from Millay's works, journals, and letters, as Milford offers no interpretation or analysis.

"Savage Beauty" has its flaws, but so did Edna St. Vincent Millay. The biography is well worth reading for the facts presented and the excerpts from Millay's journals and her less accessible writing beyond her poetry. It has inspired me to return to the poems with a better understanding of their author, and perhaps this is achievement enough.

Fantastic writing indeed!

However, I find myself extremely glad to have completed the study of the life of this exhausting, sad, and frustrating poet.

The journey through his life has been a tumultuous one, filled with hardships and disappointments that have left a profound impact on his works.

Yet, despite the challenges he faced, his writing managed to capture the essence of human emotions and experiences in a way that is truly remarkable.

As I close this chapter, I am left with a sense of admiration for his talent and a newfound appreciation for the power of words to convey even the most complex and painful of emotions.

Perhaps it is through understanding the struggles of poets like him that we can better understand our own lives and find solace in the written word.

"Man just hasn't been the same since the death of God.

You'd think it only happened yesterday."

Edna St. Vincent Millet, a complex and troubled soul, made a fateful decision of deocide.

She turned to drink, drugs, and engaged in plenty of polymorphous sex.

With the dark cloud of fascism looming on the horizon, she also dabbled in the occasional bout with politics.

Anything, it seemed, to numb the excruciating pain of a meaningless existence that we call life.

Slowly but surely, she was killing herself by the millimeter.

This outstanding feminist biography masterfully recreates a life that was tragically not destined to last the night.

It delves deep into the inner turmoil and the desperate attempts of a woman who was searching for something, anything, to give meaning to her existence in a world that seemed to have lost its way.

The story unfolds like a tragic symphony, with each note representing a different aspect of her tumultuous life.

It is a tale of struggle, of rebellion, and ultimately, of a life cut short.

Review: Savage Beauty written by Nancy Milford

I started reading this book with only a passing acquaintance of Edna St. Vincent Millay, having remembered a few of her poems from a collection. However, by the time I finished, I was completely captivated, not only by the story of Millay's life but also by the meticulous care Nancy Milford took in every aspect of her biography.

A biography has two essential elements: the story of the subject's life and the biographer's interpretations. Milford excels in both. She approaches Norma Millay, the surviving relative of ESVM, and with great perseverance and patience, convinces her to help write the life story. The diaries and extensive collection of letters from throughout ESVM's life provide the foundation for this remarkable biography.

Edna St. Vincent Millay, known as Vincent to her loved ones, was born at the end of the 1800s. Her childhood was marked by her father's absence, her mother's frequent travels for work, and the family's financial struggles. Despite these challenges, Vincent developed a passion for writing and daydreaming. Her diary became her confidant, and her daydreams often involved a savior prince.

Milford's detailed research and gentle but pointed observations bring this already fascinating life to life. She shows how Vincent's experiences shaped her personality and her writing. From her early success in a major poetry contest to her later struggles with addiction and depression, Milford tells the story with sensitivity and insight.

The pictures included in the book are also a great addition, providing a visual context for the story. Overall, Savage Beauty is a highly recommended biography that not only reveals the life of Edna St. Vincent Millay but also showcases the intelligence and talent of its biographer, Nancy Milford.

As Milford so beautifully writes, "My candle burns at both ends; It will not last the night; But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends - It gives a lovely light!" This quote perfectly encapsulates the life and work of Edna St. Vincent Millay.

One of my favorite books of all time is "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee.

This novel takes readers on a journey through the eyes of a young girl, Scout Finch, in a small Southern town during the 1930s.

The story explores themes of racism, injustice, and the loss of innocence.

Lee's writing is both beautiful and powerful, painting a vivid picture of the characters and their experiences.

Scout's father, Atticus Finch, is a moral and courageous lawyer who defends a black man accused of a crime he did not commit.

His actions teach Scout and her brother important lessons about empathy, fairness, and standing up for what is right.

"To Kill a Mockingbird" is not only a great work of literature but also a timely reminder of the importance of fighting against prejudice and discrimination.

It has had a profound impact on me and continues to be a book that I return to again and again.

I will admit that I was completely unaware of Edna St. Vincent Millay before delving into this book. However, I was truly delighted by the introduction to her poetry.

Certain poems are presented in this book at considerable length, and I found them to be not only lovely but also highly insightful.

Moreover, the portrayal of Edna and her entire family was extremely detailed, multi-layered, and complex. In fact, almost every aspect of Edna's life seemed to cry out for a psychological interpretation.

Although I never really felt a deep affection for any of the characters, I did find them to be realistic, fascinating, and very much products of their particularly interesting time period.

My only criticism of this book is that I felt the author was overly present. She shows up as a character herself, and her own interpretations of the personalities are repeatedly emphasized throughout the text.

Despite the at times heavy-handed writing, this was still a captivating biography of a truly fascinating woman.