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4 episodes with elizabeth winder
Parachute Women: Marianne Faithfull, Marsha Hunt, Bianca Jagger, Anita Pallenberg, and the Women Behind the Rolling StonesDiscover the true story of the four women who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to help shape and curate the image of The Rolling Stones—perfect for fans of Girls Like Us.The Rolling Stones have long been considered one of the greatest rock-and-roll bands of all time. At the forefront of the British Invasion and heading up the counterculture movement of the 1960s, the Stones' innovative music and iconic performances defined a generation, and fifty years later, they're still performing to sold-out stadiums around the globe. Yet, as the saying goes, behind every great man is a greater woman, and behind these larger-than-life rockstars were four incredible women whose stories have yet to be fully unpacked . . . until now.In Parachute Women, Elizabeth Winder introduces us to the four women who inspired, styled, wrote for, remixed, and ultimately helped create the legend of the Rolling Stones. Marianne Faithfull, Marsha Hunt, Bianca Jagger, and Anita Pallenberg put the glimmer in the Glimmer Twins and taught a group of strait-laced boys to be bad. They opened the doors to subterranean art and alternative lifestyles, turned them on to Russian literature, occult practices, and LSD. They connected them to cutting edge directors and writers, won them roles in art house films that renewed their appeal. They often acted as unpaid stylists, providing provocative looks from their personal wardrobes. They remixed tracks for chart-topping albums, and sometimes even wrote the actual songs. More hip to the times than the rockers themselves, they consciously (and unconsciously) kept the band current—and confident—with that mythic lasting power they still have today.Lush in detail and insight, and long overdue, Parachute Women is a group portrait of the four audacious women who transformed the Stones into international stars, but who were themselves marginalized by the male-dominated rock world of the late '60s and early '70s. Written in the tradition of Sheila Weller's Girls Like Us, it's a story of lust and rivalries, friendships and betrayals, hope and degradation, and the birth of rock and roll. Elizabeth Winder is the author of Marilyn in Manhattan: Her Year of Joy,and Pain, Parties, Work: Sylvia Plath in New York, Summer 1953. Her work has appeared in the Chicago Review, Antioch Review, American Letters, and other publications. She is a graduate of the College of William and Mary, and earned an MFA in creative writing from George Mason University.Buy the book from Wellington Square Bookshop - https://www.wellingtonsquarebooks.com/book/9781580059589
Watch/Listen to this and all episodes ad free by joining the ITBR Patreon and get a free trial for the ITBR Professor level! patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom Welcome to the "Let's Be Bad" episode of ITBR Rewatches the iconic "Smash" 2012 American TV show! Hosted by Christian Garcia (Host of That Ol' Gay Classic Cinema). Elizabeth Winder, the writer of "Marilyn in Manhattan," joins us again with her extensive Marilyn Monroe knowledge! The Broadway cast is rehearsing the musical number "Let's Be Bad" which explores the pain and anguish Marilyn went through when filming "Some Like It Hot." Elizabeth explains that this is one of many moments where Marilyn was faced with career difficulties. Like Marilyn, Elizabeth suffers from insomnia and this is what caused Marilyn to frequently need breaks and have trouble remembering lines. We all provide our artistic interpretation of the choreography in this number since Ivy is being pulled in different directions like a marionette. Then, Elizabeth explains the nuances between Marilyn and Arthur Miller's toxic relationship compared to that of her and Joe DiMaggio. We all express our frustration with Derek who is manipulating both Ivy and Karen for the sake of putting on an incredible show, or is he? And, why do we bring up Britney Spears? Just to remind you all here's a brief description about the "Let's Be Bad" episode: Karen puts her talents to use at a government party; Michael and Julia's drama increases; Eileen joins forces with Tom's assistant; Ivy thinks something is amiss in her relationship with Derek. Make sure you rewatch all of the episodes with us on Vudu (it's free): https://www.vudu.com/content/browse/details/Smash-Season-1/284283 "How Marilyn Monroe Became a Trailblazing Gay Icon": https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/marilyn-monroe-gay-icon/ Get your hands on Elizabeth's book "Marilyn in Manhattan" here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250064981/marilyninmanhattan Follow Christian on Instagram, @bookaholic_221 and his podcast, @thatolgayclassiccinema. Listen to his podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/that-ol-gay-classic-cinema/id1652125150 Follow Elizabeth on Instagram, @elizajw and X, @elizawinder Be sure to follow The SoapBox on IG, @thesoapboxny and TikTok, @thesoapboxny and call or message them to get your hands on their luxurious bath and body products! To subscribe to The Gay and Lesbian Review visit glreview.org. Click Subscribe, and enter promo code ITBR50 to receive 50% off any print or digital subscription. Follow them on IG, @theglreview. Head to Broadview Press, an independent academic publisher, for all your humanities related books. Use code ivorytower for 20% off your broadviewpress.com order. Follow them on IG, @broadviewpress. Order and follow @mandeemadeit (on IG) mention ITBR, and with your first order you'll receive a free personalized gift! Follow That Ol' Gay Classic Cinema on IG, @thatolgayclassiccinema and listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/that-ol-gay-classic-cinema/id1652125150 Follow ITBR on IG, @ivorytowerboilerroom, TikTok, @ivorytowerboilerroom, and X, @IvoryBoilerRoom! Thanks to the ITBR team! Andrew Rimby (Host/Director) and Mary DiPipi (Chief Contributor) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ivorytowerboilerroom/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ivorytowerboilerroom/support
Watch/Listen to this and all episodes ad free by joining the ITBR Patreon for only $10 a month! patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom Welcome to the "The Cost of Art" episode of ITBR Rewatches the iconic "Smash" 2012 American TV show! Hosted by Christian Garcia (Host of That Ol' Gay Classic Cinema). American author and poet, Elizabeth Winder enters the ITBR to provide insight on the life of Marilyn Monroe and how Marilyn would've felt seeing a Broadway musical about her life. In this episode of ITBR, Christian talks about the humor between the ensemble and how they help one another despite all of the drama surrounding the Marilyn musical. Then, Elizabeth argues that Marilyn "was made for stage acting” and imagines what it would've been like if Marilyn left Hollywood to become a stage actor. Finally, Elizabeth discusses Marilyn's struggles as an actor having to social climb in a male dominated industry. You don't want to miss this group's thoughts on Nick Jonas' guest appearance and the song "I Never Met a Wolf Who Didn't Love to Howl" which explores Marilyn's encounters with the wolves (predatory men) of Hollywood! Join us and Elizabeth again for episode five, “Let's Be Bad"! Just to remind you all here's a brief description about the "The Cost of Art" episode: When Derek hosts a party for young teen star Lyle West, Eileen seizes the opportunity to try a new strategy for raising funds. Karen learns how to increase her chances of success in the high-stakes world of Broadway and Tom goes on a special first date. Make sure you rewatch all of the episodes with us on Vudu (it's free): https://www.vudu.com/content/browse/details/Smash-Season-1/284283 Follow Christian on Instagram, @bookaholic_221 and his podcast, @thatolgayclassiccinema. Listen to his podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/that-ol-gay-classic-cinema/id1652125150 Follow Elizabeth on Instagram, @elizajw and X, @elizawinder Be sure to follow The SoapBox on Instagram, @thesoapboxny and call or message them to get your hands on their Four For Fall products! To subscribe to The Gay and Lesbian Review visit glreview.org. Click Subscribe, and enter promo code ITBR50 to receive 50% off any print or digital subscription. Head to Broadview Press, an independent academic publisher, for all your humanities related books. Use code ivorytower for 20% off your broadviewpress.com order. Order from @mandeemadeit, mention ITBR, and with your first order you'll receive a free personalized gift! Follow That Ol' Gay Classic Cinema on Instagram, @thatolgayclassiccinema. Follow ITBR on IG, @ivorytowerboilerroom, TikTok, @ivorytowerboilerroom, and X, @IvoryBoilerRoom! Thanks to the ITBR team! Andrew Rimby (Host/Director), Mary DiPipi (Chief Contributor), and our Fall 23 interns (Jonathan and Sara) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ivorytowerboilerroom/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ivorytowerboilerroom/support
Watch/Listen to this and all episodes ad free by joining the ITBR Patreon for only $5 a month! patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom Writer of “Parachute Women," Elizabeth Winder joins the Ivory Tower Boiler Room to discuss the behind-the-scenes true story of the four women (Marianne Faithfull, Marsha Hunt, Bianca Jagger and Anita Pallenberg) who helped shape and curate the image of The Rolling Stones. Andrew and Elizabeth discuss the dichotomy between female and male Rockstars and how the women focus more on finding their voice and individuality as opposed to celebrating the Rockstar lifestyle. Andrew and Elizabeth also discuss the rebellious nature of rock and roll and how they sometimes go against society and the status quo. Finally, Elizabeth traces the history of fashion in her book “Parachute Women” and says, “it doesn't move like that now and I don't think it ever will again” depicting the several changes that were blooming in the 60s as a result of the counterculture movement. Pick up your very own copy of "Parachute Women" at https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/elizabeth-winder/parachute-women/9781580059589/ and listen to the audio book read by Angelina Rocca! Read a bit of "Parachute Women" on the Rolling Stone website, https://www.rollingstone.com/author/elizabeth-winder/ Follow Elizabeth on Instagram, @elizajw and X, @elizawinder Be sure to follow The SoapBox on Instagram, @thesoapboxny and call or message them to get your hands on their Four For Fall products! To subscribe to The Gay and Lesbian Review visit glreview.org. Click Subscribe, and enter promo code ITBR50 to receive 50% off any print or digital subscription. Head to Broadview Press, an independent academic publisher, for all your humanities related books. Use code ivorytower for 20% off your broadviewpress.com order. Order from @mandeemadeit, mention ITBR, and with your first order you'll receive a free personalized gift! Follow That Ol' Gay Classic Cinema on Instagram, @thatolgayclassiccinema. Follow ITBR on IG, @ivorytowerboilerroom, TikTok, @ivorytowerboilerroom, and X, @IvoryBoilerRoom! Thanks to the ITBR team! Andrew Rimby (Host/Director), Mary DiPipi (Chief Contributor), and our Fall 23 interns (Jonathan and Sara) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ivorytowerboilerroom/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ivorytowerboilerroom/support
Become a Patreon member for $5 (a cup of iced coffee) and watch our video version: https://www.patreon.com/posts/66398839 Writer of Marilyn in Manhattan: Her Year of Joy (2017), Elizabeth Winder joins Andrew and Mary in the Ivory Tower Boiler Room. One major theme that Elizabeth discusses is how the general public views the tragedy of female celebrities and why the media delights in the tragedy of these women? Elizabeth discusses her biography process which started with the Marilyn Monroe photos taken in Manhattan (specifically the one taken at the Ambassador Hotel, the book's cover photo). Elizabeth analyzes key moments in Marilyn's life including the iconic Seven Year Itch subway grate photo, why 1954 was such a year of joy for Marilyn in Manhattan, and her incredibly fulfilling relationship with Milton Greene. One question Elizabeth addresses is what would have happened if Marilyn had not spent a year in New York? We know that the Bombshell creative team (we're looking at you Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman) is working on bringing the musical to Broadway so make sure you reach out to Elizabeth Winder. And, definitely watch the recently released The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes on Netflix. This interview was recorded before the news of Kim K. wearing Marilyn's dress at the Met Gala and the announcement of Andrew Dominik's 2022 biopic, Blonde (based on Joyce Carol Oates' novel). Make sure to follow Elizabeth Winder on Instagram, @elizajw, and Twitter, @elizawinder. You definitely want to get your hands on Elizabeth's biography of Marilyn Monroe here: https://bookshop.org/books/marilyn-in-manhattan-her-year-of-joy/9781250064981 Follow Ivory Tower Boiler Room on Instagram, @ivorytowerboilerroom, TikTok, @ivorytowerboilerroom, and Twitter, @IvoryBoilerRoom! Email us at ivorytowerboilerroom@gmail.com. We love hearing from you about the podcast and are always interested in interview suggestions. Many thanks to the Ivory Tower Boiler Room podcast team: Andrew Rimby, Executive Director; Mary DiPipi, Chief Contributor; Ceren Usta, Marketing Director Podcast Interns: Nicole Arguello and Kimberly Dallas "Heat Wave," Songwriters: Brian Holland / Edward Jr. Holland / Lamont Dozier, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ivorytowerboilerroom/support
She was a Hollywood sensation known for her beauty and charisma. She died young -- at the age of 36. But, more than 50 years after her death, Marilyn Monroe is still an icon. Her image can be seen everywhere from t-shirts to coffee mugs. On this week’s Cityscape, we’re focusing on Marilyn’s time -- not in Tinseltown -- but in New York City. Our guest is Elizabeth Winder, the author of Marilyn in Manhattan: Her Year of Joy.
Pain, Parties, Work by Elizabeth Winder is a compelling look at a young Sylvia Plath and the life-changing month that would lay the groundwork for her seminal novel, The Bell Jar. In May of 1953, a twenty-one-year-old Plath arrived in New York City, the guest editor of Mademoiselle’s annual College Issue. She lived at the Barbizon Hotel, attended the ballet, went to a Yankee game, and danced at the West Side Tennis Club. She was supposed to be having the time of her life. But what would follow was, in Plath’s words, twenty-six days of pain, parties, and work, that ultimately changed the course of her life.
Pain, Parties, Work by Elizabeth Winder is a compelling look at a young Sylvia Plath and the life-changing month that would lay the groundwork for her seminal novel, The Bell Jar.In May of 1953, a twenty-one-year-old Plath arrived in New York City, the guest editor of Mademoiselle's annual College Issue. She lived at the Barbizon Hotel, attended the ballet, went to a Yankee game, and danced at the West Side Tennis Club. She was supposed to be having the time of her life. But what would follow was, in Plath's words, twenty-six days of pain, parties, and work, that ultimately changed the course of her life.
It is a struggle sometimes in biography to find new ways to write about subjects about whom many biographies have been written. This is particularly pronounced in the case of iconic figures of the 20th century (think: Marilyn Monroe, Jacqueline Onassis, Elvis Presley, F. Scott Fitzgerald), and an area in which the partial life biography can play an interesting role. Whereas biographers have more traditionally opted for what we call “cradle-to-grave” narratives, the partial life biography instead offers a slice of a life- a particular period that is explored in-depth. Such is the case with Elizabeth Winder‘s Pain, Parties, Work: Sylvia Plath in New York, Summer 1953(Harper, 2013). Plath's is a story most everyone knows, and yet her time working in New York as an intern in Mademoiselle has not previously been studied outside of the context of all that came after, which is surprising because it's an interesting period but also because her experiences then formed the basis for what she would later write in The Bell Jar. The summer is of not just biographical interest, but literary significance as well. There is about Pain, Parties, Work an inevitable sense of clouds brewing- the summer will end, Plath will return home, and she will attempt suicide by taking pills and crawling under her mother's house- but there's also a sensation of joy: the joy of young women alone in a big city, experimenting with boys and clothes and make-up and work. Pain, Parties, Work is bolstered by the fact that Winder was able to secure interviews with many of Plath's fellow interns, voices that have been notably absent in many of the earlier accounts and which lend an immediacy to a well-known story. The interviews with these women do much to flesh out the concrete details of the experience as well as Plath's unique struggles within it. The Plath we have here is young and eager, fond of make-up and boys, and already displaying a rare gift for words. The clouds are on the horizon, yes- we all know that- but, in the meantime, the city and the thrill of discovery provide an intoxicating distraction. Summer is a time in which anything can happen. Reading Winder's narrative and meeting Plath in this context, one feels that keenly: the excitement of a girl in the city, the hope and heat of New York, an electricity in the air. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It is a struggle sometimes in biography to find new ways to write about subjects about whom many biographies have been written. This is particularly pronounced in the case of iconic figures of the 20th century (think: Marilyn Monroe, Jacqueline Onassis, Elvis Presley, F. Scott Fitzgerald), and an area in which the partial life biography can play an interesting role. Whereas biographers have more traditionally opted for what we call “cradle-to-grave” narratives, the partial life biography instead offers a slice of a life- a particular period that is explored in-depth. Such is the case with Elizabeth Winder‘s Pain, Parties, Work: Sylvia Plath in New York, Summer 1953(Harper, 2013). Plath’s is a story most everyone knows, and yet her time working in New York as an intern in Mademoiselle has not previously been studied outside of the context of all that came after, which is surprising because it’s an interesting period but also because her experiences then formed the basis for what she would later write in The Bell Jar. The summer is of not just biographical interest, but literary significance as well. There is about Pain, Parties, Work an inevitable sense of clouds brewing- the summer will end, Plath will return home, and she will attempt suicide by taking pills and crawling under her mother’s house- but there’s also a sensation of joy: the joy of young women alone in a big city, experimenting with boys and clothes and make-up and work. Pain, Parties, Work is bolstered by the fact that Winder was able to secure interviews with many of Plath’s fellow interns, voices that have been notably absent in many of the earlier accounts and which lend an immediacy to a well-known story. The interviews with these women do much to flesh out the concrete details of the experience as well as Plath’s unique struggles within it. The Plath we have here is young and eager, fond of make-up and boys, and already displaying a rare gift for words. The clouds are on the horizon, yes- we all know that- but, in the meantime, the city and the thrill of discovery provide an intoxicating distraction. Summer is a time in which anything can happen. Reading Winder’s narrative and meeting Plath in this context, one feels that keenly: the excitement of a girl in the city, the hope and heat of New York, an electricity in the air. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It is a struggle sometimes in biography to find new ways to write about subjects about whom many biographies have been written. This is particularly pronounced in the case of iconic figures of the 20th century (think: Marilyn Monroe, Jacqueline Onassis, Elvis Presley, F. Scott Fitzgerald), and an area in which the partial life biography can play an interesting role. Whereas biographers have more traditionally opted for what we call “cradle-to-grave” narratives, the partial life biography instead offers a slice of a life- a particular period that is explored in-depth. Such is the case with Elizabeth Winder‘s Pain, Parties, Work: Sylvia Plath in New York, Summer 1953(Harper, 2013). Plath’s is a story most everyone knows, and yet her time working in New York as an intern in Mademoiselle has not previously been studied outside of the context of all that came after, which is surprising because it’s an interesting period but also because her experiences then formed the basis for what she would later write in The Bell Jar. The summer is of not just biographical interest, but literary significance as well. There is about Pain, Parties, Work an inevitable sense of clouds brewing- the summer will end, Plath will return home, and she will attempt suicide by taking pills and crawling under her mother’s house- but there’s also a sensation of joy: the joy of young women alone in a big city, experimenting with boys and clothes and make-up and work. Pain, Parties, Work is bolstered by the fact that Winder was able to secure interviews with many of Plath’s fellow interns, voices that have been notably absent in many of the earlier accounts and which lend an immediacy to a well-known story. The interviews with these women do much to flesh out the concrete details of the experience as well as Plath’s unique struggles within it. The Plath we have here is young and eager, fond of make-up and boys, and already displaying a rare gift for words. The clouds are on the horizon, yes- we all know that- but, in the meantime, the city and the thrill of discovery provide an intoxicating distraction. Summer is a time in which anything can happen. Reading Winder’s narrative and meeting Plath in this context, one feels that keenly: the excitement of a girl in the city, the hope and heat of New York, an electricity in the air. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It is a struggle sometimes in biography to find new ways to write about subjects about whom many biographies have been written. This is particularly pronounced in the case of iconic figures of the 20th century (think: Marilyn Monroe, Jacqueline Onassis, Elvis Presley, F. Scott Fitzgerald), and an area in which the partial life biography can play an interesting role. Whereas biographers have more traditionally opted for what we call “cradle-to-grave” narratives, the partial life biography instead offers a slice of a life- a particular period that is explored in-depth. Such is the case with Elizabeth Winder‘s Pain, Parties, Work: Sylvia Plath in New York, Summer 1953(Harper, 2013). Plath’s is a story most everyone knows, and yet her time working in New York as an intern in Mademoiselle has not previously been studied outside of the context of all that came after, which is surprising because it’s an interesting period but also because her experiences then formed the basis for what she would later write in The Bell Jar. The summer is of not just biographical interest, but literary significance as well. There is about Pain, Parties, Work an inevitable sense of clouds brewing- the summer will end, Plath will return home, and she will attempt suicide by taking pills and crawling under her mother’s house- but there’s also a sensation of joy: the joy of young women alone in a big city, experimenting with boys and clothes and make-up and work. Pain, Parties, Work is bolstered by the fact that Winder was able to secure interviews with many of Plath’s fellow interns, voices that have been notably absent in many of the earlier accounts and which lend an immediacy to a well-known story. The interviews with these women do much to flesh out the concrete details of the experience as well as Plath’s unique struggles within it. The Plath we have here is young and eager, fond of make-up and boys, and already displaying a rare gift for words. The clouds are on the horizon, yes- we all know that- but, in the meantime, the city and the thrill of discovery provide an intoxicating distraction. Summer is a time in which anything can happen. Reading Winder’s narrative and meeting Plath in this context, one feels that keenly: the excitement of a girl in the city, the hope and heat of New York, an electricity in the air. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It is a struggle sometimes in biography to find new ways to write about subjects about whom many biographies have been written. This is particularly pronounced in the case of iconic figures of the 20th century (think: Marilyn Monroe, Jacqueline Onassis, Elvis Presley, F. Scott Fitzgerald), and an area in which the partial life biography can play an interesting role. Whereas biographers have more traditionally opted for what we call “cradle-to-grave” narratives, the partial life biography instead offers a slice of a life- a particular period that is explored in-depth. Such is the case with Elizabeth Winder‘s Pain, Parties, Work: Sylvia Plath in New York, Summer 1953(Harper, 2013). Plath’s is a story most everyone knows, and yet her time working in New York as an intern in Mademoiselle has not previously been studied outside of the context of all that came after, which is surprising because it’s an interesting period but also because her experiences then formed the basis for what she would later write in The Bell Jar. The summer is of not just biographical interest, but literary significance as well. There is about Pain, Parties, Work an inevitable sense of clouds brewing- the summer will end, Plath will return home, and she will attempt suicide by taking pills and crawling under her mother’s house- but there’s also a sensation of joy: the joy of young women alone in a big city, experimenting with boys and clothes and make-up and work. Pain, Parties, Work is bolstered by the fact that Winder was able to secure interviews with many of Plath’s fellow interns, voices that have been notably absent in many of the earlier accounts and which lend an immediacy to a well-known story. The interviews with these women do much to flesh out the concrete details of the experience as well as Plath’s unique struggles within it. The Plath we have here is young and eager, fond of make-up and boys, and already displaying a rare gift for words. The clouds are on the horizon, yes- we all know that- but, in the meantime, the city and the thrill of discovery provide an intoxicating distraction. Summer is a time in which anything can happen. Reading Winder’s narrative and meeting Plath in this context, one feels that keenly: the excitement of a girl in the city, the hope and heat of New York, an electricity in the air. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It is a struggle sometimes in biography to find new ways to write about subjects about whom many biographies have been written. This is particularly pronounced in the case of iconic figures of the 20th century (think: Marilyn Monroe, Jacqueline Onassis, Elvis Presley, F. Scott Fitzgerald), and an area in which the partial life biography can play an interesting role. Whereas biographers have more traditionally opted for what we call “cradle-to-grave” narratives, the partial life biography instead offers a slice of a life- a particular period that is explored in-depth. Such is the case with Elizabeth Winder‘s Pain, Parties, Work: Sylvia Plath in New York, Summer 1953(Harper, 2013). Plath’s is a story most everyone knows, and yet her time working in New York as an intern in Mademoiselle has not previously been studied outside of the context of all that came after, which is surprising because it’s an interesting period but also because her experiences then formed the basis for what she would later write in The Bell Jar. The summer is of not just biographical interest, but literary significance as well. There is about Pain, Parties, Work an inevitable sense of clouds brewing- the summer will end, Plath will return home, and she will attempt suicide by taking pills and crawling under her mother’s house- but there’s also a sensation of joy: the joy of young women alone in a big city, experimenting with boys and clothes and make-up and work. Pain, Parties, Work is bolstered by the fact that Winder was able to secure interviews with many of Plath’s fellow interns, voices that have been notably absent in many of the earlier accounts and which lend an immediacy to a well-known story. The interviews with these women do much to flesh out the concrete details of the experience as well as Plath’s unique struggles within it. The Plath we have here is young and eager, fond of make-up and boys, and already displaying a rare gift for words. The clouds are on the horizon, yes- we all know that- but, in the meantime, the city and the thrill of discovery provide an intoxicating distraction. Summer is a time in which anything can happen. Reading Winder’s narrative and meeting Plath in this context, one feels that keenly: the excitement of a girl in the city, the hope and heat of New York, an electricity in the air. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It is a struggle sometimes in biography to find new ways to write about subjects about whom many biographies have been written. This is particularly pronounced in the case of iconic figures of the 20th century (think: Marilyn Monroe, Jacqueline Onassis, Elvis Presley, F. Scott Fitzgerald), and an area in which the partial life biography can play an interesting role. Whereas biographers have more traditionally opted for what we call “cradle-to-grave” narratives, the partial life biography instead offers a slice of a life- a particular period that is explored in-depth. Such is the case with Elizabeth Winder‘s Pain, Parties, Work: Sylvia Plath in New York, Summer 1953(Harper, 2013). Plath’s is a story most everyone knows, and yet her time working in New York as an intern in Mademoiselle has not previously been studied outside of the context of all that came after, which is surprising because it’s an interesting period but also because her experiences then formed the basis for what she would later write in The Bell Jar. The summer is of not just biographical interest, but literary significance as well. There is about Pain, Parties, Work an inevitable sense of clouds brewing- the summer will end, Plath will return home, and she will attempt suicide by taking pills and crawling under her mother’s house- but there’s also a sensation of joy: the joy of young women alone in a big city, experimenting with boys and clothes and make-up and work. Pain, Parties, Work is bolstered by the fact that Winder was able to secure interviews with many of Plath’s fellow interns, voices that have been notably absent in many of the earlier accounts and which lend an immediacy to a well-known story. The interviews with these women do much to flesh out the concrete details of the experience as well as Plath’s unique struggles within it. The Plath we have here is young and eager, fond of make-up and boys, and already displaying a rare gift for words. The clouds are on the horizon, yes- we all know that- but, in the meantime, the city and the thrill of discovery provide an intoxicating distraction. Summer is a time in which anything can happen. Reading Winder’s narrative and meeting Plath in this context, one feels that keenly: the excitement of a girl in the city, the hope and heat of New York, an electricity in the air. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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