# The Making of Sylvia Plath - Hardcover

by **Carl Rollyson** (Author)

Since her death, Sylvia Plath (1932-1963) has become an endless source of fascination for a wide audience ranging from readers of _The Bell Jar_, her semiautobiographical novel, to her groundbreaking poetry as exemplified by _Ariel_. Beyond her writing, however, interest in Plath has also been fueled in part by the tragic nature of her death. As a result, a steady stream of biographies of Plath have appeared over the last fifty-five years that mainly focus on her death or contain projections of an array of points of view about the writer.

Until now, little sustained attention has been paid to the influences on Plath's life and work. What movies did she watch? Which books did she read? How did media shape her worldview? In this meticulously researched biography, Carl Rollyson explores the intricate web of literature, cinema, spirituality, psychology, and popular culture that profoundly influenced Plath's life and writing. At the heart of this biography is a compelling exploration of William Sheldon's seminal work, _Psychology and the Promethean Will_, which Plath devoured in her quest for self-discovery and understanding. Through Plath's intense study of this work, readers gain unprecedented access to Plath's innermost thoughts, her therapeutic treatments, and the overarching worldview that fueled her creative genius.

Through Sheldon as well as Plath's other influences, Rollyson offers a captivating survey of the symbiotic relationship between an artist and the world around her and offers readers new insights into the enigmatic mind of one of the most important writers of the twentieth century.

### Author Biography

**Carl Rollyson** is professor emeritus of journalism at Baruch College, CUNY. He is author of many biographies, including _Sylvia Plath Day by Day, Volumes 1 & 2_; _William Faulkner Day by Day_; _The Last Days of Sylvia Plath_; _A Real American Character: The Life of Walter Brennan_; _Hollywood Enigma: Dana Andrews_; and _Marilyn Monroe: A Life of the Actress, Revised and Updated_. He is also coauthor (with Lisa Paddock) of _Susan Sontag: The Making of an Icon, Revised and Updated._ His reviews of biographies have appeared in the _Wall Street Journal_, _Washington Post_, and _New Criterion_. He also writes a weekly column on biography for the _New York Sun._

**Number of Pages:** 352

**Dimensions:** 1.4 x 8.6 x 6 IN

**Publication Date:** November 12, 2024

## Details

- **Price:** 32.4 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 32.40 USD | In stock |

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- The Making of Sylvia Plath - Hardcover

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