Anne Sexton: The Last Summer

By Arthur Furst

Book Overview

According to those who knew her best, Anne Sexton was always preparing for her death, almost like an Egyptian queen constructing her pyramid. She wanted to create the version of her life that would most poignantly serve as her monument after she was gone. She left behind a study filled with her papers, writings, and photos.On a photo assignment from Houghton Mifflin, Arthur Furst first met Anne Sexton in April, 1974. Welcoming him into her life as a friend, Sexton allowed him to capture her image over the last months of her life. Undoubtedly, she intended Furst's photographs to become part of her legacy.Anne Sexton: The Last Summer juxtaposes Furst's exclusive photos with letters and unpublished drafts of Sexton's poems written during the last months of her life, as well as previously unpublished letters to her daughters. With an introduction by Linda Gray Sexton, this book furthers both Sexton's literary and personal legacies.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312283008
• ISBN13: 9780312283001
• Release Date: October 2001
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.78 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.7" x 0.3" x 7.6"

Customer Reviews

Share an intimate look

Furst's intimate photographs are the centerpiece of this book. It is a chance to gaze into the face of one of this incredible poet. The portraits enable you to feel Anne's pain and the joy. These images are as revealing as any of her poems. This book is a must for all sincere Sexton readers.

A stunning tribute

This photographic biography lures us into the brilliant mind of poet Anne Sexton. Furst's beautiful pictures portray her as intelligent, thoughtful and sensuous, haughty and pensive, and we are drawn into the rich complex verses written in her own hand. We are allowed to peek at her personal correspondence, and look inside the poet to the woman and her spirit. Surely, this book is a "must have" for those who are looking for the real Anne Sexton.