Elizabeth Smart: A Fugue Essay on Women and Creativity (Women Who Rock)

Elizabeth Smart, author of By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept, has long been seen as a woman determined by "Romantic" love. In this suggestive new look at her life, Kim Echlin shows that another--and powerful--source of her creativity was rooted in her fearless exploration of the female body and psyche--as daughter, lover of men and women, and mother of four children. Elizabeth Smart bucked tradition from the beginning. The daring and pain and elusive moments of joy in this extraordinary life are told through her diaries, poetry and prose. Echlin brings new material to bear on this reflection including a hundred interviews with family, friends and work colleagues, as well as never before seen letters in which Smart reflects on birth and female creativity. She highlights Elizabeth Smart's unwavering commitment to writing in a voice and aesthetic form that reflects authentic female experience. Smart's subject matters--women's sexuality and relationships--are timeless, but they have been viewed with a cocked eyebrow since the Wife of Bath. Echlin shows how Elizabeth Smart's fearless embrace of her own experience provides the raw life from which she created her art and challenged herself to live and speak her truth. Elizabeth Smart, Author Of The Classic By Grand Central Station I Sat Down And Wept, Has Long Been Seen As A Woman Determined By Romantic Love. In This New Look At Her Life, Kim Echlin Shows That Another - Powerful - Source Of Her Creativity Was Rooted In Her Fearless Exploration Of The Female Body And Psyche - As Daughter, Lover Of Men And Women, An Single Mother Raising Four Children Fathered By A British Poet. Women's Creativity And Relationships Are The Preoccupation Of Elizabeth Smart's Writing. Echlin Shows How Elizabeth Smart's Determined Embrace Of Her Own Unconventional Experience In Her Art Belongs To A Literary Tradition Of Writers Who Create Female Characters With A Will Toward Individuality. To The Last Pages Of Elizabeth Smart's Life-long Diaries, She Never Stopped Challenging Herself To Stop Doubting, To Live And Speak Her Truth, Even Though It Put Her On The Margins Throughout Her Life. Echlin Brings New Material To Bear On This Reflection, Including Over One Hundred Interviews And A Collection Of Never Before Published Letters In Which Smart Reflects On Birth, Childrearing, And Female Creativity.--jacket. Unconcealed -- Youth -- Put It All Down -- What Can't You Write About? -- The Marriage Solution -- All The Drowning Women -- Impotence -- Voice -- Turning Point -- Independence -- All Woman -- Dig A Grave And Let Us Bury Our Mother -- Lists : The Will Toward Individuality -- Kenning : A Woman Artist Makes Her Own Patterns -- A Dark House And A Whip -- In Love -- That Silence -- Out Of Wedlock -- Birth -- Fragment -- New Terrain -- A Mother Needs An Income -- Published! -- Self-absorbed -- I -- All Female -- A New Plot -- Lists -- Inventing A Life -- The Girl Voice -- The Mother Voice -- Soho -- The Silent Years -- Speaking Up -- A Separate Self -- I Don't Think That By Grand Central Station Is Romantic -- Of Poetry And Gardens -- I Am A Writer -- Artists With Children : Another List -- The Mother Book -- What About Mexico? -- The Last Diaries -- The End -- Coda : Past And Future. Kim Echlin. The author of "By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept" has long been seen as a woman determined by "Romantic" love. In this suggestive new look at the life of a fascinating writer, Kim Echlin shows that another - powerful - source of Smart's creativity was rooted in her fearless exploration of the female body and psyche - as daughter, lover of men and women, and single mother of four children fathered by a British poet. Women's creativity and relationships are the timeless preoccupation of Elizabeth Smart's writing. Echlin shows how Elizabeth Smart's determined embrace of her own unconventional experience in her art belongs to a literary tradition of writers who create female characters with a will toward individuality. To the last pages of Elizabeth Smart's lifelong diaries, she never stopped challenging herself to stop doubting, to live and speak her truth, even though it put her on the margins throughout her life. Echlin brings new material to bear on this reflection, including a hundred interviews with family, friends and work colleagues, as well as never before seen letters in which Smart reflects on birth and female creativity. She highlights Smart's unwavering commitment to writing in a voice and aesthetic form that reflects authentic female creativity. "Elizabeth Smart, author of the classic By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept, has long been seen as a woman determined by "Romantic" love. In this new look at her life, Kim Echlin shows that another - powerful - source of her creativity was rooted in her fearless exploration of the female body and psyche - as daughter, lover of men and women, an single mother raising four children fathered by a British poet." "Women's creativity and relationships are the preoccupation of Elizabeth Smart's Writing. Echlin shows how Elizabeth Smart's determined embrace of her own unconventional experience in her art belongs to a literary tradition of writers who create female characters with a will toward individuality. To the last pages of Elizabeth Smart's life-long diaries, she never stopped challenging herself to stop doubting, to live and speak her truth, even though it put her on the margins throughout her life." "Echlin brings new material to bear on this reflection, including over one hundred interviews and a collection of never before published letters in which Smart reflects on birth, childrearing, and female creativity."--BOOK JACKET.