_______________ BITTER FAME BY JAY PARINI (02/06/98)

It appears that there's a large factual error in Jay Parini's review of "Birthday Letters." He quotes the poem "Fidelity" as detailing his first nights with Plath. Perhaps Parini skimmed the poem. The description of the naked sleeper beside him is clearly someone other than Plath -- a "lovely girl, escaped freshly/From her husband to the frontier exposure/Of work in the soup kitchen." The "you" in the poem is clearly Plath, and this girl is just that, a sisterly temptress whom Hughes denies. So sad to see this kind of misreading of the poem, by Parini, and by Salon. Nevertheless, it's nice to see you've jumped on the poetry bandwagon. Why not stay there? -- Michael Murphy While I enjoyed both articles about "The Birthday Letters," there was a mistaken interpretation in Jay Parini's essay. His reading of the poem "Fidelity" talks about it as if it describes their first night together, and while it is remarkable and touching, the poem itself is about Ted's fidelity while courting Sylvia. The section quoted leaves the impression that it is about Sylvia but the next line is: "She traced out the fresh rips you had inscribed Across my back, seeming to join me In my obsession, in my concentration." Clearly the poem is about Hughes' relationship with the women who lived in his building while he was still courting Slyvia. It is unfortunate that Jay has so misread this poem when the rest of his article is so telling. -- Alex Hestoft Editor's Note: Jay Parini, too, recognized his own initial misreading of the poem "Fidelity" and we have since corrected the error in his review. We apologize for the confusion. Jay Parini writes, "He has been quietly, secretly, writing these poems since her death." Kate Moses writes, "The poems collected in 'Birthday Letters,' written privately over many years ..." Appealing as the picture these statements paint is, it is unfortunately not true. Hughes stated in an interview in a British paper a week or two ago that he'd written all the poems in "Birthday Letters" over the last two years. -- Stephen Hull Editor's Note: According to his American publisher, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Hughes produced the poems in "Birthday Letters" "over a period of more than 25 years." At least one of the poems, "You Hated Spain," attests to this assertion: It was published in Hughes' collection "Crow" in 1970. I stumbled upon Salon just before going to bed. I'd never heard of Ted Hughes nor Sylvia Plath. I read the articles, intrigued by the headlines. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your piece, "The Good Father": the description of what took place, your insight about the parent pit against the prying literary world, and conclusion about the mature time to tell the story -- all for the benefit of the children. For one who's never encountered Plath and Hughes, I found myself drawn in by it all and greatly moved by the conclusion. Yes, their story alone is compelling enough, and yet you took the story and made it sing. I've gone from one who was unaware of these people and their work to one who simply must read that book -- thanks, in great part, to your writing! -- Susan A. Kitchens Thank you for the two articles on "The Birthday Letters." They are brilliant, saying things that need saying about the horror of watching someone you love deteriorate into madness. The pendulum swing back into Hughes' favor is perhaps inevitable, but long overdue. Kate Moses' piece particularly resonated. Well done, Salon. -- Tracey Henley SALON | Feb. 10, 1998

R E C E N T L Y+| THE ROOTS OF THE CLINTON SMEAR BY GENE LYONS

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