A young Sylvia Plath. I don’t know the story behind this photo – who took it, or where it resides now. It was supposedly taken in Massachusetts, though I can’t confirm. Even the date, 1947, is just what somebody posted on a Tumblr somewhere; I don’t know for sure that it’s accurate, though she seems to be about the right age.
Here’s an audio recording of her reading one of her own poems, “Tulips.” She has an elegant voice. I love the way she pronounces “anesthetist.”
If she hadn’t killed herself, she’d be 82 today, with a birthday coming in October. She looks so happy, doesn’t she?
Brian D. Buckley 