dear sylvia

dear sylvia.
the other day my mother said you were a terrible person and that you had been horrible to your husband and your children.

i thought you should know i defended you. i said SHE WAS SUCH A GOOD WRITER and got terribly righteous. (sometimes i'm a good writer but more often than not i'm good at being terribly righteous).

i mean, yeah, you were pretty terrible. but you wrote such good poems. and ted wrote such good poems about how awful it all was. birthday letters makes me cry every time. i would like you to know that when i was twelve i rearranged my grandmother's bookshelf so that all your books were next to his.

maybe this makes me a bad person. not the bookshelf, i mean thinking that it's ok that you were terrible to your husband and your kids because you were a good writer.  but if i had the choice between the bell jar and a good marriage i would pick the bell jar.

ok maybe i am a bad person.
i haven't even read the bell jar.
but i just wanted you to know i'm on your side.
not that i'm picking sides or anything.
ok, i did.

sorry ted.

sincerely,
leah