Selected letters Book

This is one of those books that brings out the compulsive side of me. I read every letter--even the most mundane, and there were many of those: doctor's visits, housekeeping, etc. Since Bishop is among my favorite poets, I was compelled to read everything, not wanting to miss a shred of her life story. The letters work like puzzles; we have only Bishop's, so we have to piece together what she's responding to. That's partly what's so interesting. As with any real person, though, there are sides of her we don't particularly like to see, including racist, elitist attitudes. I was reminded of that saying about heroes--sometimes it's better not to meet them. Overall, though, this comprehensive account is worthy for that idea, exactly: here is Bishop's character, well-developed, rounded, whom we like and dislike at times, and whose loves and losses matter.