Why read Anne Bradstreet? What can she offer a modern audience as a poet and as a woman?
I began my writing life as a poet (I have published two books of poems), and the two most famous female poets when I was growing up were Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton, both of whom, of course, committed suicide. I did not want to be like them. I wanted to live a full, rich life as a woman, have children, and yet still write poetry, and I wondered if this was possible. Anne provided me with the role model I needed, one who I thought would be important for other young women to know about as well. I was struck by Anne’s dedication to living life, her ability to be a mother, wife, friend, and writer as well as an explorer and a pioneer. I wanted to know how she had managed to be a serious writer and raise a family at the same time, especially during a time that was so prejudiced against intellectual women. If she could write, then so could I. After all, I have running water! Over time she became an inspiration, a teacher, and a guide to me. I turn to her prose for advice. I read her poetry
