From May Sarton's Well: Writings of May Sarton

by Edith Royce Schade, May Sarton

Like many other women, Connecticut photographer Edith Royce Schade first discovered May Sarton's writing in the early seventies. Over the years, Sarton's work greatly influenced Schade's photography. The two women eventually met, forming both a friendship and the idea for a book - this elegant combination of Schade's photographs and selections from Sarton's poetry and prose. For the framework of the book, Schade chose a quotation which Sarton herself used as the theme for some of her poetry readings: "The delights of the poet as I jotted them down turned out to be light, solitude, the natural world, love, time, creation itself." Schade's photographs accompany Sarton's prose and poetry as a pianist accompanies a lyric singer - sometimes in unison, often in harmony, occasionally in counterpoint.

From May Sarton's Well is an inviting introduction to the poetry and
prose of May Sarton. For those who are already familiar with her work, this
book is a gathering of many nuggets of Sarton's beautifully expressed wisdom.
It is a treasure to be kept at one's bedside for frequent revisits.

It was one of three finalists in the Fiction/Drama/Poetry/Literary
Criticism category of the 1995 Benjamin Franklin Awards.

Genres: Poetry, Photography, Nonfiction, Essays

156 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1994

Reviews

[Paula Cappa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Illuminating! Edith Royce Schade gives us a sampler of May Sarton, her life as poet, journal writer, novelist, nature lover, and artist. If you’ve never read May Sarton, starting with this book is perfect because it goes deep into May Sarton’s work but even deeper into the woman and presents this dead writer that is still so alive and thriving. If you’ve ever visited a dead poet’s house or historical home of a famous person, that peek into their intimate living style holds a thrill (sometimes an unsettling thrill), creating an emotional impact. Schade takes us on a similar literary tour of May Sarton’s home and her life in it, her thoughts, and her sense of truth. The reader becomes a little “ghost” into May’s life. I found the photos and text to make me pause and reread or focus longer on the images. A beautiful book that would make a lovely gift. I have over 35 May Sarton books on my shelf. I even blogged her "Book Moments" on my wordpress blog. To say I feel blessed to know May Sarton's work, is an understatement. Highly recommended. Paula Cappa is an avid book reviewer and an award-winning mystery author of novels and short stories.

[aidan carr · Rating 3 out of 5]

there had been no such music here until a girl came in from falling dark and snow.

[Ami · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh.

A collection of Sarton's poems and snippets from her journals, interspersed with mostly nature photographs from Schade. I didn't really enjoy the poems that much, with the exception of "Dream". That one obviously resonated on a deep level for me:

"Inside my mother's death
I lay and could not breathe,"

And how she internalizes her mother's death, and works through it, almost becoming her mother then waking up out from that and getting free....Yeah. Wow.

But itt was those snippets of prose that made me want to read more of her journals, and I have a fresh stack of them (thanks to Adrian!)to do just that.

The photographs were pretty, and I appreciated the play of light in most of them, but I can't say that artsy fartsy black and white nature photographs are totally "my thing".

Might have been better if there were a few pieces edited out. It got kind of tiresome after a while, and by the end (of the only 120-ish page book), I could only read in small chunks, before bedtime to make me sleepy. And that's not exactly a glowing review blurb, now is it?

[John Fredrickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is my introduction to May Sarton's poetry and thought. The book consists of short poems, short snippets of prose, and many of the pages also contain photos that were selected by Sarton's friend Edith Royce Schade.

I found many of the poems in this collection to be very sensitive and thoughtful. Sarton is quite focused on writings on solitude, often in winter contexts involving snow and snowfalls. The photos that were included were generally very apt selections and enjoyable in their own right.

[Kirsten Feldman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The one reinforces and augments the other. May Sarton's poetry and prose excerpts speak about the need to engage with and appreciate this world that we live in, its glories and its tragedies alike. Edith Royce Schade's haunting black-and-white photographs draw out and complement these words in a lovely duet. As May Sarton says on page 36, "making space to be there," to be present in our lives, is a lesson we should all learn every day. Today, Thanksgiving, is a great day to begin.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

pictures, prose, poetry of/belonging to May Sarton. If you like May Sarton, you'll enjoy this 1994 collection lovingly assembled by Edith Schade.

[Jerry-Mac · Rating 3 out of 5]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13329876

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful American poet.